US Open - Daniil Medvedev exclusive: "Mario Gomez was by far my favorite player"

After winning the title in Toronto and reaching the semifinal in Cincinnati Daniil Medvedev is entering the US Open in New York as one of the big favorites after Novak Djokovic. Right before the last Grand Slam of the Year the Russian is talking to SPOX about his other love besides Tennis: Bayern Munich.

Daniil, you love soccer and you especially love Bayern Munich. How did you become such a big fan of Bayern?

Daniil Medvedev: To be honest, I really fell in love with soccer and with Bayern when I was maybe 12 years old. That's when it really started. But even before that, when I was 6 years old, I remember that I already liked Bayern. They were really good at that time and I remember telling my parents that Bayern is playing, we need to watch it. But when I was 12, I really got into soccer, so I said to myself: I need a team now.

Was there no team in Russia that you supported?

Medvedev: When I was younger I supported CSKA Moscow, but they were not playing in the Champions League or when they were playing in it, they would often lose. So I needed a team in Europe that I can support and be a fan of. So I remembered that I really liked Bayern and said: That's my team now. That's how I chose my team and from that point on obviously I started to really like certain players of Bayern and it became bigger and bigger for me.

Did you follow all the games?

Medvedev: Sure, when I was in school and at university, I watched absolutely everything. I watched every match of Bayern, I watched every friendly, I even watched practice sessions when there was a possibility. I became a huge fan. Only when I got better and more successful at tennis, soccer had to become less important, just because I had less time. But I follow Bayern every day on Tour. There is a Russian social media channel for Bayern where you can follow all the news and what is going on. I read that every day. Because we are travelling so much it's difficult to have a subscription to watch all the games but if I have the time I always try to find a way to watch the matches on the internet. And I even was playing the Kickbase manager game with some friends for some time and I won in both years, but because the Bundesliga is a little less popular than the Premier League my friends stopped playing, so I do not play it any more.

"I always take number 33 because of him"

Have you been to Munich to watch a match?

Medvedev: No, unfortunately not. When I was younger I played a small tournament in Ismaning which is pretty close to the arena. It was during the winter break of the Bundesliga but I still went to the stadium for a visit, walked around and I went to the shop - it was a super cool experience, even if there was no match. And one thing I know for sure: As soon as tennis plays a less important role and I have the time to do it, I will try to go to every game or something like that.

Bayern sent you a jersey after you won the ATP Finals, right?

Medvedev: Yes, they sent me some stuff which was super nice. I always take the number 33 because I am such a big fan of Mario Gomez. When he was at Bayern he was playing so well and I really really liked him. He was by far my favorite player and because of him my favorite number is 33.

But why him?

Medvedev: I think it has something to do with the fact that I was also a striker when I was playing myself when I was younger. Tall striker with no technique but with the ability to score goals. Mario was amazing and somehow I could relate to him very well. And Robben was fantastic as well, he was a magician on the pitch.

"I have so much respect for Lewandowski"

Who are your favorite players of the current team?

Medvedev: It is too obvious but I have to say Lewandowski. I just love how he works on his game and on his fitness. I admire that. Also his mental approach. Back in the time you could only follow the players on the pitch, now we have the chance to follow them on Instagram and see what they do. I have so much respect for Lewandowski and what he does with his body. I try to have the same approach in tennis. What you do outside of the court plays a huge role for your success on the court. Cristiano Ronaldo and how he has been working on his game is another perfect example for that. And let us be honest, I do not know what Bayern is doing or what is going on in Munich, but if a player comes to Bayern, one year later he looks like a bodybuilder, it is crazy how they work on the fitness aspect. It is really impressive to see.

What about a guy like Joshua Kimmich, who signed an extension a few days ago?

Medvedev: It's funny. The first thing that comes to my mind is that I watched the Supercup back when Pep Guardiola was the coach and I had no idea who this Kimmich guy was. I was very surprised. What a fantastic player he has become. What an amazing character. Kimmich is the kind of player you absolutely need to win matches and titles. He is maybe not the guy who scores this sensational goal from 30 metres under the crossbar, although he can score goals, but he is so important for the success of Bayern. When he is not on the pitch the probability of winning goes down straight away. The energy he brings is amazing, he is a difference maker.

And he embodies the famous Mia san mia approach of Bayern.

