Outfit of the Day: Daniil Medvedev bundles up in sleeves and leggings on chilly Paris evening
The No. 5 seed needed a few sets to get warmed up before rolling past Dominik Koepfer to reach the second round at Roland Garros.
Daniil Medvedev made a memorable entrance at Court Simonne-Mathieu on Monday evening, as he rocked up to his first-round Roland Garros match bundled up in layer after layer in an effort to keep warm.
Up against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer, the No. 5 seed took the court at the end of a long day at Roland Garros—which saw fans possibly wave goodbye to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier, as rain delays wreaked havoc on the rest of the schedule. By the time Medvedev and Koepfer were getting started late in the evening, temperatures had dipped into the mid 50s F (~13 C).
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The 28-year-old wisely came dressed for the weather, walking on in his signature Lacoste match kit, as well as some black thermal sleeves, leggings and two outer layers—with the leggings tucked into high socks for maximum warmth.
The cozy look garnered quite a reaction on social media, with Tennis Twitter’s feedback ranging from "obsessed" to "hypnotized" to dubbing him the second coming of French fashion icon Rene Lacoste:
As the match went on, Medvedev warmed up enough that he was able to shed a few layers—revealing one of the best men’s kits of the tournament in the Lacoste Roland Garros 2024 Collection.
The French heritage brand is synonymous with Roland Garros, as the tournament’s longtime apparel sponsor and a company founded by three-time winner Rene Lacoste. One of the country’s famed Four Musketeers, Lacoste was not just a tennis champion: He was also the inventor of the polo shirt, and a pioneer of the now-ubiquitous concept of putting a brand logo on the outside of a garment.
Read more: Lacoste returns to its roots for Paris Fashion Week show at Roland Garros
It’s no surprise the brand saves its best designs for the clay-court Grand Slam, and this year seems to be no different. Medvedev was seen sporting a navy blue performance polo with burgundy red and white details, including a striped collar and sleeves, and completing the look with burgundy red shorts and his Lacoste AG-LT Ultra shoes in navy blue.
All of the garments feature Medvedev’s personal logo, which was introduced by Lacoste last year and was inspired by his love for gaming.
The former world No. 1 needed a few sets to get going on Monday, having to weather a third-set surge from world No. 65 Koepfer before eventually rallying in the fourth set. Medvedev fired 35 winners and saved all four break points he faced to move into the second round.
"If I'm done before midnight in a Grand Slam, there's something wrong!" Medvedev joked during the on-court interview, once again bundled up under multiple layers. "But I'm fine with it. Winning was the most important thing today and it’s great that I could do it and qualify for the second round.”
Medvedev will face Miomir Kecmanovic next, after the Serbian defeated Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on Court 9.