Medvedev and Tsitsipas feud brings welcome dash of spice
It is not quite the dream semi-final that old-school, tantrum-loving fans had been hoping for. That would have been Nick Kyrgios v Novak Djokovic. But this morning’s meeting between Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas should still add much-needed pepper to our staple diet of forehands and backhands.
Tsitsipas and Medvedev started eyeballing each other during a meeting in Miami, almost three years ago. They have never really stopped. Perhaps it is not quite on the level of Jimmy Connors leaping over the net to poke his index finger into John Mcenroe’s face. But unlike most modern tennis feuds – which are usually resolved for the benefit of sponsors – this one is still bubbling away.
When Tsitsipas finally defeated Medvedev for the first time, during the 2019 ATP Finals, he was asked if their mutual tension brought any extra satisfaction to the victory. “It means more than extra,” Tsitsipas replied, almost purring with delight. “It’s a victory that I craved for a long time now
… our chemistry definitely isn’t the best that you can find on the tour. It’s not that I hate him [but] we will not go to dinner together.”
Tsitsipas’s readiness to engage on this topic may have something to do with his coaching consultant, Patrick Mouratoglou. Better known as Serena Williams’s main coach, Mouratoglou understands the need for a little pantomime drama to enliven the on-court action. And while the sort of nonsense we see at boxing weigh-ins is best