'People don't know how to make me lose' Medvedev riles Davis Cup crowd

December 5, 2021

Daniil Medvedev, Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments

‘People still don’t know how to make me lose’ – Medvedev riles Davis Cup crowd

World number two Daniil Medvedev has urged hecklers at the Davis Cup to keep booing him as he feels “he’s just going to win anyway.”

After beating Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, Medvedev imitated Manchester United and former Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘calma’ celebration, as well as stomping his foot hard on the court. Both actions elicited boos and whistles from the Spanish crowd.

Medvedev has history with spectators jeering him, with the first instance coming at the US Open when fans turned against him on his route to the final. Medvedev did eventually win them over although not before provoking them on multiple occasions during post-match interviews.

Russian Medvedev also had a pitch-side rant during the Paris Masters final regarding loud fans who distracted him during his serve. In the tirade, Medvedev said “I think it’s actually easier to enjoy life when you have no brain. Because then you just scream.”

Speaking in a court-side interview after beating Struff in Madrid, Medvedev provocatively began his interview by claiming that he felt beating the reigning champions and home favourites Spain on their own court was a highlight of his Davis Cup campaign, to the continued boos of the home fans.

“Beating Spain was a highlight, I think beating Spain in Madrid was really, for all of us, we were so happy in the locker room to beat the home favourites, it was a really nice feeling and I’m really happy about it.

“It started in 2019 [at the US Open] but I’m not going to be tired to say it, people still don’t understand how to make me lose, they should support me, so it’s okay, continue, I’m going to just win!”

When asked about his Ronaldo celebration, Medvedev said it was an inside joke with his team mates and coaching team and that he doesn’t intentionally rile up the fans whilst playing.

“it’s a game which I don’t play on purpose. I definitely will be 100 percent honest: [I] definitely don’t provoke the public on purpose.

“I think definitely if somebody says that we need ‘real; characters, and when I say ‘real’ I don’t want to say strong, weak, good or bad, nut just real. Everything I do on the courts is what feel at this moment, so it’s real. People should like it then.

“Everything I do, especially on the court even more than in life, is pure emotions.

“If I do something to provoke them, it’s actually not to make them mad or sad or against me. It’s something that I feel in this moment.”