The Russian started his year strongly, as Medvedev reached the final of the Australian Open, narrowly losing out to world number one Jannik Sinner.

He then went on to lose to another young star in the final of Indian Wells, as Medvedev fell to defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

Medvedev then made the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the quarter-finals of the US Open, more than enough to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin.

Rublev on the other hand endured a much tougher journey to the season-ending finals in Italy.

A title in Hong Kong at the start of the season was followed by Rublev’s Madrid Open victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

A series of Grand-Slam failures meant that the Russian failed to pick up points throughout the remainder of the season however.

It was Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the ATP Finals that eventually confirmed Rublev’s place in Turin.

With the pair well underway at the Finals, they took some time to relax and talk to one another before their next group stage games.

Daniil Medvedev says he would love to take Andrey Rublev’s forehand

Medvedev and Rublev were sat down during this year’s ATP Finals and were asked what shot they would like to take from one another.

Rublev gave a typically abrupt answer: “His backhand, flat, low. I don’t know from any position, breaking your wrist every time.”

Medvedev responded by saying which of Rublev’s shots he would take.

“I would take the forehand,” he said.

“What makes Andrey [Rublev] a champion is his forehand, it’s his power yeah.

“I mean he also fights, but since he was young, for me at least it was his forehand, because you know when I play you, I try to play more on your backhand, because if I touch the forehand, I run.”

The Russian pair were then asked which of each others shots they wouldn’t want to take as their own.

“Either the slice or the second serve, and you can definitely take this also from me. We have the same horrible slice,” said Medvedev.

Rublev agreed with Medvedev’s evaluation of his slice.

“If I slice I don’t know where it is going to go,” he said.

They were finally asked to say what the worst thing about playing each other is, and the duo again gave very similar answers.

“There will be no easy match, You want to beat Daniil [Medvedev] it will take you two hours minimum, or even more,” said Rublev.

“Even the matches that I beat you it was tough, three sets.”

Medvedev also recognized the endurance needed to beat his fellow Russian.

“It’s going to be very physical with Andrey, and we somehow finish both cramping all the time, no breath, we die,” he joked.

“I don’t like it.”

Can Andrey Rublev join Daniil Medvedev as an ATP Finals champion?

Rublev’s start to the 2024 ATP Finals has been far from ideal, losing his opening match to Alexander Zverev in straight sets.

He’ll be looking to turn things around in his next two matches against Alcaraz and Casper Ruud in an aim to qualify for the semi-finals.

If he were to beat the odds and go all the way in Turin he would join an elite group of Russian athletes who have won the year-end finals.

His close friend Medvedev won his maiden ATP Finals crown in the final London edition of the event back in 2020, beating Dominic Thiem in the final.

The first Russian triumph at the event came when the Finals visited London for the first time as Nikolay Davydenko took down Juan Martin del Potro in 2009.

Rublev will no doubt be looking to join the small circle of Russian ATP Finals champions but will need to get back on track quickly if he wants to progress to the last four.

Rublev will return to the court against Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday.

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