Daniil Medvedev defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals and will now face Novak Djokovic for his second Grand Slam title. This victory, like many others, is credited to coach Gilles Cervare, but Medvedev himself admits that the main co-author of his success is another person.

Daniil’s wife Daria was completely focused on helping her loved one. Long before he became the best in the world.

“We had dinner, celebrated, talked”

Daniil and Daria met through tennis. Both shined as juniors and were considered one of the most promising players in Russia at their age. Teenagers went to youth competitions and sometimes met each other at training camps.

At the age of 18, Medvedeva (nee Chernyshkova) had to give up sports due to injuries. Saying goodbye to tennis was very difficult; for a long time the girl could not even look at the racket. Danya supported Dasha during a difficult period for her: he constantly wrote to her on social networks, talked about his successes, and then got the blonde’s number and began calling her periodically.

Daniil Medvedev with his wife / Photo: © Jean Catuffe / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

The couple’s relationship took a new turn when Dasha needed a dress from Nice. Danya was living with his parents in Antibes at the time, and having learned that his friend was very close, he decided to invite her first to a romantic dinner, and then to his upcoming birthday.

“And so my mother sent me to get a dress.” And Dani had a birthday around the same time. I flew in for a couple of days, we had dinner, celebrated, and talked. Since then, everything began to somehow develop,” Daria said in an interview with Tatler.

And from that moment they did not part. The athletes even joke that Dasha’s mother and that very dress became the reason for their relationship.

Made an offer

The guys dated for a long time, but for a long time Daniil did not dare to take the most important step in life – marriage. While the former tennis player was building a career on television, Medvedev was already confidently in the top 50 of the world rankings. Unexpectedly, Chernyshkova was offered a business trip to China for three months, and the athlete was starting an American series of tournaments. Medvedev had to make an important male decision: either let Dasha develop her career, or offer to share her life with him. Daniil made a choice that he never regretted – on September 12, 2018, the young people signed their names at the Kutuzovsky registry office in Moscow.

Daniil Medvedev with his wife / Photo: © Personal archive of Daniil Medvedev

After the wedding, the athlete’s wife began to accompany him on all his trips, and the career of the best tennis player in Russia took off. Danya himself admits that although he sometimes lashes out at Dasha during matches, it is she who has become the main pillar and support in his life. It is only thanks to his wife that he wins and plays for her.

— Before I made the offer, I was in 65th place in the ranking, and then in ten months I won two major tournaments and entered the top 10. We have greatly restructured our lives, we work for each other: I earn money, and Dasha helps me earn more,” Daniil told Vogue.

Daria Medvedeva / Photo: © Anadolu Agency / Contributor / Anadolu Agency / Gettyimages.ru

“These emotions cannot be compared with any title”

After last year’s Australian Open final, in which Medvedev lost to Rafael Nadal, Dani experienced a serious decline. The tennis player sensationally lost to obviously weaker opponents, and Daria stopped appearing in the stands. Fans even assumed that the spouses had quarreled and this was affecting the game. But the reason turned out to be completely different: the Medvedevs were expecting a child, so it was unsafe for Dasha to fly around the world. Although she followed Dani’s play in online broadcasts, this was not enough for the tennis player. But as soon as the couple’s daughter Alisa was born, Medvedev’s career took off again. Just two weeks after the birth of his daughter, the tennis player won a tournament in Vienna and dedicated the victory to his girls.

“I dedicate this victory to my wife, because she gave me the most wonderful gift – our daughter.” These emotions cannot be compared with any title. Dasha, thank you very much,” Medvedev said during the award ceremony.

Now the tennis player has another opportunity to demonstrate his endless love for his daughter and wife. Danya heroically reached the US Open final and, if he beats Djokovic, he will be able to give Dasha a nice gift for her five-year wedding anniversary.

The final match of the US Open 2023 between Medvedev and Djokovic will take place on Sunday, September 10, and will begin on the court in New York at 23:00 Moscow time.

Author: Ksenia Antonova