"I'm a really happy person in my life right now with only good emotions; I can talk about this for hours and hours" - Daniil Medvedev relishes being a first-time father
Daniil Medvedev is relishing his new role as a father. He welcomed his baby girl last month, shortly after Rafael Nadal became a first-time father himself.
Speaking in an interview for the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition, Medvedev shared the happiness that this new stage brings to his life.
"I'm a really happy person in my life right now with only good emotion. The experience is amazing. That's what many, many people told me: that I can only understand this when I'll have a baby. And now, I can completely understand. So this is a lot of fun," said Daniil Medvedev..
While many shy away from speaking about their personal lives, the former World No. 1 is confident he won't be tongue-tied when it comes to speaking about his daughter.
"I'm really happy about it and grateful to my wife. I can talk about this for hours and hours," said Medvedev, laughing.
Medvedev shared the news about the birth of his baby girl in an Instagram post on October 14, writing:
"14.10.22. Welcome to the world, baby girl (heart emoji)."
He also recently posted a photo of himself at his baby girl as he pushed her in a stroller.
"Welcome home," Medvedev captioned the picture.
The World No. 7 emerged victorious at the Vienna Open last month thanks to a comeback three-setter win over Denis Shapovalov in the final. He celebrated the win by calling it his first title as a father.
"15 and first one as a dad (heart emoji)," said Medvedev.
"There were some moments when I was, in a way, not myself on the court" - Daniil Medvedev assesses his 2022 season
Daniil Medvedev could very well draw inspiration from his daughter as he strives to become the best version of himself next season.
The Russian finished his 2022 campaign with a 45-19 win-loss record. He only managed to pocket two titles – in the ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos and the Vienna ATP 500 event – as he failed to defend his US Open crown.
In contrast, Medvedev collected 63 wins against just 13 losses last year, highlighted by his maiden Grand Slam triumph. The Medvedev of old did not show up at times this 2022, confessed the World No. 7.
"The only thing I want to expect from myself and then to let the fans see it is the best version of me. I want to play good tennis this season. There were some moments when I was, in a way, not myself on the court. Something was missing," said Daniil Medvedev in the same interview.
However, he feels that it's not something to be worried about and vowed to bounce back stronger.
"Something was not clicking, which is normal in everybody's careers and everybody's seasons. Sometimes, some moments are better than the others. But I want to try to be better next year. And I want to try it: to show my best level everytime," he expressed.
Daniil Medvedev will have his hands full this off-season as he is set to defend his title in the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition in Saudi Arabia set for December 8 to 10.