There is no love lost between arch rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev. The two have had some colorful confrontations over the years and a war of words. Clearly, the two like each other about as much as McEnroe liked Lendl and Connors, or the Spanish Armada liked Lleyton Hewitt.
If Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova can’t stand each other, Tsitsipas and Medvedev could become the next big feud. Yesterday, Tsitsipas beat Medvedev at the World Tour Finals in London 76 64. It was his first win in five tries against the Russian. After the match, Medvedev made it clear, a peace treaty is not imminent.
“I don’t know what I did in the first place that offended him so much [as to provoke such attitude from Tsitsipas] but I’ll try to keep ‘offending’ him,” Daniil Medvedev said.
” I wouldn’t say I treat him (Tsitsipas) in a special way, but to be honest: after his interview in Shanghai, I told myself that now, I probably won’t forgive him, I will remember all that I see in him and speak about it to the camera. If he believes that he can say such things, then I will hurt him. If it has to be trash talk, then it will be trash talk.”
Tsitsipas called Mededev’s style of play “boring” in Shanghai after US Open.
“I believe that such an opinion has a right to be. I probably would’ve listened to it from any other person, but I think the others wouldn’t say that. Take Sasha Zverev for example: maybe he also considers my tennis boring. But he went to the reporters and said: “I don’t think so, Daniil is a cool player, he achieved great results.” And Stefanos – apparently, I strongly offended him with something: I don’t understand how exactly. But, then, I will offend him more. “
With all the nice guy talk and diplomacy on the ATP World Tour, it’s a much needed contrast to have a burning fire of a rivalry between two top talents competing for major titles. And by the looks of things, it’s only going to get hotter as they get closer to winning their first major titles.
In other news, Rafael Nadal reacted angrily to reporter Ubi Scanagatta’s implication that Nadal’s game has suffered since his marriage after US Open.
It’s been quite a week in London so far.
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Andrew Miller · November 12, 2019 at 9:03 pm
A rivalry. Good. But seems like Tsitsipas isn’t very aware of the effects of what he says. His call to overthrow the big three at slams etc backfired on him (even as he’s found better form after slam season aka high pressure and expectations part season was over).
Tsitsipas is very tone deaf. This has been noted about him before, that he’s oblivious to what he says and how quickly other players take offense. Kyrgios tried to patch it up and get them to lighten up but obviously the Kyrgios intervention failed because Tsitsipas is in his own world.
Medvedev might punch him and for the terrible reason that Tsitsipas has zero awareness that he fires up his opponents.
Andrew Miller · November 12, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Are Nadal and Federer coming unglued? It seems like the slam record combined with the pressure from the younger guys is making them lose their minds. They are cursing (both were sportsmen of the year, Class A ambassadors for the sport!), they are getting ticked off with reporters (and some bad questions but the players are used to it!).
At least they show they can still be offended. But they are becoming grumpy and ornery. They have said in interviews this week they know the merry go round is going to end and their careers will end sooner or later.
Maybe a sign they are going down swinging. It’s shocking.
Scoop Malinowski · November 13, 2019 at 9:05 am
Andrew, this could be the unraveling of Fed and Nadal, this week we could finally see it. Both are in danger of not making the semis. This WTF often sets up or is a foreshadow to the results the following year.