Tennis courts are no strangers to rivalries, and some of the most heated feuds in the sport have lasted for years. One of the more memorable ones was between Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Their clash, dating back years ago, was full of fiery exchanges and icy handshakes that had fans buzzing. But, as it turns out, time may have softened the edges of this once-tense relationship. In a surprising twist, it seems Medvedev and Tsitsipas have set aside their past differences, and the seeds of a budding friendship are beginning to sprout.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas are taking part in Roger Federer’s Laver Cup as members of Team Europe. Interestingly, the tournament is not just helping them shape their skills and strengths, but also assisting them in overcoming their differences, as they engaged in a cheeky act during the tournament.

In a post shared by the Greek star on his X, he and Medvedev can be seen pointing fingers and smiling at each other. They can be spotted sitting around a table donning the jerseys of their team. The two also engaged in some discussions as they enjoyed their meal. Tsitsipas was quick to draw a resemblance of this photo to the iconic Spiderman meme in which the character can be seen pointing a finger at his clone. Captioning the picture, Tsitsipas wrote, “How did we do, @DaniilMedwed ? 👉👈.” This signified that the two players have gradually overcome their differences that started to brew ever since their first match.  

For the unversed, the rivalry between the two players started in 2018 during their first clash at the Miami Open, when the former World No. 1 accused his Greek counterpart of calling him a “bu****it Russian.” Medvedev seemingly took offense after Tsitsipas took a mid-match emergency bathroom break and later failed to apologize for a net cord. He also hit back at the player and called him a “kid” who doesn’t know how to fight. A similar feud was observed in the Australian Open semi-finals when Medvedev accused Tsitsipas’ father of coaching the Greek player during points. However, this is not the first time that the two have set their differences aside.

Ahead of the Indian Wells Masters this year, the duo was seen hitting the courts together as they engaged in a practice session. This gave a major statement about their rivalry, with fans anticipating that they have moved past their differences. Their latest bonding at the Laver Cup, meanwhile, is justifying the vision that Federer had for the tournament. 

Are Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev justifying Roger Federer’s view of the Laver Cup?

The Laver Cup is indeed a special venue for Roger Federer. The Swiss Maestro did not just conceptualize and launch the tournament in 2017 but also bid adieu to the sports arena from this venue itself in 2022. It is probably for this reason that the tournament holds special significance for him, which he admitted in an interview last year.

Speaking of the importance of the tournament in 2023, Federer said, “The Laver Cup is an amazing combination of being in a team with other heroes and being together, having dinner together, lunch together, talking tennis all day, and just feeding off one another.” The recent gestures between Tsitsipas and Medvedev speak volumes about this statement, and the unity that the tournament is bringing seems to be evident. Continuing further, Federer also said that after the tournament, players often feel “motivated and inspired to go on and do great things, and win every tournament you possibly can.”

As time evolves, it will be interesting to see if the two players have actually overcome their differences or if it is just a temporary occurrence.