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Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas practised together ahead of the Indian Wells tournament in California prompting a flurry of reactions from commentators and fans of the sport due to their spats in the past.
Their relationship got off to a rocky start after Medvedev berated Tsitsipas at the Miami Open in 2018. The Russian got frustrated over something that Tsitsipas said after beating him in three sets at the tournament. Both men were ranked outside the top-50 during that match.
Tsitsipas had taken potshots at Medvedev in subsequent comments about the Russian. "It's just boring. It's boring. It's so boring," the Greek had said about playing Medvedev. But the duo seem to have buried the hatchet delighting fans and commentators.
"They'll be having a roger and rafa moment on the bench next," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
"I can’t breathe this is too much," another fan said.
Fans and commentators nonetheless were happy about the duo's camaraderie. It was good to see Medvedev and Tsitsipas practicing together, they said.
"Didn't think this would happen exactly one year after Medvedev threw shade at Tsitsipas during the Dubai trophy presentation ceremony. Not the first time they've practiced together but good to see nonetheless," tennis journalist Srihari posted on X.
Here are a few more reactions:
Daniil Medvedev leads Stefanos Tsitsipas 9-4 in rivalry
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have played against each other 13 times on the ATP Tour. The former leads Tsitsipas 9-4 in their rivalry so far.
The duo met for the first time in the first round of the Miami Open in 2018. The match is remembered for the verbal altercation between the players after they shook hands at the net. Medvedev, who won that encounter, later said that the overall ambience at the match was very hostile.
Tsitsipas scored his first win over Medvedev in their sixth meeting at the group stage of the 2019 ATP Finals. The duo met in the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open, a repeat of their encounter at the same stage the previous year. Both players were slapped with fines by the ATP for their behaviour during the match.
While Medvedev was fined for yelling at the chair umpire, Tsitsipas got a coaching warning and was slapped with a penalty. Tsitsipas has said that he finds the on-court antics of the Russian funny at times but praised him for his unorthodox plays and his inside-out backhand. Medvedev, meanwhile, has complimented the Greek for his one-handed backhand.
