"I'm there less than my wife, my daughter feels it" - Daniil Medvedev on daughter Alisa concealing her 'character' from him due to his frequent travel
Daniil Medvedev has opened up about the struggles of balancing fatherhood with being a professional tennis player. The Russian welcomed his first child, daughter Alisa, with his wife Daria in October 2022.
Although Medvedev occasionally enjoys his wife and daughter's support in person during tournaments, he often has to leave them behind while competing on tour.
Progressing to the third round of the 2024 French Open after Miomir Kecmanovic retired from their clash while trailing 6-1, 5-0, the World No. 5 opened up about the challenging consequences of spending so much time away from the toddler.
Joining Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel, Daniil Medvedev revealed that he hasn't learned much from his daughter yet, apart from some patience, given her limited vocabulary.
"Has taught me? Not yet, not yet. She doesn't speak too many words. Just by showing and stuff, tough to teach. Patience maybe, I don't know, sometimes," he said.
Acknowledging the difficulty of juggling fatherhood as a tennis player, the 28-year-old also admitted that his wife Daria shoulders most of the responsibility of teaching their daughter, and, as such, is the one learning from the toddler in return.
"Let's be honest, when you're a tennis player, you can talk as much as you want about kids, you don't see them that often. You travel around the world so it's more my wife that tries to teach her things and maybe our daughter teaches her patience," Daniil Medvedev said.
The Russian disclosed that his absence isn't lost on his daughter, as she tends to hide her true character around him even when they are together.
"Me, I'm there less than my wife so I think my daughter feels it. So, with me she is, when we're together, she's not having too much of a character, she's just going by the flow," the Russian said.
"And I like to make jokes with my wife, 'You told me she was screaming earlier but she's fine.' It is what it is. I try to spend as much time as possible with her and it's a fun time," he added.
Daniil Medvedev on his daughter Alisa potentially pursuing tennis: "I'm not sure I will be there for the matches, I will be too stressed"
During the same interview, Daniil Medvedev shared his thoughts on the possibility of his daughter Alisa pursuing tennis, emphasizing that he wants to allow her the independence to follow her own passions while also offering guidance to ensure that she's on the right path.
"I don't know. I want her to be happy to do whatever she feels like she wants to do. And then there is a thin line because if I would have to choose myself at 10 years old, I'm not sure I would go to tennis," Daniil Medvedev said.
"So, it's a thin line where you as a parent, you need to see what she likes doing and what she can do well because it's still important and also you don't want to force her," he added.
The World No. 5 also humorously disclosed that if Alisa decides to play tennis, the "stress" of watching her compete would keep him from attending her matches.
"So, that's too early for the moment but she likes her small racquet that she has, she likes playing with the ball, she likes kicking the ball so let's see. If she comes to tennis, I'm not sure I will be there for the matches. I will be too stressed," he said.
Up next, Daniil Medvedev takes on Tomas Machac in the third round of the French Open, with a potential high-profile fourth-round clash against Alex de Minaur on the cards.