Beginner
Daniil Medvedev is a famous tennis player from Russia. He is very good at tennis. But he loves a different sport, too. He loves American baseball.
Medvedev likes a baseball team called the Cincinnati Reds. He started liking them last year. He went to his first Reds game after he lost a tennis match. He liked it so much that he became a big fan.
Before he saw a real game, Medvedev learned about baseball from a video game. Now he watches real Reds games. He even watches them from Europe at night. He said watching baseball is very relaxing.
This year, Medvedev did something special. He threw the first pitch at a Reds baseball game. Two Reds players helped him get ready. They said his tennis skills would help him throw well.
Medvedev said, “I’m pretty confident I can make a good pitch.” He was excited to try something new.
Vocabulary
- famous — known by many people
- sport — a game that uses the body, like tennis or baseball
- fan — a person who likes a team or player very much
- video game — a game played on a screen
- relaxing — calm and easy, not stressful
- pitch — to throw a baseball toward home plate
- skill — the ability to do something well
- confident — feeling sure you can do something
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- Have you ever become a fan of a sport or team from another country?
- What sport or activity do you find relaxing to watch or do?
- Why do you think athletes sometimes enjoy sports that are different from their own?
Intermediate
Daniil Medvedev, a professional tennis player from Russia, has become an unlikely die-hard fan of the Cincinnati Reds, an American Major League Baseball team.
Medvedev’s interest in baseball began with a video game years ago, but it grew into real fandom after he attended his first Reds game in person following an early loss at the Cincinnati Open. Since then, he has followed the team closely, even watching games from Europe late at night while traveling on the professional tennis tour.
“Whenever they play early here, I can watch it in Europe at night. It’s actually perfect timing,” Medvedev said. “It’s like 8 p.m., the kids go to sleep, I turn on the baseball and I enjoy it. It’s so relaxing.”
This year, Medvedev’s fandom reached a new level when he was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Reds game at Great American Ball Park. Reds players Andrew Abbott and Tejay Antone offered him advice beforehand, comparing the motion of a baseball pitch to a tennis serve.
Medvedev, who has even been spotted wearing a Reds jersey at Wimbledon, said he was looking forward to the experience. “It doesn’t compare to the serve, but since tennis is a game with a ball, we’re still pretty talented with throwing things around,” he said.
Vocabulary
- unlikely — not expected
- die-hard fan — someone who supports a team very strongly and loyally
- fandom — the state of being a fan of something
- professional — doing an activity as a paid job, at the highest skill level
- ceremonial — done as part of a formal tradition or celebration
- motion — the act or way of moving
- spotted — seen or noticed
- jersey — a shirt worn by a sports team’s players or fans
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- Medvedev says watching baseball helps him relax while traveling for tennis. What activities help you relax when you’re busy or away from home?
- The article compares the motion of a baseball pitch to a tennis serve. What other sports do you think share similar skills or movements?
- Professional athletes sometimes become fans of a completely different sport. Why do you think this kind of crossover interest happens?
Advanced
Daniil Medvedev, the Russian professional tennis player and former US Open champion, has cultivated an unlikely and enduring fandom for the Cincinnati Reds, an American Major League Baseball franchise, over the course of his career on the international tennis circuit.
Medvedev’s relationship with baseball originated modestly, through a video game he played years before ever attending a live match. That casual introduction evolved into genuine fandom following an early-round loss at the Cincinnati Open, after which he attended his first Reds game in person at Great American Ball Park. Since then, he has continued to follow the team closely, even while traveling internationally for tournaments.
“Whenever they play early here, I can watch it in Europe at night. It’s actually perfect timing,” Medvedev explained. “It’s like 8 p.m., the kids go to sleep, I turn on the baseball and I enjoy it. It’s so relaxing. You just lay down, watch it a bit, take a two-minute break during commercials and do something. I like it.”
This year, that fandom culminated in Medvedev being invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Reds game. In preparation, he received informal coaching from Reds players Andrew Abbott and Tejay Antone, both of whom noted the surprising overlap between the biomechanics of a baseball pitch and a tennis serve. “It is crazy similar to a serve,” said Antone.
Medvedev, who has been photographed wearing Reds apparel even while competing at Wimbledon, reflected on the crossover between the two sports with characteristic humor. “It doesn’t compare to the serve, but since tennis is a game with a ball, we’re still pretty talented with throwing things around,” he said, adding that he remained confident despite having never previously thrown from a pitcher’s mound.
Vocabulary
- cultivate — to develop or nurture something over time
- enduring — lasting for a long time
- franchise — a professional sports team that is part of a larger league
- originate — to begin or come from a particular source
- culminate — to reach a final, climactic point after a series of events
- biomechanics — the study of the mechanical function of a living body’s movement
- overlap — an area or way in which two things share something in common
- apparel — clothing
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- Medvedev’s fandom crosses national and cultural lines, a Russian athlete adopting an American pastime. What role do you think sports play in helping people connect across different cultures?
- The article draws a parallel between the biomechanics of a tennis serve and a baseball pitch. Can you think of other examples where skills from one activity transfer unexpectedly to another?
- Consider why a professional athlete at the top of one sport might find genuine relaxation in simply watching a different sport. What does this suggest about the demands of elite competition?
Original story: “Daniil Medvedev, big league hurler” by Richard Osborn, Cincinnati Open (August 16, 2026). Featured photo: Hameltion, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.