Daniil Medvedev’s 2025 season has yet to reflect the full extent of his talent, and he knows it. The Russian recently got honest about his campaign, addressing whether the arrival of his second daughter, Victoria, had influenced his performance.
The 29-year-old is married to Daria Medvedeva, and the couple are proud parents of two daughters: Alisa, born in October 2022, and Victoria, born in January 2025.
What Did Daniil Medvedev Say While Reflecting on His Performance Struggles?
Medvedev’s season has fallen short of his true potential. The Russian is yet to capture a title this year, despite making several deep runs. His highlights include quarterfinal finishes in Qatar, Dubai, Madrid, Hertogenbosch, and Washington, DC, a semifinal appearance at Indian Wells and a runner-up finish in Halle.
Beyond that, there have been glimpses of frustration in Medvedev’s season, most notably after his quarterfinal loss at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, when he lost his composure and smashed his racket and a bottle on the court.
The Russian is competing at the China Open in Beijing, kicking off his campaign with an impressive 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie. In his post-match press conference, Medvedev was asked about his performance and whether he was concerned that things hadn’t gone as smoothly as he is accustomed to.
First Top 50 win since Halle ✅
Daniil Medvedev avenges his Roland-Garros defeat by getting past Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-4!#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/Pi6dehfuGC
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 26, 2025
Medvedev, while measured in his response, suggested a few factors that might have affected his performance, including the arrival of his second daughter, overthinking as an experienced athlete, or simply luck.
“Tennis can drive you crazy. Me, it drives me crazy because you don’t know. You ask me why did I have a bad year? I don’t have the exact answer. It could be my second daughter. It could be my relationship I don’t know with Gilles. It could be that I became older and started thinking more than when I was younger. It could be just bad luck or maybe physically I was not feeling well somewhere. You never know,” he said.
Daniil Medvedev Reveals if ‘Expanding Family’ Effected His Form
While he had earlier suggested family expansion as a reason, Medvedev clarified that Victoria’s arrival had no impact on his performance and said he was simply happy to have his family.
“So I don’t have an answer to your question about expanding family. I definitely love my two daughters, I love my wife. It’s not a problem for me. Even if I play somehow tennis worse because I have a second daughter, I’m happy about it and I don’t care,” he said.
However, the Russian candidly admitted concerns about how the season was unfolding but emphasized his determination to showcase his true potential once again.
“For sure I was concerned. I’m still concerned. I’m trying to find a way to show everyone that I’m capable of doing big things again,” he added.
Next up for eighth-seeded Medvedev is Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Russian enters the match with an edge, not only as the higher seed but also holding a 4-1 head-to-head advantage. However, Fokina won in their previous meeting at last year’s Canadian Open.
