Prompt: Question: Tell me a bio of Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

<s>Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Credited with helping popularize martial arts in film, Van Damme is widely regarded as one of the most iconic martial arts action stars of all time. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the age of ten his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school. From there, he went on to develop his fighting skills, both in Shotokan karate and kickboxing. He was a member of the Belgium Karate Team when it won the European Karate Championship on 26 December 1979. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film "Bloodsport" (1988). Van Damme became a popular action film star and followed up with "Cyborg" (1989), "Kickboxer" (1989), "Lionheart" (1990), "Death Warrant" (1990), "Double Impact" (1991

Jean-Claude Van Damme

), "Universal Soldier" (1992), "Nowhere to Run" (1993), "Hard Target" (1993), "Timecop" (1994), "Street Fighter" (1994), "Sudden Death" (1995), "The Quest" (1996), "Maximum Risk" (1996), etc. After a decline, Van Damme returned to prominence with the critically acclaimed crime drama "JCVD" (2008). Thereafter, Van Damme continued starring in more action films and playing supporting roles in "The Expendables 2" (2012), the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise (2011–2016), the film series (2016–2018), "" (2022), etc.</s><s>Early life and education. Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, on 18 October 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, the son of Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, who was an accountant and florist. His father is from Brussels and bilingual, and his mother is Flemish (Dutch-speaking). Van Damme was brought up Roman Catholic. His paternal grandmother was Jewish. He began martial arts at the age of ten, enrolled by his father in

Jean-Claude Van Damme

a Shōtōkan karate school. His styles consist of Shōtōkan Karate and Kickboxing. He eventually earned his black belt in karate at 18. He started lifting weights to improve his physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title. At the age of 16, he took up ballet, which he studied for five years. According to Van Damme, ballet "is an art, but it's also one of the most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can survive a workout in any other sport." Later he took up both Taekwondo and Muay Thai.</s><s>Career.</s><s>Career.:Early 1970s to 1980: Martial arts and first film appearance. At the age of 12, Van Damme joined the "Centre National de Karaté" (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Claude Goetz in Belgium. Van Damme trained for four years and he earned a spot on the Belgian Karate Team; he later trained in full-contact karate and kickboxing with Dominique Valera. At the age of 15, Van Damme started his competitive karate career in Belgium. From 1976 to 1980, Van Damme compiled a

Jean-Claude Van Damme

record of 44 victories and 4 defeats in tournament and non-tournament semi-contact matches. Van Damme was a member of the Belgium Karate Team when it won the European Karate Championship on 26 December 1979 at La Coupe François Persoons Karate Tournament in Brussels. Van Damme placed second at the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials). At the 3-day tournament, Van Damme defeated 25 opponents before losing in the finals to teammate Angelo Spataro. On 8 March 1980, in Brussels, Belgium, Van Damme competed against his former teammate Patrick Teugels at the Forest National Arena on the undercard of the Dan Macaruso-Dominique Valera Professional Karate Association Light-Heavyweight World Championship bout. Prior to this match, Teugels had defeated Van Damme twice by decision, including a match for the Belgium Lightweight Championship. Van Damme had a 1977 victory over Teugels. Teugels was coming off an impressive showing at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations World Championships four months earlier, and was favored by some to win this match. According to reports, and Patrick Teugels' own interview (with photos), Teugels lost to Van Damme by TKO

Jean-Claude Van Damme

in the 1st round. Teugels was kicked in the nose and was unable to continue as a result. In a 2013 interview, Van Damme called this fight his most memorable match. Van Damme began his full-contact career in 1977, when Claude Goetz promoted the first ever full-contact karate tournament in Belgium. From 1977 to 1982, Van Damme compiled a record of 18 victories (18 knockouts) and 1 defeat. In 1979, he had an uncredited role in André Delvaux's "Woman Between Wolf and Dog", a Belgian-French drama film starring Marie-Christine Barrault, and Rutger Hauer. In 1980, Van Damme caught the attention of "Professional Karate Magazine" publisher and editor Mike Anderson and multiple European champion Geert Lemmens. Both men tabbed Van Damme as an upcoming prospect. Van Damme retired from competition in 1982. During his early life, Van Damme sold flowers in restaurants, and got a loan to open a gym to save some money before his move to the United States.</s><s>Career.:1982 to 1988: Early works and breakthrough. In 1982, Van Damme and childhood friend Michel Qissi moved to the United States in the hope of working

