“Daniil Medvedev puts buttocks in the seats,” Jimmy Connors says of Russia’s emotional show and increasing popularity
Former Grand Slam winner Jimmy Connors has taken notice of Daniil Medvedev’s on-court theatrics, which include racquet smashes and gestures to the audience.
Advantage Connors, father-son duo Brett and Jimmy Connors, and Advantage Connors discussed the World No. 3 getting into altercations with the crowd and displaying his emotions on the court in the podcast. Brett Connors also compared the Russian’s character to that of his father, who was a volatile player in the 1980s.
Jimmy Connors praised Medvedev’s outgoing nature, believing it contributed to the former US Open champion’s growing popularity.
“I enjoy his personality.” He offers you more than simply striking the tennis ball, which attracts fans whether they like him or not. “They’re going to come to watch him play, and basically, you know, he puts butts in the seats,” he explained.
Connors also used Andy Murray as an example, recalling how the Scot shattered his racquet after losing in the first round of the Paris Masters against Alex DeMinaur. He also stated that players are more restrained on the court now than they were previously.
“I saw a photo of Murray standing on the sidelines, beating the crap out of his racquet.” What’s the problem with that? I, too, don’t see what’s wrong with it. That is where things have altered. Doing stuff like that now makes you a persona non grata,” he continued.
Daniil Medvedev will compete in his fifth ATP Finals.
Daniil Medvedev will play in the 2023 ATP Finals, which begin on Sunday, November 12, in Turin. The Russian will compete in the coveted year-end tournament for the sixth time in a row.
This season, the World No. 3 has won five titles: the Rotterdam Open, the Doha International, the Dubai Open, the Miami Masters, and the Paris Masters. He now leads the league in the amount of matches won this year, with a 64-16 win-loss record.
Medvedev reminisced on his season-long performance at the just completed Vienna Open, where he finished runner-up.
“I started the year very strongly by winning the first two 500s I played in Rotterdam and Dubai, so that opened a big gap for a lot of players, and I have managed to finish strong at the end here in Vienna,” he added.
After Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev became the third player to qualify for the event.
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