Daniil Medvedev embraces Iga Swiatek’s “pretzel” nickname: “I can see why!”

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Pretzel? Octopus? Daniil Medvedev is embracing all of his quirky nicknames, joining Iga Swiatek for a tag-team interview with Tennis Channel at the Cincinnati Open.

Known for his unorthodox style, Medvedev has filled highlight reels, blooper reels, and endless memes. Fellow player Andrey Rublev once dubbed him an “octopus” for the way he seems to flail around the court.

In 2021, during a video chat with sponsor Tecnifibre, Swiatek gave Medvedev a new moniker: Pretzel, inspired by the way his limbs look in nearly every match photo.

Read More: Tecnifibre pays tribute to Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev in new T-Fight ID collection

Tecnifibre recently paid tribute to both Grand Slam champions and their viral nicknames with the new T-Fight ID collection, featuring two limited-edition frames, a bag, and a set of dampeners. One dampener is shaped like a bagel to represent Swiatek’s “bakery” (a nod to her habit of closing sets 6-0 or 6-1), while another is a pretzel for Medvedev’s unique technique. A third features a flame symbolizing the Statue of Liberty, a nod to New York City and their US Open titles.

Medvedev explained why he’s been hitting the court with the flame on his racquet, as he leaned into his own baked goods nickname in our Tennis.com Quote of the Day:

Q. Iga, back in the day, you described Daniil and his game as a “pretzel”... What do you think about that, Daniil?

SWIATEK: Not his game! Like, his octopus movements. (Laughing)

MEDVEDEV: (Laughing)

SWIATEK: Do you agree?

MEDVEDEV: Yeah that was pretty funny! I actually have the pretzel dampener in my bag, but I like the flame more.

And I see exactly what Iga meant by this. Especially my forehand, I would think. My backhand is nothing special, but my forehand sometimes can be like a pretzel.

So yeah, I understand it but it was pretty funny (when I heard it) the first time.

Swiatek joined Tecnifibre in 2021, while Medvedev signed on in 2016. Sharing a sponsor and doing promotional events together has brought them closer off the court—including a recent attempt to play padel against pros, although it didn’t go particularly well.

Their rapport and mutual respect came through during the interview, especially when host Steve Weissman asked what each would take from the other’s game.

“It's something that we have in common, but Iga does it better than me. As she said, why do we have sometimes this ‘pretzel’ technique? Because the most important thing is to put the ball in,” Medvedev explained. “Sometimes the ball will skid off the court or something, and you just try whatever you can.

“And Iga is the best, especially when she’s in the zone, she doesn’t miss and she can also hit very strong. I would love to have her capacity to never miss and just put it in the corners.”

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When it was her turn, Swiatek named Medvedev’s bigger serve and praised his signature deep return position.

“I recently started to play my returns a little bit further back—not like Daniil,” she joked, “but a little bit more back. I like the way he can play it flat and also add more spin and still make it long, even though he’s far away from the baseline. I love it.”

No. 3 seed Swiatek opened her Cincinnati campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Anastasia Potapova on Saturday. No. 12 seed Medvedev will face Adam Walton in the second round on Sunday.