Jean-Claude Van Damme

as actors. They did a variety of jobs to support themselves. Their first job working on a film as extras in the hip hop dance film "Breakin'" (1984), made by Cannon Films. They are seen dancing in the background at a dance demonstration. Around that time he developed a friendship with action martial art film star Chuck Norris. They started sparring together, and Van Damme started to work as a bouncer at a bar named Woody's Wharf, owned by Norris. In the 1984 action film "Missing in Action" starring Norris, which was also released by Cannon Films, Van Damme is credited in the stunt team crew. That same year he also had a role in the comedy short film "Monaco Forever." On 2 May 1986, Corey Yuen's martial arts film "No Retreat, No Surrender" premiered in Los Angeles. It was Van Damme's first sizeable role when he was cast as the Russian villain. It starred Kurt McKinney, and was released through New World Pictures. McKinney performs as Jason Stillwell, a U.S. teenager who learns karate from the spirit of Bruce Lee. Stillwell uses these lessons to defend his martial arts dojo against a Soviet martial artist played by Van Damme. He was

Jean-Claude Van Damme

set to star in "No Retreat, No Surrender 2," but backed out. Van Damme worked for director John McTiernan for the film "Predator" (1987) as an early (eventually abandoned) version of the titular alien, before being removed and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall. As the first choice to play the titular Predator character, with the intent that he would use his martial arts skills to make the alien an agile, ninja-like hunter, but after few days shot, he left the film. It was reported that Van Damme constantly complained about the monster suit being too hot and causing him to pass out; he allegedly also voiced reservations about only appearing on camera in the suit. Additionally, it became apparent that a more physically imposing actor was needed to make the creature appear threatening against the team of soldiers. The role eventually went to Kevin Peter Hall. After "Predator" was a success, Van Damme said that he appreciated the movie and that he had no regrets about missing that role. Van Damme's breakout film was "Bloodsport", which opened on 26 February 1988, based on the alleged true story of Frank Dux. It was shot on a $1.5-million budget for Cannon. The film

Jean-Claude Van Damme

is about U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux (played by Van Damme), trained from his youth in the ways of ninjutsu by Senzo Tanaka, who honors his mentor by taking the place of Tanaka's deceased son Shingo in the illegal martial-arts tournament Kumite in Hong Kong. It became a U.S. box-office hit in the spring of 1988. Producer Mark Di Salle said he was looking for "a new martial arts star who was a ladies' man, [but Van Damme] appeals to both men and women. He's an American hero who fights for justice the American way and kicks the stuffing out of the bad guys." Also in 1988, Van Damme played another Russian villain, in "Black Eagle", opposite Sho Kosugi. In the film, Sho Kosugi is a martial artist and special operative for the U.S. government codenamed "Black Eagle", and summoned by his superiors after an F-111 carrying an experimental black ops laser tracking device was shot down over Malta by Russian forces.</s><s>Career.:1989 to 1999: International stardom. After the success of "Bloodsport", Cannon Films offered Van Damme the lead in "", "American Ninja 3" or "

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Cyborg", a cyperpunk martial arts film directed by Albert Pyun. Van Damme chose "Cyborg" which premiered in 1989. The film was a low budget box office success and led to two sequels, neither of which Van Damme appeared in. Cannon used Van Damme again in "Kickboxer" released that same year. It was highly successful, returning over $50 million on a $3-million budget. The film started the "Kickboxer" franchise. Van Damme did not appear in any of the film's four sequels, though he did return as a different character in the reboot series. In 1990 Van Damme starred in "Death Warrant", the first script credit for David S. Goyer. Also that year he starred in "Lionheart". "Lionheart" was directed by Sheldon Lettich who had co-written "Bloodsport", and said the film was "the first movie to demonstrate that Van Damme was more than just a flash-in-the-pan "Karate Guy" who would never rise above simplistic low-budget karate movies." It also featured rear nudity from Van Damme which Lettich says "became a very memorable moment for the ladies in the audience, and

Jean-Claude Van Damme

for the gay guys as well. Showing off his butt (clothed or unclothed) almost became a signature trademark of his after that." In 1991, "Double Impact" was released. Directed by Lettich, it features Van Damme in the dual role of Alex and Chad Wagner, estranged twin brothers fighting to avenge the deaths of their parents. Upon its opening it received mixed reviews. "The Los Angeles Times" said the film “delivers the goods”, while "Variety" didn’t like the plotline and predicted a flop. The film grossed $ 23,683,813 in its first 28 days. It made a total of $30,102,717 in the US. Retrospective critics perceive it to be a fun action film, with good comical moments, and a good performance by Van Damme who plays two distinct characters. In 1992, Van Damme starred in one of the biggest blockbusters of the year in the sci-fi action picture "Universal Soldier" directed by Roland Emmerich for Carolco. Van Damme (as Luc Deveraux) and Dolph Lundgren (as Sergeant Andrew Scott) play U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War

