Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev have some history, and according to the Russian, they can't really be friends.
Being friends in tennis is an oddly new phenomenon as it wasn't usually the case in the past. Mutual respect is guaranteed, but it wasn't until Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer that two rivals really became buddies on the ATP Tour.
It's not something we see often. Even Novak Djokovic, while deeply admiring both Federer and Nadal, strayed away from the friend label when asked about it. Daniil Medvedev is of a similar opinion because he doesn't think it's really possible due to the competition.
He talked about Zverev during an episode of Break Point. He showed how it really feels when you're on the court against the main rival while also comparing the trophies they have won, showing the rivalry in real-time.
"I don't think I played against anyone more than Sascha but we can't be like best friends. It's impossible. Too much competition. He has Olympic Games. I have Grand Slam. I do think Grand Slam is a bigger title even if Olympic games are amazing."
To be completely fair, they did have some moments in the past that can be considered heated. Both had something to say about each other following a few matches, most notably last year's Monte-Carlo match when Zverev called Medvedev's behavior unfair.
"We have been rivals for ten years. On the court, we want to still win and destroy each other. I'm very competitive, always want to win, always."
Judging by Medvedev's words, it doesn't seem like things will get any better soon, which makes sense. They are rivals; they are fighting for the same thing. It's not too terrible because the more heated the rivalry is, the better the matches are for tennis fans watching them.
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