“Demonstrating Superb Training, Prowess, and a Real Fighting Spirit”: President Vladimir Putin Lauds Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev surely has made all Russians around the world proud as he won the ATP Finals 2020, defeating Dominic Thiem. He has received plaudits and congratulatory messages from all corners of the world. And recently, he also received a congratulatory message from the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

A part of the message was updated on Putin’s website, with the President congratulating Medvedev and applauding him for carrying the Russian tradition forward.

“You played brilliantly and blazed through the finals of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament, demonstrating superb training, prowess, and a real fighting spirit in beautiful and grueling matches, carrying on the wonderful traditions of the Russian tennis school.”

What special records did Daniil Medvedev create with the ATP Finals triumph?

Putin added a lot of superlatives and adjectives for Medvedev, and he fully deserves that. Medvedev’s ATP Finals triumph came with a lot of fantastic records. He was an undefeated champion, thus earning the most ranking points as well as prize money. Further, he became the first player to beat the top three ranked players in the ATP Ranking at the ATP Finals.

Medvedev became the second Russian to win the ATP Finals title. The first one was Nikolay Davydenko, who had defeated Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009 to win the tour finals. Thus after his triumph, Daniil Medvedev remembered Davydenko for being an inspiration to him.

“I always said before this tournament it would be an amazing story if here in London…where the tournament was for 11 years… the first champion would be Russian and last champion would be Russian too. So, a lot of thanks to Nikolay Davydenko for being an inspiration for many kids as me,” Daniil said.

As Medvedev mentioned coincidently now, the first champion of ATP Finals that took place in London was Davydenko in 2009, and now the final champion of the ATP Finals in London is Medvedev. There have been 12 editions of the ATP Finals in London and now, from next year, it moves to Turin, Italy.

Medvedev is slowly climbing up the ladder. And now just a Grand Slam eludes his trophy cabinet. Let’s see if 2021 changes that.

Read More: Tennis Analyst Believes Daniil Medvedev Is Not as ‘Beautiful to Watch’ as Djokovic, Nadal or Thiem