Jean-Claude Van Damme

who are sent to secure a village against North Vietnamese forces. However they end up shooting each other dead after Devereaux discovers that Scott has gone insane and has resorted to mutilating the villagers and barbarically cutting off their ears, taking an innocent girl and boy hostage. They are later reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead soldiers and sent on a mission as GR operatives. At the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Van Damme and Lundgren were involved in a verbal altercation that almost turned physical when both men pushed each other only to be separated, but it was believed to have only been a publicity stunt. "Universal Soldier" opened in theatres on 10 July 1992, a moderate success domestically with $36,299,898 in US ticket sales, but a major blockbuster worldwide, making over $65 million overseas, which earned the film a total of $102 million worldwide, on a $23 million budget. Van Damme was considered to play Simon Phoenix in "Demolition Man" and was briefly considered for the role of Michael Cheritto in "Heat". In 1993 Van Damme made a cameo in "Last Action Hero", and starred in "Nowhere To Run". The film was the first in a

Jean-Claude Van Damme

three-picture deal between Van Damme and Columbia Pictures and his fee was $3.5 million. Columbia said the film is "true to his audience and goes beyond his audience." In 1994, he starred in "Hard Target" for Universal, the first American film from director John Woo. Also released that year he starred in "Timecop", playing a time-traveling cop. Directed by Peter Hyams, the film was a huge success, grossing over $100 million worldwide, and remains his highest-grossing film in a lead role to date. Also that year, Van Damme starred in "Street Fighter," written and directed by Steven E. de Souza for Universal and based on the video game. It was poorly received critically. Though a commercial success, making approximately three times its production cost. Van Damme and Hyams re-teamed for Universal' on "Sudden Death" released in 1995. Van Damme plays a French Canadian-born firefighter with the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau who suffered a personal crisis after he was unable to save a young girl from a house fire. Now removed from active duty, Darren has become demoted to being fire marshal for the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, where a gang of terrorists are holding U.S.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Vice President and several other VIPs hostage in a luxury suite during a game. In 1996, Van Damme starred and turned director for "The Quest". That year, he appeared in the TV show "Friends" in the two-part episode "The One After the Superbowl". He also starred in "Maximum Risk", the first American film directed by Ringo Lam, and their first collaboration. Van Damme's first box office bomb since he became a star was "Double Team" (1997), a buddy film with basketball superstar Dennis Rodman. It was Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's American debut. In 1998, he and Hark reunited on "Knock Off." Also that year, Van Damme acted in the costume action film, "Legionnaire". Despite a $35 million budget, it was not released theatrically in the US, only overseas. In 1999, Van Damme starred in "", (1999), where he returns as Luc Deveraux. That year he also starred in "Inferno."</s><s>Career.:2000s: Subsequent films. Released in 2001, "Replicant" is the second collaboration between Van Damme and director Ringo Lam, and the fifth time that Van Damme has starred in

Jean-Claude Van Damme

a dual role. It co-stars Michael Rooker. Also that year he starred in "The Order", directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written by Van Damme. In 2002 he starred in "Derailed." "In Hell" is a 2003 American prison action film directed by Ringo Lam. It is the third collaboration between Van Damme and Lam. Van Damme plays an American working overseas in Magnitogorsk, Russia. That same year, Van Damme employed his dancing training in the music video for Bob Sinclar's "Kiss My Eyes". His 2004 film was "Wake of Death," an action film directed by Philippe Martinez. Ringo Lam was the original director, but he left the project after a few weeks of filming in Canada. It co-stars Simon Yam, Valerie Tian, Tony Schiena, etc. In 2005, he played himself in the French film "Narco." In 2006, he starred in "Second in Command" directed by Simon Fellows, and "The Hard Corps" directed by Sheldon Lettich. In 2007, played a small role in "The Exam", a Turkish comedy-drama film directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. Also that year he starred in "Until

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Death". Van Damme returned to the mainstream with the limited theatrical release of the 2008 film "JCVD", which received positive reviews. "Time Magazine" named Van Damme's performance in the film the second best of the year (after Heath Ledger's The Joker in "The Dark Knight"), having previously stated that Van Damme "deserves not a black belt, but an Oscar." Also in 2008, he starred in Isaac Florentine's "." He then reprised his role as Luc Deveraux alongside Dolph Lundgren in the 2009 film "", directed by John Hyams. The film was released theatrically in the Middle East and Southeast Asia and directly to video in the United States and other parts of the world. Since its release, the film has received better than average reviews for a straight-to-DVD franchise sequel.</s><s>Career.:2010–present: Current work. In 2010, Van Damme directed himself in the barely released "Full Love." That same year, he turned down the role of Gunner Jensen in the first instalment of "The Expendables" and the role went to Dolph Lundgren. In 2011, Van Damme voiced Master Croc in the computer animation film "Kung Fu Panda 2

