Andrey Rublev jokes about increased responsibility as godfather to Daniil Medvedev's daughter Alisa

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev recently turned their close friendship into a familial bond as Rublev became the godfather to Medvedev's daughter Alisa.

Rublev won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo after defeating Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the final. The 25-year-old was trailing 1-4 in the deciding set when he mounted a strong comeback to win the biggest title of his career so far.

Following his victory, Andrey Rublev opened up about the responsibilities that fell within his purview in his new role as godfather to Medvedev's daughter Alisa.

“Now I am responsible for making her believe in God. I also have to pray for her every day, and also make sure that she does not take off her cross, that she grows up as a good and kind person!" Rublev said in an interview with Championat.

Rublev recounted asking the priest who was presiding over the christening ceremony about the duties that would fall upon Daniil Medvedev, who replied that Medvedev's main responsibility would be to support his family. Rublev, who felt that he had more responsibilities than the former World No. 1, jokingly expressed a desire to switch places with him.

"As a result, the step turned out to be responsible, because the priest made such a speech that I even said: “What should Danya do then, since I have to follow this?” To which the priest said that Daniel must support his family. I asked if it was possible to change, because it looks like I have many times more responsibility than Dani," he added.

Daniil Medvedev has already secured ATP Finals spot, says Andrey Rublev

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev at the Dubai Tennis Championships

In the same interview, Andrey Rublev was asked whether he saw the Russian trio of himself, Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov competing against each other in the 2023 ATP Finals.

The World No. 6 replied that Medvedev's exceptional start to the season with four titles to his name had already secured his spot in the ATP Finals lineup. He further mentioned that both he and Khachanov would have to wait until the end of the season to determine if they would secure spots as there were numerous competitors vying for the available eight slots.

"Yes, Danya has already got it. And even if he doesn’t win a single match, he will be there. As for me and Karen, we need to look at the end of the season: there are many, many more competitors this year than in previous [years]," he replied.

Daniil Medvedev currently leads the race to the ATP Finals with 3,210 points to his name. Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev (1,885) and Karen Khachanov (1,305) occupy the fifth and eighth spots respectively.