Daniil Medvedev opens up about his decision to take part in controversial Russia exhibition after 3 years of absence

Daniil Medvedev is scheduled to compete in the North Palmyra Trophies, an exhibition event slated to take place between November 29 and 30 in St. Petersburg. The Russian’s participation at the event comes after three years of absence, and he recently opened up about his decision to return to the competition.

The North Palmyra Trophies first took place in 2022 and the event features a mixed team format. However, the exhibition has been controversial over the years due to the funding it receives from Gazprom, the Russian energy corporation which has been accused of funding the war against Ukraine.

Recently, in a conversation with Match TV, Daniil Medvedev spoke at length about his decision to participate in the event, saying,

“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.”

At the North Palmyra Trophies, Daniil Medvedev is a part of the Sphinxes team, which also features Karen Khachanov, Veronika Kudermetova and Yulia Putintseva. The Sphinxes will go up against the Lions, a team consisting of Alexander Bublik, Tallon Griekspoor, Anastasia Potapova and Diana Shnaider.

Daniil Medvedev reflects on the turning point of his 2025 season

Medvedev at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

Danill Medvedev had a weak start to his 2025 season. The 29-year-old kicked off his year at the Australian Open, where he made an early exit. He then went on to lose in the first round of the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.

However, the Russian managed to turn things around for himself in the latter half of the season. Reflecting on the changing point of his year, Medvedev told Bolshe,

"There was one moment this year, probably during the American swing, especially after it, where I thought: I’m 29, maybe I just can’t anymore. But pretty quickly, even before Beijing and Shanghai, during practice in Monaco I was hitting so well that probably only Sinner or Alcaraz could beat me. That was before China. And that was when I was like, ‘okay, I can still do it’. The fear went away. There are some fears. They come, and they go.”

Daniil Medvedev delivered some impressive performances during the Asian leg of the season. He made a quarterfinals appearance at the Hangzhou Open, before reaching the semifinals of the China Open and Shanghai Masters. The Grand Slam champion then won his first title in two and a half years at the Almaty Open.