Daniil Medvedev returns to Flushing Meadows hoping to rediscover his best form at the US Open, but the former champion offered a lighter insight into his family life when discussing his three-year-old daughter, Alisa.
Medvedev jokes that daughter Alisa inherited his on-court personality
The 2021 US Open champion is known for his sarcastic remarks and intense reactions during matches. Despite a difficult season, Medvedev smiled when asked about Alisa’s early attempts at tennis and whether she might follow him into the sport.
Medvedev said he was surprised that Alisa already appears to share his on-court personality, even though he and his wife have never taught her to behave that way.
“She has my personality on the court,” Medvedev told the press. “I’m not going to go into details, but she does have my personality on the court. And that’s where, when I see her, I’m like, maybe it’s a bit of genetics somewhere there.”
The 30-year-old Russian has experienced several emotional moments on court. At last year’s US Open, he had a meltdown during his first-round loss to Benjamin Bonzi after a photographer walked onto the court.
Earlier this year in Monte-Carlo, Medvedev smashed his racket several times after losing to Matteo Berrettini.
The former World No. 1 said he would support Alisa if she genuinely enjoys tennis, while joking that coaching her could be difficult.
“If she likes tennis, I would be completely up for it, but it’s going to be a very tough job for her coach and for her parents.”
Medvedev family and 2025 US Open campaign
Medvedev and his wife, Daria, married in 2018 after dating for four years. The couple have two daughters: Alisa, who was born in 2022, and Victoria, nicknamed Vika, who was born in 2025. Fellow Russian ATP player Andrey Rublev is Alisa’s godfather.
Medvedev began the year strongly with a title run in Brisbane, becoming only the third active player to win 20 tour-level hard-court titles. He followed that success with an ATP 500 title in Dubai, then reached the final at Indian Wells and the semifinals in Rome.
However, his season has also featured several early exits, including a first-round loss at Roland-Garros and a third-round defeat at Wimbledon. Most recently, he lost to Martin Damm in the opening round of Winston-Salem and jokingly questioned his future in tennis.
“Maybe I should start a career in pickleball.”
Medvedev won his only Grand Slam title at the US Open and has also finished runner-up there twice, in 2019 and 2023. He will begin this year’s tournament against France’s Hugo Gaston in the first round.
