I Could Start a Career in Pickleball" – Daniil Medvedev's Hilarious Meltdown That Has Everyone Talking
I Could Start a Career in Pickleball" – Daniil Medvedev's Hilarious Meltdown That Has Everyone Talking
Daniil Medvedev has done it again. Just when you think the former world No. 1 has said it all, he delivers a changeover rant that breaks the internet. This time, he's threatening to quit tennis for... curling.
The Winston-Salem Crash-Out
Medvedev, the top seed at the Winston-Salem Open, suffered a straight-sets defeat to world No. 92 Martin Damm Jr. – 7-5, 6-3 . But the real action wasn't on the court. It was on the bench.
During a changeover, while trailing 1-2, a calm (by Medvedev standards) rant was captured on camera:
"Maybe I should start a career in pickleball. Not too late. With Jock Sock... in doubles."
And then came the line that truly broke the internet:
"Every sport on this planet is better [than tennis], man. Even curling right now."
Yes, curling. The sport with brooms and sliding stones on ice. He'd rather do that than play tennis right now. That's the mood he's in.
Why Pickleball? Why Jack Sock?
Medvedev's reference wasn't random. He was talking about Jack Sock, a former world No. 8 in singles who retired from tennis in 2023 and successfully transitioned to a career in pickleball . Sock has won eight titles on the pickleball circuit since making the switch . So Medvedev's joke had some real-world logic behind it – if Sock can do it, why not him?
The Context: A Season of Frustration
This wasn't just a one-off joke. Medvedev is having a genuinely difficult year. After a dismal 2025 season where he won just one Grand Slam match, he split with long-time coach Gilles Cervara and later with Thomas Johansson as well . He's currently working with Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev for the US hard-court swing .
His North American hard-court season has been nothing short of disastrous :
Montreal Masters: First-round exit to Botic Van de Zandschulp
Cincinnati Masters: Third-round loss to Brandon Nakashima (where he also smashed his racket)
The defeat in Winston-Salem came just days before the US Open, where he is the 2021 champion . Not the ideal preparation.
The TNS RAY Takeaway
Medvedev's rant is funny, relatable, and a little bit sad – because we've all been there. That feeling when nothing is working and you just want to quit. Whether it's tennis, work, or life, the urge to say "literally any other option is better" is something we all understand.
But here's the thing about Medvedev – he's a fighter. He's one of the great talkers on the ATP Tour, known for his insightful and often hilarious interviews . His "I double-faulted the first point" moment with Serena Williams at this same US Open? Pure gold. His famous "you better shut your f--- up, OK?" to Stefanos Tsitsipas? Legendary . Even his recent US Open meltdown where he smashed his racket and threw it in a trash bin? Part of the package.
As his former coach Cervara once said:
"The team around a player is like an engine—a complex machine that drives forward. When it runs at full power, you go fast. At some point the engine stops, but you don't see it because the boat continues gliding."
Right now, Medvedev's engine is sputtering. But if history tells us anything, he'll find a way to restart it. He's done it before – after his 2025 US Open meltdown, he split with Cervara and went on to win titles in Almaty, Brisbane, and Dubai . The cycle might just repeat.
What's Next?
Medvedev will head to the US Open, where the men's singles draw begins on August 30 . Will he be ready? Or will he actually be Googling "how to join the curling circuit"? Either way, we'll be watching – and probably laughing along.
What would YOU do if you were in Medvedev's shoes? Would you switch to pickleball? Or try curling for the memes? Drop a comment below! 👇
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