Stefanos Tsitsipas makes ‘hatred’ admission as he addresses Daniil Medvedev’s rivalry
Stefanos Tsitsipas, who trained with Daniil Medvedev, his opponent at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, has been open about his bond and “long history” with the Russian.
The two-time major finalist stated that their dispute is “long gone,” but he believes that people “still expect some sort of conflict or hatred” between him and Medvedev.
A practice session was held on the court with Tsitsipas and Medvedev before the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. Given the tension between the two in the past, people were startled by this move.
Since their controversial and intense first match at the 2018 Miami Masters, the two have been involved in one of the most fascinating and exciting rivalries on the ATP Tour.
Following a chilly handshake, Medvedev, who was upset with Tsitsipas for using the restroom during the third set, emerged victorious in three sets.
The umpire then intervened to stop Medvedev from venting his resentment at the Greek after it appeared that Tsitsipas had called him a “bull Russian.”
Nine of the 13 meetings between the 2021 US Open champion and Tsitsipas have been in victories, with the matches frequently being thrilling because to the competitiveness and different playing styles of the two players.
READ MORE:
Stefanos Tsitsipas discusses the severe repercussions of his significant ranking decline
When questioned about their most recent practice session, Tsitsipas talked about his rivalry with Medvedev on Tennis Channel following his victory against Lucas Pouille in Indian Wells.
“Well, the past is quite lengthy. I mean, how many years ago was whatever that occurred [in Miami]? ten years prior? In the distant past, the 25-year-old remarked.
“I assume people still expect there to be some kind of conflict or animosity between us, but that has long since passed and isn’t something I really think about too much these days.”
The world No. 11 will face world No. 32 Jiri Lehecka in the last 16 on Tuesday after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the third round of the Indian Wells tournament. Lehecka defeated fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in a dramatic shock victory in the third round.
With top seed Novak Djokovic and world No. 4 in the top half of the draw, Tsitsipas and Medvedev will not play until the Indian Wells final. In the third round on Monday, Medvedev will take on Sebastian Korda, ranked 29th in the world.
