Daniil Medvedev trained at the tennis club in Maisons-Laffitte from 2014-16.
France’s adopted son Daniil Medvedev will now have tennis courts in the country that bear his name. The former world No. 1 trained at a tennis club in Maisons-Laffitte, in Paris’ northwestern suburbs, from 2014-16, and this week, the former No. 1 returned to the club to christen them in his honor.
“To give my name, I said yes straight away, because I have good feelings with this club and this city,” Medvedev said.
According to *news.dayfr*, the project was the vision of Claude Kopélianskis, deputy mayor of the town, and Jean-Pascal Dupuis, president of the Tennis-Squash de Maisons-Laffitte for 22 years.
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Daniil Medvedev returned to the club for the first time since training there this week to celebrate the dedication. He took selfies with youngsters and signed autographs, while speaking about what the club and those affiliated with it meant to him in his career. Born in Russia, Medvedev settled in France as a teenager to pursue his tennis training.
“For the first team match that I came to play at Maisons-Laffitte, you welcomed me into your home, without knowing me. You welcomed me as if I were a loved one,” Medvedev said.
Returning to Roland Garros on Friday for his pre-event press conference, Medvedev expanded on the “honor” of having the courts named for him, and his affinity for French culture.
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“That was a very special occasion for me, because I know the president of the club since the day I played their first match for their club. It was my first match for any club in France there,” Medvedev said.
“We kept a warm relationship with him, and one year and a half ago he came to me and said he had this idea where I play for the club, he wants to build a really great indoor courts and name them after me. I was, like, I’m happy, you know, it’s a big honor for me that you ask me this. I was happy to help with that and happy to be there. It was a really fun event to take part of.
“I speak French, I have all the team that is French. I think it’s been already long time that I have a lot of French in me. I’m still very far from being French. I mean, especially the culture, education is completely different. But yeah, I definitely have some parts in me.”
