Daniil Medvedev should feel able to open up emotionally – if he wants to – in the wake of his US Open antics, says his close friend Andrey Rublev.
Former world number one Medvedev cut a desperate and disconsolate figure in a first-round defeat by France’s Benjamin Bonzi, leading to concerns about his mental state.
The 29-year-old Russian was incensed by a perceived injustice when facing a match point in the third set, leading him to inciting a frenzied New York crowd and shouting at the chair umpire.
After eventually losing a chaotic match in a deciding fifth set, Medvedev brutally destroyed a racquet before sitting dejectedly on his chair for several minutes.
Medvedev’s behaviour led to six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker advising the player to “seek professional help”.
Asked if he would say the same to his friend, Rublev said: “I don’t know – if he wants to change and needs help he has me, a lot of other friends and family that will help him.
“But it’s his life and his decision what he needs to do. Only he knows what is happening.”
