Andrey Rublev explains Daniil Medvedev success as Russian overtakes Novak Djokovic

Daniil Medvedev reacts to US Open win over Novak Djokovic

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Andrey Rublev has opened up on the early stages of Daniil Medvedev’s career after the 26-year-old earned the world No 1 ranking. Medvedev will take the top spot of the rankings for the first time on Monday after Novak Djokovic’s Dubai quarter-final loss. World No 7 Rublev said his long-time friend and compatriot always had “weird shots” which eventually helped him reach the top of tennis.

Medvedev will end an 18-year reign at the top of tennis for the Big Four on Monday.

The Russian will be the first world No 1 not named Djokovic, Federer, Nadal or Murray since February 1 2004 after an incredible past 12 months which has seen him win four titles, including the US Open.

He is the first player of his generation to win a Grand Slam and will now be the first to clinch the top spot of the rankings.

As well as the likes of Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev is another successful young player currently sitting in the top ten, with nine titles to his name.

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The current world No 7 grew up with Medvedev and has known him since he was just six years old, with the long-time friends going on to enjoy great success together, both occupying the world’s top ten and winning the Davis Cup for the Russian Tennis Federation last year.

And Rublev has now given some insight into exactly how Medvedev became the man to dethrone the Big Four after almost two decades of dominance, dating back to their very early days on the match court.

“I can say about Daniil, [the] first time I met him when I was six years old, was not even official tournament, lust local maybe our coaches or something, they did like a day tournament, something like that, for the players, for the kids. We were six years old,” he explained, speaking in Dubai where he has reached the final.

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“I think that time we were playing up to four games. The third set was a tiebreak til seven I think we were playing, like, three hours this match because we were playing lobs. One rally was ten minutes maybe.”

The 24-year-old admitted Medvedev always had the same determination even in their first meeting aged just six, pinning his friend’s new world No 1 ranking down to that fight.

He continued: “You can see that both of us had a spirit, doesn’t matter how, but don’t give up, the tears. One extra ball doesn’t matter if it’s lob or if it’s too slow.

“Since he was a kid he was always fighting. In the beginning, I think when he was [a] kid he didn’t have that good technique.

“He had weird shots. Basically now as well. When he was a kid it was even worse,” he jibed, smiling.

Medvedev is known for his solid, clinical performances and Rublev said it had been the same since he was a child.

“He didn’t have the huge strokes or something, but he had this amazing thing that he’s showing now, that he was fighting no matter what the end,” he explained.

“This is since he was a kid. It was not that he changed something, he was like this since I know him.”

Pinning that childhood determination down to his new ranking, Rublev added: “This is the main thing why it bring him to the top level, why he win and he achieve so many great toumaments. Now he’s No 1.”

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