‘I’ve had some experiences,’ Daniil Medvedev shares insights into his ‘gaming’ career

Daniil Medvedev has advanced to the fourth round of the Indian Wells where he will face 10th seed Tommy Paul..

‘I’ve had some experiences,’ Daniil Medvedev shares insights into his ‘gaming’ career

Daniil Medvedev (via X)

Beyond his impressive tennis career, World No. 6 Daniil Medvedev is known for his gaming love. In 2021, he became the brand ambassador for HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc., and the ambassador for Rainbow Six Siege in 2023. He also announced himself as part of the M80 ownership group, a global esports and technology company.

Medvedev’s infamous ‘dead fish’ celebration, which he did following his 2021 US Open triumph, was a reference to a celebration in the popular video game FIFA. In December 2024, the Russian also announced the unveiling of the all-new Medvedev Court in Grasse, France. The court’s design is inspired by the 29-year-old’s love for gaming, featuring vibrant blue and green colors.

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“I’ve had some experiences in recent years, but I wasn’t good enough, and now I’m a bit older. I still play when I have time, and I admit I became good; I climbed in the rankings, beat most of my rivals. I really enjoyed that game. In fact, here I played a bit again and had fun, so we’ll see if in the future I have the chance to compete again in a higher competition on Twitch or wherever. I’d like people to see it and see that I’m good.”

Daniil Medvedev via Tennis Channel

After his Round of 32 match at the 2025 Indian Wells, Medvedev sat down for an interview with Tennis Channel. Discussing his gaming career, the Russian exuded confidence in his skills in Rainbow Six Siege and expressed his aim to compete in an amateur tournament.

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When asked whether he streams his gameplay, Medvedev responded that he doesn’t, but he would love to so that people can see that he’s quite good. He also touched upon the few times fellow gamers were excited when they learned they were playing with the Russian tennis star.

Daniil Medvedev’s performance at the Indian Wells

After winning in straight sets in the opening round of the 2025 Indian Wells against Yunchaokete Bu, Daniil Medvedev was set to play Alex Michelsen in the next round. However, just 10 minutes into their game, Michelsen was forced to retire due to illness. Medvedev also experienced a nosebleed during the match, which caused him to take a brief medical timeout.

Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev (via X)

Advancing to the fourth round, Medvedev will face 10th seed Tommy Paul. This will be the fifth meeting between both players. Although Medvedev leads their head-to-head 3-1, Paul won their most recent meeting, which took place in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Rome Masters.

The winner of their match will meet either Arthur Fils or Marcos Giron in the quarterfinal. Known to be a hard-court specialist, the Indian Wells is the only hard-court Masters yet to be won by the Russian.

Though Medvedev reached the Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets both times. The Spaniard is now eyeing a three-peat at Indian Wells, a feat that only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have accomplished so far.