“I’m Ok to do it”: Daniil Medvedev on Changing Underwear On-Court During the National Bank Open 2021

It was time for some hard-court light-hearted entertainment as tennis returned to the streets of Canada. Delivered to television sets globally, fans all around the world were relishing the non-stop action. However, safe to say, not everyone enjoyed their outing in Toronto last night as much as top seed Daniil Medvedev, who was at both ends of the drama as he faced Kazakhstan’s, Alexander Bublik.

Russian sensation, Daniil Medvedev, was at the heart of banter last night. He made world headlines with his quirkiness first, then his performance. From giggling to a bizarre call from the umpire, to making a rather absurd request himself, the game had just about everything. However, it was the rain and its ‘hindrance’ that caused the most banter.

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“Everyone is gonna see me”- Daniil Medvedev

On the business end of things, Daniil was far from at his best last night. The World No. 1 played below the caliber of a tournament top-seed as he even lost the first set 6-4. However, soon enough, mother nature came to his rescue as heavy showers stopped play immediately, giving both players a 50-minute break.

As the court dried up and Daniil walked out, he raised one too many laughs with yet another request. Although, when the umpire denied his ask for a bathroom break, he demanded permission to change his underwear on-court. Consensual from Daniil, but denied yet again.

He said, “And if I wanna change my underwear? The only chance for me to change my underwear is over there but there are cameras there. I’M OKAY TO DO IT but everybody is gonna see me.”

Courtesy of the delay caused by rain, Daniil could rejuvenate and come back to the court as good as new. Finding his footing and form all at once, he dominated the match head-on, cruising to victory with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

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Off-balance start but a strong finish from Medvedev

Daniil looked like a new player after the 50-minute break. He played more exuberantly, establishing authority on the court, and was brimming with confidence. However, his initial start was concerning. Post-match, the Russian admitted to struggling at the beginning of the game and opened up on his resurrection towards the end.

He said, “I was not feeling it. I was super disappointed and angry with myself because I had the opportunities. I was really fighting and I know how tournaments can go. You can feel better during the tournament but for this you need to win the first match.”

Further, he added, “I’m happy I managed to turn around my game after the rain. I didn’t do anything specific, but just started feeling the ball better and had more opportunities to win the match.”

Regardless, Daniil will surely take the win, no matter how it comes. Putting the past behind, he now marches forward as he prepares to face the winner of No. 16 seed Jannik Sinner and qualifier James Duckworth.