"Sometimes, I can be a selfish kid on the court" - Daniil Medvedev emotional over unexpected support at Wimbledon, plans to 'give back' to fans

Daniil Medvedev has vowed not to be a "selfish kid" after he was deeply moved by the hospitable reception he received from the Wimbledon crowd.

Medvedev has been on a good run this season, winning five titles. At the Grand Slams, however, he has failed to make a mark. Most recently, at the French Open, he made a first-round exit following a 7-6(5), 6-6(7), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Medvedev got his Wimbledon 2023 campaign underway on Wednesday, July 5, by defeating wildcard Arthur Fery 7-5, 6-4, 6-3. In his post-match press conference, he admitted to being unsure of the British crowd's reaction towards the return of Russian and Belarusian players, who were banned from the tournament last year.

However, the crowd at the stadium gave Medvedev a good reception, which moved him emotionally. The World No. 3 then vowed to try and avoid being the "selfish kid" on the court and hoped to return the love with his tennis at SW19.

"There was zero let's say negative energy that I felt. I never had such a good reception at Wimbledon. It's much better than I had before. So that's great. I'm going to try to give them back, if I can say like this. Hopefully I can," he said.

"Not getting crazy and let's say - how can I explain it - not being probably a selfish kid on the court. Sometimes, I can be. I'm going to try to give back [to] people here in Wimbledon and just try to show some good tennis. Even if I don't, leave the court and finish the tournament," he added.

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Daniil Medvedev calls for peace between Russia and Ukraine

Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Daniil Medvedev has called for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Unlike Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka who called for the press at Wimbledon to avoid asking her political questions altogether, Medvedev made it abundantly clear that he was against the war.

In his press conference, the 27-year-old maintained his previous position and spoke about wanting harmony between the two countries.

"If anyone doesn't want to raise his voice, that's his position. Mine, I always said the same. I am for peace. Yeah, not much more to add," Daniil he said.