Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas set their previous feuds and disagreements aside, as they practised together ahead of the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
The duo's relationship has been quite fascinating to observe over the years. They had a very rocky start years ago after feuding during and after a match they played.
Tsitsipas called Medvedev a 'bulls**t Russian', while the Russian retaliated, calling Tsitsipas a small kid who can't fight. It's been cold for a while after that, but they kind of started to soften up the rivalry a little bit.
They took flights together, and the respect seemingly grew as well while they remained rivals on the ATP Tour. Recently, Tsitisipas danced on court after beating Medvedev, though, which the Russian did to him after beating him in Rome last year.
There is still some animosity brewing, but they're keeping it very civil, which is good for them but also for tennis. It's still not a friendship because we've seen them pass each other by without really speaking to one another, but it seems like they're tolerating each other, at least.
That's good and that's what fans want from a rivalry like that. So what's the next chapter? They're both in Indian Wells, and they actually elected to practice together.
That's not something many expected, which is why the Indian Wells Open's official X (formerly known as Twitter) page posted a photo of them on the court shaking hands with the caption that would be the reaction of many tennis fans.
"Expect the unexpected .👀"
The fact that the two practiced together is certainly not the norm, nor should we expect it to happen often, but it happened, and it's probably good for both of them that it happened. It would be entertaining to see if the draw possibly delivers a matchup between them at the event.
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