Medvedev: For a guy like me who does not speak German it is tough to really understand it fully. So it does not mean as much to me as for all the local Bayern fans, but I know the general importance of it. I know that it kind of means we are who we are, home is home and it reflects on the unbelievable will to succeed. And it is just the slogan of my team, so I like to use it from time to time.

Bayern has a new coach this season. What is your impression of Julian Nagelsmann?

Medvedev: I am really excited that he is the new coach. I was following him from the beginning of his Hoffenheim days, when he took over as a 28 year old. My physical coach played soccer himself in France in the 4th league and we talked about Nagelsmann because in France it would have been impossible for a 28 year old to be the manager of a side in the first division. And Nagelsmann did an unbelievable job finding and developing players at Hoffenheim and turning them into stars. He also did a great job at Leipzig. I really like his style and I am looking forward to having him as the coach at Bayern for a long long time hopefully.

The big goal for the season is obviously winning the Champions League, but is there a way to beat PSG with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe in one team, assuming Mbappe stays?

Medvedev: It is amazing. I have to be honest, Paris is not far away from my home in Monaco. I will certainly plan some trips to see these three guys playing together. I need to watch that. Or if they play in Monaco of course. But Bayern still has a chance to beat them. Anything can happen in the Champions League. Who would have predicted Chelsea as winners at the beginning of last season? Nobody. And at the end they won it in style. Except for Real with Zidane no team has been able to win it twice in a row, that is what makes the Champions League so special.

"I actually was super bad in defence"

PSG look like a team that everyone wants to play with on FIFA. Is it right that you were kind of crazy playing FIFA on playstation?

Medvedev: I was really good till I was 17, 18 years old. Then I started to be more professional about my tennis career and playing more tournaments. But before that I was on the same level than the best guys in Russia. I was playing on the same level with a guy who is now I think a three-time champion in FIFA in Russia. It was super fun. After five or six years of not doing much I actually played again this year. I was not amazing, I would have liked to be better, but it was okay. I was playing Ultimate Team and I was able to stay in the division all the time, my record was pretty good, so I can still play a little bit.

If you were a soccer player who would you be?

Medvedev: That is a tough question. I have to be honest, I probably would not succeed as a soccer player. Just judging by my height I probably should be a central defender quite easily. The problem is that when I played I actually was super bad in defence. I don't know why but I just did not have the feel for it. Maybe I would be like Artem Dzyuba. He has scored the most goals ever in the Russian national team, a really special player. People who do not understand sports would say that he cannot do anything but he just keeps scoring goals. So maybe I could be similar. Having no idea what I do on the pitch but somehow getting the ball in the net.

If you were the manager of a big club, who would be the player that you want to buy immediately if you have the budget?

Medvedev: For me, more than buying someone for 100 million, it would be even more fun to find these 18 year old players playing in the second divisions somewhere around the world and then, one day, they turn into superstars. That has to be so cool. And if he was not already playing for Bayern, I would buy Serge Gnabry, just because I love his goal celebrations so much.

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"I have already achieved more than I have ever dreamt of"

In soccer there is obviously another atmosphere than in tennis, you can come into away stadiums and feel the hate, you can feel the love at home from your own fans, it seems that you are a guy that thrives in special atmospheres. How much do you need the fans for you to play your best?

Medvedev: I think it is the same in all sports. We all love to have the fans in the stands. We have experienced a lot of tournaments without fans during the pandemic and even though you always feel they are still there watching from home and you try to win for them, it is not the same. It is so much more fun to play in front of fans. When people are shouting your name, when they are close to you. Even if they are against you, then you can say to yourself: Now I will beat all of them. I think in New York during the night session it is probably the closest to soccer in terms of atmosphere, it's truly electric.

Obviously winning your first Grand Slam is a huge goal. What needs to happen in the next ten years so that you for yourself can say, this was a fantastic career, I have no regrets?

Medvedev: To be honest, that is quite easy for me to say. I do not have one particular goal. Of course I could say I want to win 30 Grand Slams and 55 Masters titles but that is probably impossible. So my first goal is just to do my best - on and off the court. I want to work as hard as I can and try to win every single match when I step on the court. I have already achieved more than I have ever dreamt of. I want to achieve more, because that is my personality. But the most important thing is that when I put the racquet away one day I want to be able to say to myself: I have done everything that I could, let's see what I have achieved. Then I will have no regrets.