Daniil Medvedev has named Matvey Safonov—the 27-year-old Russian goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain—as the athlete he admires most. In comments reported by Le Parisien, the tennis player praises Safonov’s journey from backup to number one, ranking him among the best goalkeepers in the world.
Medvedev: “I’m going with Matvey Safonov”
“It’s not easy to pick just one athlete, but I’m going with Matvey Safonov. I love football, and it was great to see him arrive as a backup to Donnarumma. He could have thought, ‘Okay, I’m never going to play.’ Then, with PSG bringing in Chevalier, Safonov remained the number two. Eventually, he became the number one, and in my view, he is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world—if not the very best.”
It is a high compliment, made all the more significant by the reasoning behind it. Medvedev highlights a specific trajectory: starting behind Donnarumma, navigating renewed competition with Chevalier, and ultimately securing the number-one spot. In Medvedev’s account, Safonov embodies the ability to transform a situation that initially seemed to offer him very little room to maneuver. For a goalkeeper—a position where opportunities to disrupt the established hierarchy are often rare—this recognition is especially meaningful.
While calling him potentially the best goalkeeper in the world reflects the enthusiastic opinion of a fellow Russian, Medvedev’s admiration goes deeper than that. Out of all the athletes he could have mentioned, he chose the PSG player precisely because of the path he has traveled. It is a tribute that adds an extra layer of significance to Safonov’s rise.
