Tale as old as time. Everyone knows that the exciting part of tennis is all about its rivalries! And few have been as captivating as the ones between Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev. Their matches have been filled with heated moments and intense exchanges. But now as they team up at the Laver Cup 2024, fans are left wondering if these fierce competitors can put aside their rivalries and start afresh as teammates.

The world No. 5, Daniil Medvedev addressed the long-standing theory that he “hates” Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, with whom he is representing Team Europe in this edition of the Laver Cup. While the trio have had their fair share of on-court battles and verbal sparring in the past, Medvedev believes things have been blown out of proportion by the media and social media.

When asked how easy it was to start supporting Tsitsipas and Zverev as teammates, Medvedev recalled the interactions that led to this notion. “No, to be honest, I don’t think it’s that tough, because we, for sure when we play sometimes in the press conference, we can, you know, say some things,” Medvedev said.

But the 2021 US Open champion acknowledged that he and his rivals have always maintained a level of respect, even if their interactions on the court have sometimes been contentious. “And we’re not best friends with them, that’s reality, but I think we all have respect for each other.”

“I think there is, you know, I see this in other sports, in tennis, also, especially with social media, we love to — something happens, let’s say I scream on umpire, that’s not good, and then for ten years we put it, TikTok, Instagram, this video, they remake it with music, et cetera, we exaggerate things,” the Russian pro explained.

Medvedev believes that while he, Tsitsipas, and Zverev have had their fair share of disagreements over the years, they have always been able to move past them quickly. “So what happened with me, Sascha, Stefanos, yeah, we played some matches. Sometimes we had some fights. Sometimes someone said something in the press conference. And it’s okay. In one month, we don’t remember it too much. We are still rivals. But people tend to exaggerate it. Saying ‘Oh, my God, they hate each other’. It’s such a crazy thing,” the Russian further added.

While that may be the case, their rivalry does bring a certain excitement to the courts. Medvedev and Zverev have faced each other 19 times, with the Russian leading the way by 12-7. And, their rivalry has featured dramatic moments, such as their clash at the Monte-Carlo Masters in April 2023, where Medvedev came back from a set down to win while saving two match points. This match was followed by a sharp exchange of words. After Medvedev took a bathroom break during a crucial moment in the match, Zverev labeled him “one of the most unfair players in the world.”

Despite it all, Medvedev emphasized that there is mutual respect among them now, saying, “No, it’s okay; we respect each other. Here, I think we support each other like never before, and it’s a funny feeling.” This harmony is what’s important to be part of the Laver Cup, as the event itself was designed to create a unique team competition in tennis.

As he prepares to take to the court alongside Tsitsipas and Zverev, it could be said that the Russian has no intention of letting past grievances interfere with the team’s success. He has even gone the extra mile to share tidbits from their interactions behind the scenes as they settle in.

Fans get a fresh outlook on this spicy rivalry during the Laver Cup 2024

Just days before the event, Stefanos Tsitsipas shared a playful photo of himself and Medvedev recreating the iconic Spiderman pointing meme. Signaling that their feud has been laid to rest for the time being.

This moment stands in stark contrast to their infamous clash at the 2018 Miami Open. Medvedev, who was ranked 22nd at the time, came back to win the match after dropping the first set, finishing with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. However, in the end, after shaking hands at the net, Medvedev accused Tsitsipas of disrespectful behavior during the match, specifically citing an incident where Tsitsipas allegedly muttered “bullsh*t Russian” as they exchanged words.

Upset by this remark, Medvedev yelled from his bench, “Man, you better shut your f*** up, okay? Hey Stefanos, you wanna look at me and talk? You have some problems; you go emergency toilet for five minutes?”

Despite their rocky start and occasional tensions, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have shown moments of respect and acknowledgment of each other’s talents. Particularly now as they come together at events like the Laver Cup. So will they keep up the sportsmanship while on the court? Only time will tell.