Daniil Medvedev tested out his motor-racing skills during the off-season with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat in Abu Dhabi. He shared photos and videos from his visit to the Formula 1 track on X (formerly Twitter). The World No.3 men’s tennis player was in the United Arab Emirates recently, seemingly holidaying ahead of the start of the new tennis calendar year.
The Russian is one of the many tennis players who is extremely passionate about F1. On social media, he once shared photos of him go-karting with professional race drivers. And recently, Medvedev suited up and got behind the wheel, doing a few laps in the Formula 1 car. He also posted an image with his namesake, captioning it ‘Two Daniils!’.
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) December 20, 2023
Andrey Rublev also joined Daniil Medvedev as the two ATP pros shared many photos together. The duo also seemingly attended a presentation about the technical details of certain race cars.
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) December 20, 2023
Medvedev and Rublev are both ardent F1 fans, often interacting with Formula 1 stars. Former Red Bull F1 racer and fellow Russian Kvyat has a longstanding association with the 2021 US Open champion.
Daniil Medvedev is an avid F1 fan, has joked about a career in it many times
Daniil Medvedev and Daniil Kvyat’s friendship goes back a long way. In February 2022, the World No.3 hit the go-karting course with the latter and another F1 star, Alex Albon. He joked he would not be playing tennis any more and is training for Formula 1. This was presumably Medvedev taking a dig at himself for his 2022 Australian Open final loss to Rafael Nadal.
No more tennis! My training for @F1 has officially started!! @kvyatofficial @alex_albon pic.twitter.com/5xYKtdTwK0
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) February 4, 2022
Medvedev has been spotted in the stands at multiple F1 Grand Prix races, including in Spain and Monte Carlo. In an interview during the 2023 Italian Open, which he eventually won, he light-heartedly said he might pursue a career in motorsports after retiring from tennis. This was after he admitted his outfit on the day looked like a checkered finish flag and revealed a majority of people told him he should have become an F1 driver instead (via PlanetF1).
In July 2023, Medvedev also attended the birthday party of Kvyat’s daughter, where Max Verstappen was also present. Kvyat’s ex-girlfriend Kelly Piquet, with whom he had his daughter, is currently in a relationship with the reigning F1 champion.
Tennis and Formula 1 are gradually developing a close relationship to mutually increase fan engagement. With their profound love for motorsport, expect Medvedev as well as Rublev to be a vital part of it.
