‘When Tennis and FIFA meet’! Looking back at Daniil Medvedev’s iconic FIFA-themed celebration on his 26th birthday!


‘When Tennis and FIFA meet’! Looking back at Daniil Medvedev’s iconic FIFA-themed celebration on his 26th birthday!

Daniil Medvedev doing the Deadfish celebration

Tennis star Daniil Medvedev‘s rise has been slow and steady. The Russian, consistent in his form and manner, let his presence be known through top-notch performance at the highest of levels. Securing wins against the very best of ATP players, and eventually winning the ATP Finals, ATP Cup, and finally the US Open, Medvedev has established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

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However, while Medvedev has ascended the penultimate position of men’s tennis through his on-court tenacity, he feels no need to be taken too seriously off-court. In fact, at times, it’s his on-court antics that warrant a good laugh. On the reigning US Open champion’s 26th birthday, let us take a look at his Fifa-themed celebration on a tennis court!

“Happy I made it legendary for myself” – Daniil Medvedev explaining his method of celebration

At the Flushing Meadows this year, Daniil Medvedev stunned the world by ending Novak Djokovic‘s dream of winning a Calendar Slam by defeating the Serb in straight sets. He sealed the deal at 6-4 6-4 6-4, and right after the pivotal Championship Point, dropped down on his side and stuck his tongue out.

Many people could not understand his celebrations, and naturally, he was questioned by reporters during his post-match interview. In it, he gleefully stated “To not celebrate is going to be too boring. I want to make it special. Only legends will understand what I did after that match was ‘L2 + Left’. He further explained, “It’s called the ‘dead fish’ celebration, and if you want to annoy your opponent when you play FIFA, many times you’re going to this one.”

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The Russian tennis ace, who is also a self-proclaimed football fan, was satisfied with how his act turned out and said “I wanted to make it special for people to laugh, for my friends to laugh. I’m happy I made it legendary for myself!”.

Also Read: ‘No more tennis!’ Daniil Medvedev goes Kart Racing with F1 superstars, Alex Albon and Daniil Kvyat