We believe dreams should come true" - Sponsor sends heartfelt message to Daniil Medvedev as Russian closes in on World No. 1 spot

Tinkoff Bank, the first Russian company to associate with Daniil Medvedev back in 2019, sent out a heartfelt message to their partner as he inches ever closer to the World No. 1 position.

The World No. 2 has a shot at overthrowing Novak Djokovic from the spot by the end of this week. If Medvedev wins the 2022 Mexican Open, he will become the new top-ranked player irrespective of what happens with Djokovic at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Even if the Russian does not go all the way, he will still secure the No. 1 spot provided the Serb does not match his result.

With that in mind, his sponsor took to social media to cheer on the 26-year-old before he begins his campaign in Acapulco. Tinkoff hoped that Medvedev could fulfill his "childhood dream" by completing the achievement. The message went on to state that the US Open reigning champion had worked very hard to get to this point and, as a result, was fully deserving of the honor.

"For Daniil Medvedev, this is a chance to make his childhood dream come true and win the well-deserved title of the World No. 1 player," the message read. "We believe that dreams should come true, especially if so much effort has been invested in achieving them."

They turned it into a social media campaign, asking fans to share the dreams they had in their own childhood. By using the hashtag "#kiddontstopdreaming", Tinkoff wanted users to send their "kind words" to Daniil Medvedev so that he feels full of energy going into the tournament.

"If you also believe in Dani's victory, join our support team! Post your childhood photo on social networks with a story about your dream, support Danya with kind words, and do not forget to put the hashtag #kiddontstopdreaming," the tweet said. We believe that together we will help Dana make his dream come true!"

Tinkoff also dedicated a short animated video, where pictures from the Russian's childhood were cut with the sounds of him playing tennis as the message "Kid, don't stop dreaming!" flashed on the screen.

The campaign is possibly a reference to Daniil Medvedev's infamous "The kid stopped dreaming" comment in his press conference after the loss against Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2022 Australian Open. The reigning US Open champion expressed that sentiment after becoming frustrated with the crowd at Melbourne Park for actively rooting against him in the match.

Daniil Medvedev's projected path to the title at the 2022 Mexican Open

Daniil Medvedev has to navigate a few tough matches enroute to the Mexican Open title

Winning the ATP 500 event in Acapulco is Daniil Medvedev's easiest way to reach the World No. 1 spot. If he does, he will become the third Russian man to do so after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. He will also become the first player other than the Big-4 to occupy the spot since Andy Roddick (between 2003 and 2004).

A win against Benoit Paire in the opener on Tuesday will pit the Russian against either Pablo Andujar or Alex Hernandez in the second round. Seventh seed Taylor Fritz is most likely to be the quarterfinal opponent, while the man who denied him the Australian Open last month, Rafael Nadal, is expected to be the 26-year-old's semifinal opponent.

Both World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas are in the bottom half of the draw and are equally likely to feature in the final showdown against Medvedev.