Daniil Medvedev preparing to hit a return on the tennis court.
Daniil Medvedev offered a rather intriguing remark on Tuesday. Shutterstock

Daniil Medvedev suggests pickleball pivot amid tennis struggles

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev’s frustrating summer took another interesting turn on Tuesday at the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina—and this time, pickleball got pulled into the conversation.

During his 7-5, 6-3 defeat to wildcard Martin Damm Jr. in the Round of 32, Medvedev went on a curious mid-match tangent, joking about a potential career pivot involving America’s fastest-growing sport.

"Maybe I should start a career in pickleball - not too late, with Jack Sock, in doubles," the 30-year-old former World No. 1 remarked during a changeover. “Every sport on the planet is better, even curling right now.”


For Medvedev, the loss to Damm Jr. marked one more setback in a season that has seen his consistency and confidence slip.

While he would certainly be an intriguing addition to the pro pickleball ranks, Medvedev's talent points to an eventual resurgence in tennis—perhaps as soon as the US Open in New York.

After all, he captured the 2021 title there with a straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic.

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