Andrey Rublev recently cracked a joke that left his compatriot and good friend Daniil Medvedev uneasy on the bench and smiling rather awkwardly.
Rublev and Medvedev are best friends both on and off the court from a very young age and are undoubtedly the two best Russian players of their generation, with the pair being ranked in the world’s Top 5 in the current standings.
They are participating in the second edition of the World Tennis League (WTL) in Abu Dhabi, which is the unofficial start of the new tennis season. Rublev and Medvedev feature in the same team, The Eagles, alongside Sofia Kenin and Mirra Andreeva.
The duo won their doubles match against the Falcons, beating the team of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov. And following Rublev’s singles match on Thursday, in which Daniil Medvedev was an onlooker on the bench, there was an on-court interview in which the World No. 5 was quizzed on his friendship with Medvedev.
Rublev is known as the godfather of Medvedev’s first daughter after his countryman invited him during the baptism ceremony earlier this year. They even shared a lovely moment together with the baby during the official photoshoot.
During Rublev’s interview at the World Tennis League, he hilariously claimed to be the “real father” of Alissa – Medvedev’s daughter, with the World No. 3 sitting tentatively on the bench just a few yards from Rublev. By contrast, Medvedev’s wife, Daria, burst out in laughter from the stands.
“I’m the real father, and he’s the godfather!” Rublev said during the interview before quickly taking it all back while staring at Mevedevev, who, truthfully, wasn’t best pleased despite cracking a forced smile. “Yeah, I’m the godfather,” Rublev retracted from his initial statement.
The Eagles will look to bounce back on day two of the competition after losing their opening tie 27-22. They will face the Hawks later on Friday.
=https://twitter.com/TheTennisLetter/status/1737891333354996174″ data-service=”twitter”>
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
