As Daniil Medvedev prepares for the 2024 Australian Open, his apparel for the tournament met with ridicule on social media. The Russian’s sponsor, Lacoste, revealed the kit he will don for the first slam of the year. However, fans were not thrilled with the prospect of seeing him wear the outfit.
Medvedev last featured in the 2023 World Tennis League, an off-season exhibition event. He has opted to not feature in any build-up tournaments to the Australian Open.
Lacoste’s new outfit for Novak Djokovic was recently revealed as a clip of him wearing it and dancing emerged online. Now, photos of Medvedev sporting his new kit for the 2024 Australian Open were released on the internet. The French clothing giant dressed the World No.3 in a two-tone green polo t-shirt with white shorts. The clothes were paired with chunky-looking green and white shoes.
Fans did not receive the images kindly, making fun of the outfit. Some said green was not a great choice of colour as one fan compared him to the Wimbledon centre court.
Many fans made fun of Medvedev’s shoes, calling them ‘flats’ and ‘ballet pumps’.
A few fans joked about how the 2021 US Open winner posed in these photos, comparing his stance to a video game character.
Daniil Medvedev and Lacoste revealed personalised logo at 2023 Australian Open.
Daniil Medvedev is the biggest name in Lacoste’s stable after Novak Djokovic. He first signed a deal with the French brand in 2019, further extending it later until 2026. The extension triggered only a year into his contract, following his 2020 Paris Masters victory.
While the exact numbers of his contract are not public, he reportedly makes $15 million from all his endorsements and sponsors combined. Lacoste pays the majority of this amount, as other brands in the Russian’s portfolio like Bovet, BMW, Tinkoff Bank and Tecnifibre make up the rest.
Like most apparel sponsors and their star ambassadors, Lacoste also announced a new sub-brand with Medvedev. The logo for this collaboration was revealed at the 2023 Australian Open. The logo has four elements arranged to look like a video game controller, a nod to the World No.3’s love for e-sports. The D and M on either side represent Medvedev’s initials, while the two bars on the bottom represent the two ‘i’s’ in Daniil. A sphere at the top represents a tennis ball.
Every outfit Medvedev has donned since then carries this logo in addition to Lacoste’s famous crocodile. The 2024 Australian Open kit will also feature the symbol.
