"I felt for one or two days he was kind of shy to talk to me" - Daniil Medvedev on "reconnecting" with Andrey Rublev after facing him
Daniil Medvedev flagged off his 2023 ATP Finals campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over compatriot and good friend Andrey Rublev. The two remain quite close despite their battles on the court, but it's not always easy for either of them.
The two have grown up together and now Rublev is also the godfather to Medvedev's daughter. As such, the equation adds another level to their rivalry. Following his latest win, the former World No. 1 eloborated on his relationship with Rublev and how they remain close after subjecting each other to defeats.
"Depends the person. Me, usually - depends the match - but in general I need probably one hour, around this. Depends the match. Sometimes two. Sometimes 30 minutes. I kind of laugh about it. For sure I will be disappointed, but I can talk to people, laugh about it. I think Andrey needs a little bit more time, but that's just the way he is," Daniil Medvedev said.
Medvedev further explained that when he takes to the court, winning is the only thing that matters to him. He's not focused on his rapport with the person on the other side of the net.
"To be honest, on court, I don't know how it is for him, for me on court, doesn't exist, friends, enemies. I just try to win the match. I don't think about anything else," he added.
However, Medvedev does feel a pang of sadness whenever he manages to beat Rublev. But whenever the opposite happens, like it did at last year's ATP Finals, the latter took some time to re-establish their connection.
"But when the last point is finished, it's like I feel sorry for him, he lost the match. But it's the same for him. If he beats me, I mean, last year was brutal when he beat me. So I felt for one or two days he was kind of shy to talk to me, taking care. It's the same. You always try to look at him and see if tomorrow we can talk like normal. I'm going say him good luck, go for it the next matches, and he's probably going to say the same," he said.
Daniil Medvedev to face Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz in his next two matches at the ATP Finals
As stated above, Daniil Medvedev started his quest for a second ATP Finals title with a win over Andrey Rublev. The tournament has already proven to be a success for him as he lost all three of his group ties last year.
Medvedev currently sits atop the group and will face Alexander Zverev in his next match on Wednesday. The German rallied from a set down to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in three sets.
Medvedev will then take on the Spaniard in his final match of the group stage on Friday. He got the better of Alcaraz the last time they played, which was at the US Open a couple of months ago.