“She gave me a lot of confidence. I always say that it was the moment I proposed to her that I started to go up,” Daniil Medvedev once said about his wife, Daria. Maybe it’s true that behind every successful man, there is a woman. Daniil and Daria’s love story started on the tennis courts when they were teenagers, eventually leading to their marriage in 2018. Now, they have two daughters together, making their family life all the more special. The Russian tennis star may be a fierce competitor on the tennis court, but at home, he’s just a husband surrounded by a house full of girls. And he has since picked a skill or two. What are they?

Recently, Medvedev stepped into a new role—photographer. The World No. 6 was spotted at the Four Seasons Resort in Dubai, celebrating his wife Daria’s birthday. He shared a picture of them posing together in front of a beautiful backdrop of Dubai’s nightlife. Daria shared a hilariously endearing moment on her Instagram Story. The Russian tennis player was seen snapping pictures of his wife and her friends, looking every bit like a dutiful husband determined to get the perfect shot.

While Medvedev is enjoying some downtime with his family, he is also gearing up for the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begins on February 25. He heads into the tournament after a bittersweet run in Doha. The ‘octopus’ reached the semifinals of the ATP 500 event but was forced to withdraw mid-match against Felix Auger-Aliassime after losing the opening set. After the unexpected retirement, Medvedev revealed that food poisoning was the reason he couldn’t continue anymore and expressed his disappointment. “Unfortunately I had food poisoning,” the 29-year-old said. “Very disappointed to end my run here in Doha like this as I feel like I was playing well. I look forward to coming back next year.”

Despite the setbacks, what remains constant is Medvedev’s love for competition. He thrives on it so much that it follows him everywhere, even at home!

Daniil Medvedev reveals his competitive spirit doesn’t leave him at home either

During an on-court interview at the 2025 Qatar Open, Daniil Medvedev described competition as a “drug” and confessed that his competitive spirit doesn’t stop with tennis.

“Competition. Competition is a drug. Competition is adrenaline. A lot of things I do even outside of tennis is a competition. Sometimes video games. Sometimes something less. Sometimes arguing with my wife who’s right,” Medvedev said. The World No.6 doubled down on the sentiment, adding, “Competition is my life. I love it. Other than that, it’s gonna be tough to find more things to enjoy when you have two kids and when you’ve already played some years. Competition is the most important for me.”

Medvedev is currently on a mission to get his hands on a title, something that has eluded him since his victory at the 2023 Italian Open. His closest chance came at last year’s Australian Open, where he was two sets up against Jannik Sinner in the final before the Italian mounted an incredible comeback to snatch the trophy away.

As the Russian ace gets ready for his first-round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships against Jan-Lennard Struff, he will have his wife, Daria in his corner, cheering him on. Can Medvedev turn things around and lift a trophy again?