Novak Djokovic’s shout of “creatinaaaa” during the 2023 Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz was one of those moments that instantly went viral. That match, a grueling 3-hour-49-minute battle, pushed the Serbian to his limits. During the changeovers, Djokovic quietly asked his team for a creatine drink. When they didn’t catch on, he had to scream it out loud. It worked—he got his drink, and he won the match. Fast forward to January 2024, and Djokovic took things to another level. He launched SILA, his own line of electrolyte hydration cubes, branding it as “the most advanced supplementation system in the world.” The reason? He didn’t trust what was available in the market. And after two explosive doping cases due to contamination, Daniil Medvedev shares those fears.

Tennis was rocked by two high-profile doping cases in 2024 involving top players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. On August 12, Swiatek tested positive for low levels of the banned substance trimetazidine. The culprit? A contaminated sleeping pill. She received a one-month ban in November. Meanwhile, Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance that entered his system via his physiotherapist. The Italian received a three-month ban, which started on February 15.

These cases sent shockwaves through the tennis world. While much of the conversation revolved around fairness in sentencing, they also sparked widespread paranoia. Players are more cautious than ever about what they put into their bodies. Medvedev summed up the mood best in an interview with The National. “Paranoid is one of the right words, but the other word is scared because whatever you take, you basically just don’t know,” he said. “We all take protein, like someone takes creatine, BCAA, omega-3. It’s a basic thing that many normal people take, which just helps your health. And you never know what’s going to happen with them.”

The fear is real. Just ask Emma Raducanu. Ahead of the Australian Open, she was bitten by jumping ants. Normally, a quick spray of antiseptic would have solved the problem. But she hesitated, afraid it could lead to an unintentional positive doping test. Instead, she decided to “tough it out.”

The Russian tennis star, however, insists supplements are non-negotiable. “I would die on the court” without them, he said. Despite his efforts, though, the former World No. 1 has been struggling to regain his best form.

Daniil Medvedev drops out of the top 10

Daniil Medvedev’s latest setback came at the Miami Masters 1000, where he suffered a shock opening-round exit to Jaume Munar. With that loss, the 29-year-old’s ranking will take a hit. He reached the semifinals last year, but now, after Alex de Minaur’s win over Joao Fonseca, Medvedev will officially drop out of the Top 10 after the tournament. This marks only the second time in almost six years that he has fallen out of the Top 10. The last time was January 30, 2023—but he clawed his way back within three weeks.

The 2021 US Open champion’s current dry spell is hard to ignore. Medvedev has won 20 career titles, but none since Rome in 2023. In 2025, he has yet to reach a final. Along the way, he’s suffered surprising losses to Munar, Mattia Bellucci, Hamad Medjedovic, and Learner Tien. Still, there have been glimpses of his former self. He made the quarterfinals in Dubai and the semifinals at Indian Wells, showing he still has the ability to compete at the highest level.

When asked about his ranking drop after his loss at Miami, Medvedev remained unfazed. “Well, I guess it could happen after this tournament. I don’t follow, like — unless you’re getting close to No. 1 or something, I don’t follow it that closely,” he said.“But if it’s going to happen, I’m probably going to know it. Somebody is going to tell me or I’m going to see it in one of the tournaments. But yeah, if I do drop, it means I didn’t play well enough for last year. But it’s okay. I’m going to continue trying my best. As I said, unfortunately here physical issues, but clay now. Let’s see. My last title was on clay, so I’m going to try to get it again.”

With clay season around the corner, Daniil Medvedev has a shot at redemption. Will he turn things around or continue his slide?