Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Ukraine invasion and being named world No.1 on 'roller-coaster day'
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Updated 28/02/2022 at 07:01 GMT
It was an emotional day for Medvedev, who reflected on the proud moment of rising to number one in the rankings, but expressing his concern on his country's invasion of Ukraine. He also spoke about the doubles partnership between compatriot Andrey Rublev and Ukraine’s Denys Molchanov, praising the pair after they won a doubles title in Marseille on Thursday.
Medvedev overtakes Djokovic as world No 1 after victory over Nishioka
Daniil Medvedev reflected on a "roller-coaster day" of mixed emotions after being named as the world’s No. 1 tennis player on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine.
It was already confirmed that the 26-year-old would move to the top of the rankings ahead of his ATP 500 tournament match against Yoshihito Nishioka in Acapulco, Mexico, after Novak Djokovic suffered a quarter-final defeat to Jiří Veselý in Dubai.
He said, in quotes published by Reuters: "By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world."
"We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It's just not easy to hear all this news. I'm all for peace."
Medvedev was full of praise for compatriot Andrey Rublev, who partnered with Ukraine’s Denys Molchanov to claim a doubles title in Marseille on Thursday.
"This was amazing because I think people need to stay together and that's the most important," Medvedev added, concerning the partnership between Rublev and Molchanov.
"In this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. "It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a roller-coaster day."
Rublev has been receiving some bad comments online relating to his partnership with Molchanov, and explained that tennis hold little significance when such tragic events are taking place.
"In these moments you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible," Rublev said following his victory over Mackenzie McDonald at the Dubai Championships.
"You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."
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