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Daniil Medvedev says he is "glad" to be back in "a beautiful St. Petersburg" since he hasn't been there for a long time and highlights he plans to take the Northern Palmyra Trophies as seriously as possible.
10 days ago, a star-studded lineup for the fourth edition of the St. Petersburg exhibition was revealed. The names on the list include Medvedev, Karen Khachanov, Alexander Bublik, Tallon Griekspoor, Diana Shnaider, Anastasia Potapova, Veronika Kudermetova and Yulia Putintseva.
While Medvedev is a Russian player and the lineup mainly consists of home players, the 2021 US Open champion started receiving criticism for his decision to sign up for the Northern Palmyra Trophies - a mixed team event that will take place this weekend.
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Before the ATP and WTA removed all tournaments from Russia in the calendar, St. Petersburg and Moscow had been regularly staging two ATP tournaments. In St. Petersburg, Medvedev made five consecutive appearances between 2016 and 2020, and won the title there in 2019.
Medvedev: I prepared for the Northern Palmyra Trophies as if it were a Grand Slam
There are many reasons. I haven't been to St. Petersburg in a long time, since 2020. I'm glad to be back - it's one of the most beautiful cities, if not the most beautiful. I'll try to play my best, despite the tournament's status. I prepared for it as if it were a Grand Slam, especially for the singles matches against Griekspoor and Bublik, as I lost to them this year. Yes, we'll play unofficially, but I'll try to beat them. I hope to play good tennis and for the crowd to enjoy it," the 29-year-old explained.
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Medvedev was placed in the same team as Khachanov, Kudermetova and Putintseva. Their rivals will be Bublik, Griekspoor, Potapova and Shnaider.
The Northern Palmyra Trophies in St. Petersburg were held for the first time in 2022. This weekend, the exhibition event will take place for the fourth consecutive year.
