Russian Daniil Medvedev has finally recovered from a difficult performance at the Australian Open. In the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai, he beat Alexander Shevchenko, his former compatriot, who has recently defended the flag of Kazakhstan. The tennis players have known each other for a long time and communicate well, but they did not become friends on the court.

It’s all about common hobbies outside of tennis.

Daniil won a difficult match

On the professional tour, Medvedev and Shevchenko met only once. Last year, Daniil barely broke Alexander’s resistance at the Masters in Madrid – 4:6, 6:1, 7:5. Then they still represented one country – Shevchenko announced his move to Kazakhstan in January 2024.

The second meeting between the Russian and the newly minted Kazakh player turned out to be a two-setter, but still very stubborn. In the first set, Daniil gained an advantage after a break in the fifth game, and with the score 5:2, his opponent turned to a physiotherapist – Shevchenko’s elbow hurt. After medical procedures, games were exchanged – 6:3 in favor of Medvedev. In the second set, Daniil lost 2:4 and 3:5, but managed to rally and won with a score of 7:5.

Daniil Medvedev / Photo: © IMAGO/Juergen Hasenkopf / imago-images.de / Global Look Press

In the second round, Medvedev will meet with Indian Sumit Nagal or Italian Lorenzo Sonego. The Russian crossed paths with both tennis players and was invariably stronger: he beat the Indian at the Tokyo Olympics, and the Italian at tournaments in Adelaide and Monte Carlo.

“We wanted to look around, but he immediately ran away”

Shevchenko, having lost to Medvedev, sheathed his racket until the next tournament. But it is unlikely that he was very upset because of this defeat. Still, it’s not a sin to lose to the number four in world tennis, who is also a friend and companion… in online games.

Medvedev and Shevchenko are two avid gamers. Both prefer shooting games, strategy games or sports simulations. Their first acquaintance took place in the virtual world, and for a long time they communicated only there, without real interaction. Daniil and Alexander met live at the ATP Cup in January 2022.

— Alexander and I are good virtual friends because we play PlayStation together a lot. But we never met in real life. He always seemed cheerful and calm to me. We’ve been texting a lot lately, and I helped him with his visa. Alexander is a cool guy,” Medvedev said in an interview with the ATP press service in January 2022.

Alexander Shevchenko / Photo: © IMAGO/Juergen Hasenkopf / imago-images.de / Global Look Press

As it turned out, the tennis players’ first communication took place in a shooting game called Rainbow Six Siege. During the pandemic, both players spent a lot of time on the console, killing enemies and destroying other people’s fortifications. Then FIFA entered their circle of interests: Shevchenko played for Manchester United, and Medvedev for his beloved Bayern. Daniel also noted Alexander’s skills in the cult shooter Call of Duty.

When playing on the console, the tennis players acted as if they were on the court. Medvedev tried to act dangerously in counterattacks and look for cunning moves. Shevchenko often took unnecessary risks.

– In some games, people rush too much and get killed quickly. Alex is one of those players. For example, in Rainbow Six Siege he burst onto the field and quickly killed two or three opponents, after which he lost the round and was indignant: “Where were you guys?” We wanted to look around and understand what to do next, but he immediately ran to the battlefield,” Tennis.com portal quotes Medvedev.

Alexander will have to play alone

Daniil is generally considered one of the strongest gamers in professional sports. He plays CS: GO, footsims, Call of Duty, and many other franchises. At the same time, Medvedev tries not to combine toys and tennis, sticking to the console only during non-competition times. He also does not play in front of his daughter Alice, considering his hobby harmful to children.

Daniil Medvedev / Photo: © Personal archive of Daniil Medvedev

Therefore, in the near future, Alexander Shevchenko will have to play without his old companion. It is worth considering that in Dubai, Daniil Medvedev had a relatively easy draw – only two potential opponents (Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev) are in the top 10. While the Russian is knocking out his opponents on the tennis court, his Kazakh friend will single-handedly defeat his virtual enemies.