Daniil Medvedev Reveals Why he Broke His No-Celebration Rule After ATP Cup 2021 Victory

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev revealed that he tried to emulate the mode of celebration of one of his favorite soccer stars after firing Russia to its maiden ATP Cup title on Sunday.

In a departure from his ‘no celebration’ rule, Medvedev allowed himself some jubilation as his teammates joined him in a joyous huddle.

Daniil Medvedev reveals he copied the celebration style of former soccer star Mario Gomez

Opening up on the crowning moment at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, the current World Number 4 said that he tried to “copy” the celebration style of former Bayern Munich and Germany soccer star Mario Gomez. However, the Russian cheekily conceded that it may not have come out right.

Team Italy, which had a dream run at the prestigious team event, came up short against a fired-up Russia to concede the title 2-0. 

After compatriot Andrey Rublev gave Russia a 1-0 lead with a commanding victory over veteran Fabio Fognini, Medvedev carried the momentum forward and dished out a clinical performance in his win over current World Number 10 Matteo Berrettini.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Medvedev said, “It was a team tournament and this one was, kind of, not really (a) celebration, like ‘come on!’”

He then revealed that he tried to do a Mario Gomez, who barely showed any emotion after scoring for Bayern and the German national team during his heydays.

“It’s actually Mario Gomez but I don’t think I did it well enough,” the Russian said.

Medvedev says he liked Mario Gomez’s low-key celebration after scoring for Bayern Munich

Revealing his admiration for the former Bayern star, Medvedev said, “Mario Gomez did it sometimes when he was playing for Bayern, he was my favorite player at the time.”

The Russian said he really liked how Gomez simply crossed his chest with one arm without going into a high-pitched celebration and tried to emulate it in his hour of glory on Sunday.

Read More: Unorthodox but Effective: The Mystery Behind Daniil Medvedev’s Style of Play

Both Medvedev and the 8th-ranked Rublev carried their form from last season into the tournament, and it showed in their performances on the way to the championship showdown on Sunday.