"People dislike John McEnroe, but he couldn't hear about it except in newspaper" - Daniil Medvedev on evolution of social media abuse in digital age

Daniil Medvedev recently gave his thoughts on the rise of social media abuse in the modern era. He said that people now can freely abuse and criticize athletes on various platforms.

Medvedev recently competed at the 2024 US Open where he defeated the likes of Dusan Lajovic, Fabian Marozsan, 31st seed Flavio Cobolli, and Nuno Borges in the first four rounds. However, his journey came to an end in the quarterfinals when he was defeated by top seed Jannik Sinner.

While speaking with Tennis.com, Daniil Medvedev delved into the impact of social media on athletes and the prevalence of online abuse. He said that in the 1980s, players such as John McEnroe, who evoked mixed emotions from fans, did not have to face the same level of criticism and abuse due to the absence of social media platforms.

“I wonder how it was in let’s say the ‘80s. Some people like [John] McEnroe, some people dislike him. But unless they say to his face on the street, he could not really hear about it except maybe in the newspaper,” Medvedev said.

The former World No.1 stated that nowadays people tend to express their emotions, including delight, happiness, anger, and criticism, on social media platforms. This unrestricted access to sharing opinions has created a breeding ground for abuse directed towards players.

“Now you can just go on Instagram and see a hundred people a day who don’t like you and a thousand who do. I’m just trying—and I don’t always succeed—to be myself. And I understand by doing some things, someone will say, ‘Oh my God, what an angry tennis player.’ And someone else is going to say, ‘Continue. Do it more,’” he added .

Daniil Medvedev shares why he stays aways from social media: "When you lose, it's all negativity"

Earlier this year, while speaking to the Russian daily Sport-Express, Daniil Medvedev discussed the impact of social media on athletes. He expressed that people are quick to offer advice to players after a match, whether they win or lose . He said that grew up in the age of social media and admitted that he relies on it to some extent, but tries to limit his usage.

"On social media, when you lose or win a match, everyone gives you advice - and the exact opposite. I grew up in the era of social networks. Therefore, to some extent, I depend on them and try to use them as little as possible, to read some comments - because everything people write can be offensive. So I try to use them only in a positive way," Medvedev said.

Medvedev shared that after a win, he receives praise, but after a loss, he faces negativity. As a result, he tends to avoid social media comments following a defeat, only choosing to read them after a victory.

"When you win, everyone praises you. When you lose, it's all negativity. That's why when I win, I read something. Everyone praises me, it's nice . But when I lose, I don't go on social media and I do it so that I don't see any bad comments. Some time will pass, I'll win again - and then I'll go on again," he added.

Daniil Medvedev currently boasts of having 1.2 million followers of social media platform Instagram and 337K followers on X (formerly known as Twitter).