Daniil Medvedev Says He Used to Cheer for Marat Safin and Two Other Russian Legends Growing Up

If there’s a player who managed to shine through despite Djokovic’s invincible run on the ATP tour last year, it has to be Daniil Medvedev. The Russian reached the no.2 spot and scripted history as he took the place from Big-4(Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Murray) for the first time in 17 years.

To top this achievement, Medvedev stunned Djokovic in the finals of the US Open and added a major title to his list. The Russian played non-stop tennis last season which ended on a high note as he helped team Russia win the Davis Cup Finals.

Daniil Medvedev talks about Russian players that inspired him while growing up

Easily one of the top players to look forward to on the ATP tour this year, Medvedev looks to bag as many big titles as possible, considering his good form. The Russian begins his campaign at the ATP Cup, where he faces Ugo Humbert from team France.

Ahead of his match, Medvedev got talking about Russian players who had an influence on him while growing up.

“Unfortunately I didn’t see Kafelnikov play, I was too young and not that interested in tennis yet. I grew up watching mostly Marat [Safin] and Nikolay Davydenko and a little bit Youzhny when I started playing juniors. They were the three biggest names I enjoyed watching and I enjoyed cheering for them in front of my TV.

Medvedev is expected to shine big in Australia

Safin, Davydenko, and Youzhny all made their presence felt on the ATP tour. While Marat Safin was considered an impeccably talented player during his time, Davydenko had a great run at the 2009 ATP Finals as he won the title after defeating the likes of Nadal, Soderling, Federer, and Juan Martin del Potro.

On the other hand, Mikhail Youzhny was a top-10 player and reached the US Open semi-finals twice (2006, 2010). He also had a coaching stint with Canadian star player, Denis Shapovalov.

Coming to Medvedev, he is one of the favorites to win the Australian Open crown alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic(if he plays). The Russian was the runner-up last year as he lost in straight sets to Djokovic.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Is the Only Player Comparable to Novak Djokovic, Explains Matteo Berrettini