Medvedev: "Unfortunately, tennis will be my full-time job until I'm 37 and a half"
Genius and character, a unique personality. Daniil Medvedev seems determined to leave a mark, and if he can't do it with his tennis, he will do it with his eccentric statements. His intimate monologue in Winston-Salem last week made headlines when, overcome with frustration, he said he should consider quitting tennis to dedicate himself to pickleball.
After confidently defeating Hugo Gaston in his debut at the US Open 2026, the Russian was interviewed on the court and caused laughter among the fans in the stands with one of those talks that only seem possible with Medvedev.
When Andrea Petkovic jokingly asked him if this good performance makes him rethink those words, the Russian's response is priceless.
Medvedev's hilarious words at the US Open 2026
"Unfortunately, tennis consumes too much energy and time. Otherwise, I would do something else. Maybe not exactly pickleball, but I would change tennis... Sometimes tennis, sometimes something else. Unfortunately, tennis is a full-time job. Until I’m, let's say, 37 and a half years old, I will be happy to play tennis. And then let's see what life brings me," he concluded to everyone's delight.
Medvedev after beating Gaston at U.S. Open
Andrea Petkovic: “Was one of the keys today chewing gum? You were chewing gum in between changeovers…”
Daniil: “Yeah, I don’t know why. I was super dry in my mouth. Water was not helping. So the only solution was chewing gum. I… pic.twitter.com/oWcq5PeKbe— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 30, 2026
Not content with that, Daniil Medvedev explained the curious novelty of seeing him chewing gum during the match against Gaston. "Yes, I don't know why. My mouth was super dry. Water wasn’t helping. So the only solution was chewing gum. I probably watch too much baseball. For some reason, they all chew gum. I told myself, 'You know what, I’m losing all my matches. I need to try to do what the baseball guys do. I need to change something,'" the Russian stated.
It is worth following the adventures of Daniil Medvedev, both when he is inspired in tennis and when he is struggling with himself and leaves these kinds of gems for the tennis press. He now awaits Collignon or Gorzny in the second round of the US Open 2026.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: "Por desgracia, el tenis será mi trabajo a tiempo completo hasta los 37 años y medio"