‘We’re fighting for the same dream’ – Stefanos Tsitsipas coy on icy relationship with Daniil Medvedev
Stefanos Tsitsipas tellingly deflected a question looking to stir up some history between himself and Daniil Medvedev ahead of their Australian Open semi-final clash.
The Greek won in sublime fashion against Jannik Sinner to reach a third Australian Open semi-final, while Medvedev battled past Canadian youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime to face him.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas are not the best of friends on the ATP tour, having clashed on court with both words and antics.
With that in mind, a reporter in Tsitsipas’ quarter-final post-match press conference asked the world number four to describe his relationship with the Russian.
“Why specifically him?” Tsitsipas asked in response, to which the reporter said because Medvedev was the favourite to win his quarter-final match and face the Greek.
“About our relationship? It’s fine, it kind of got better after Laver Cup (in September).
“We haven’t really spoken in the last couple of months.
“Our relationship is we are competitors on the court and fighting for the same dream.”
The journalist who asked the question, Matt Roberts of the Tennis Podcast, admitted that while at the time it was not known whether Tsitsipas would face Medvedev or Auger-Aliassime, the juicier outcome would be if Medvedev came through.
“Tsitsipas has history with Medvedev,” he said on The Tennis Podcast.
“He doesn’t have history with Auger-Aliassime, [so I decided to ask about Medvedev].”
Perhaps the most explicitly heated meeting between the two came in their first ever ATP encounter.
After defeating Tsitsipas in the first round of the 2018 Miami Masters, Medvedev erupted at the Greek before turning to the umpire.
“Man you better shut your f**k up ok!” He told Tsitsipas.
“Hey Stefanos you want to look at me and talk?
“Look at me, hey look at me huh!” He said confronting Tsitsipas
“He started, yes, he started it!” Medvedev continued to the umpire as the Greek left the court.
“He said bulls**t Russian you think this is normal?
“I answer him because he doesn’t know how to fight, he’s a small kid who doesn’t know how to fight!”
Last year, in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros, Medvedev cheekily served underarm to Tsitsipas on match point, losing the point and going out of the event.
The semi-final between the duo is their ninth at ATP tour level, with Medvedev leading the head-to-head 6-2, 5-1 on hard courts.
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