Justine Henin defends Daniil Medvedev over beef with Alexander Zverev after Monte-Carlo showdown

Tennis legend Justine Henin has defended former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the aftermath of his controversial feud with Alexander Zverev in Monte-Carlo.

Medvedev saved two match points and overcame booing from the crowd to defeat Zverev 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) and advance to the Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinals. His run was later cut short in the last eight by teenager Holger Rune.

After the match against Medvedev, Zverev maintained a decidedly cold face while shaking hands with the Russian at the net. He brushed his hand over the Medvedev's without saying anything, sparking a controversy.

Zverev later called Medvedev one of the most "unfair" players he has ever seen. In response, Medvedev mocked Zverev by saying that the German should look in the mirror before criticizing other players.

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin weighed in on the situation in an interview with Eurosport, saying that the feud between the two prominent players of this generation was heating up. She then compared the situation to feuds between players in the 1980s.

"Things are getting spicy. It’s going to be interesting, everyone is talking about this thing between Zverev and Medvedev. It happened already in the 80s with other players, and it was nice," Henin said.

Henin believes it would be better for both players to settle the matter in person rather than speaking to the media about it.

"These days it looks like it’s gonna be a big story, so let’s talk about that. They don’t really like each other, they proved that. They communicate with the press, the players now, will they talk together? I still think it’s going to be the best that they talk together and bring back from the past. But maybe they like it, so maybe it’s the reason," she added.

The Belgian then defended Daniil Medvedev, saying that the former US Open champion occasionally gets frustrated and upset but accepts that he is human and is fallible.

"I don’t think it was unfair but we know Daniil admits he’s human, sometimes he’s not perfect. He talked about Diego Schwartzman, I think it’s more [serious] with Zverev. Daniil sometimes can get frustrated, upset, and we don’t understand," Henin said.

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What is next for Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev?

Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev pictured together.

Daniil Medvedev announced his withdrawal from the 2023 Barcelona Open after his exit from the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, given that he's had a demanding schedule lately. The Russian has played in 35 ATP tour matches this year and has won 31 of them.

Medvedev is expected to play the upcoming Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, which begins on April 24, but nothing has been officially confirmed from his side.

Alexander Zverev, on the other hand, will next be seen competing at the Bavarian International Tennis Championships, which begins on April 19. He was defeated by Holger Rune in the opening round of the tournament in Munich last year.