Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev admits he would rather be playing at the United Cup but noted he is also happy to be starting his 2023 season at the Adelaide International.
Over the weekend, the inaugural United Cup kicked off across three Australian cities.
The United Cup is a mixed-team event but Russia was banned from competing at the tournament.
Russian players have been allowed to compete in international tournaments but Russia was banned from competing in team events such as the United Cup, Davis Cup Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
“I would definitely prefer to play the United Cup. We would definitely be good favourites. But it is what it is, and I’m happy to be here in Adelaide playing in this tournament. I completely understand why we are not playing Davis Cup or United Cup and team competitions where we would represent our country. Hopefully, I can play the individual events. I play what I can play, so here I can play Adelaide, and I’m really happy about it. I want to show my best tennis,” Medvedev said in Adelaide.
Medvedev would love to be competing at the United Cup
Russia would have easily met the criteria for participating at the United Cup as they have several star players.
In 2021, Russia enjoyed major success – they won the Davis Cup Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Had Russia been allowed to compete at the United Cup, they would have certainly been one of the top favorites for the title.
But since it hasn’t, Medvedev is forced to start his 2023 season at a regular ATP event.
In Adelaide, 26-year-old Medvedev is making his debut.
In the Adelaide first round, Medvedev plays against Lorenzo Sonego.
The Adelaide event is featuring a star-studded player field as Novak Djokovic is also participating.
It remains to be seen how far can Medvedev go in his first tournament of the year.
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