Jean-Claude Van Damme

". In the film, Van Damme voices a character who helps the heroes of the previous film. That same year, he co-starred with Scott Adkins in "Assassination Games". Also in 2011, he played a role in the French comedy "Beur sur la ville." Also that year, Van Damme starred in his own reality TV show "". The show showcases his family life, his personal troubles, and an upcoming fight. Since 2009, Van Damme has been planning to make a comeback to fight former boxing Olympic gold-medalist Somluck Kamsing. The fight was a focal point in his ITV reality show "". The fight has been repeatedly postponed, with many critics doubting it will occur, especially due to the difficulty of booking the venue. In 2012, he acted in the Russian comedy film named "Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon," and "U.F.O." He starred in "Dragon Eyes", "", and "Six Bullets". Also that year, he starred as the main villain in "The Expendables 2". The film series follows a mercenary group as they undertake a mission which evolves into a quest for revenge against a rival mercenary (Van Damme). The film was a success. it grossed over

Jean-Claude Van Damme

$310 million worldwide. Also that year, Van Damme was seen as part of Kam Sing's ring crew when Kam Sing fought against Jomhod Kiatadisak. He also appeared in commercials for Coors Light beer, showing him on a snow-covered mountain wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, and for the washing powder Dash. On 21 October 2012, Van Damme was honored with a life-size statue of himself in his hometown of Brussels. He told reporters during the unveiling, "Belgium is paying me back something, but really it's to pay back to the dream. So when people come by here, it is not Jean-Claude van Damme but it's a guy from the street who believed in something. I want the statue to represent that". In 2013 Van Damme acted in the comedy "Welcome to the Jungle." Also that year"," he played the main villain in "Enemies Closer," an American action thriller film directed by Peter Hyams. On 13 November 2013, Volvo Trucks released an advertisement on YouTube that shows Van Damme doing the splits while perched with each of his feet on the outer rearview mirrors of one semi-trailer truck and one box truck moving backwards, which Van Damme describes in

Jean-Claude Van Damme

the commercial as "the most epic of splits". The video quickly went viral around the web, receiving more than 11 million views in three days, 35 million in the first week. It was dubbed as "The Epic Split". "Swelter" is a 2014 American action film where he plays one of the leads. It stars Lennie James, and co-stars Grant Bowler, Josh Henderson, and Alfred Molina. James plays a sheriff in a small town who has a dark past that he can not remember, only to have to confront it when his ex-partners show up looking for stolen money they believe he has. 2015, he starred in the action thriller film "Pound of Flesh," directed by Ernie Barbarash. Also that year, he had a supporting role in a Chinese superhero parody film. In 2016, he returned to his voice role of Master Croc in the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise for the third installment. Also that year, he acted in "" directed by John Stockwell. It is a reboot of the original where Van Damme was the lead. That year he also played the lead in the tv serie "Jean-Claude Van Johnson". In 2017, he starred in "Kill 'Em All", an action

Jean-Claude Van Damme

film directed by Peter Malota. In 2018, he returned to his role in "," a sequel to the reboot. That same year, he acted in "Black Water". It co-stars Dolph Lundgren in the fifth collaboration between both actors as well as the first time they appear together as on-screen allies. In 22 August of that same year, he starred in Julien Leclercq's "The Bouncer". In 2019, Van Damme starred in "We Die Young". In 2021, Van Damme starred in "The Last Mercenary." In 2022, Van Damme voiced the character Jean-Clawed in the computer animation film "".</s><s>Monument. In 2012, a statue of the actor was unveiled in Anderlecht, Belgium. The artwork, which depicts a younger incarnation of "the Muscles from Brussels" in one of his fighting poses from the movie "Kickboxer", was commissioned to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Westland Shopping complex. The unveiling took place on Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis and was attended by Van Damme, his parents, Wallonia-Brussels culture minister and nearly 2,000 fans. Van Damme said the statue "represented the dream of a Brussels kid" and

Jean-Claude Van Damme

was "for all the children who want something bad", adding that "if you believe in something strongly enough, it can come true". In 2019, a Van Damme monument was mounted in the Vandam village of Qabala, Azerbaijan, due to the similarity of the village name and Van Damme's name. The actor subsequently published a post on his Facebook account, thanking those responsible.</s><s>Controversies.</s><s>Controversies.:Lawsuit and fight record controversy. In 1997, Frank Dux, the martial artist whom Van Damme portrayed in "Bloodsport", filed a lawsuit against Van Damme for $50,000 for co-writing and consultation work Dux did on the 1996 film "The Quest". According to the lawsuit, Dux also accused Van Damme of lying to the public about his martial arts fight record, stating that when Dux tutored Van Damme while Van Damme was laying carpet for a living, Van Damme exhibited a lack of martial arts skills. Van Damme's lawyer, Martin Singer, responded, "There are records to document his martial arts acclaim. Why, just look at his movies; he didn't get those roles on his acting ability! He's the one who does those splits on chairs

Jean-Claude Van Damme

. He doesn't have a stuntman to do that."</s><s>Controversies.:Steven Seagal incident. In 2008, actor Sylvester Stallone declared to the British magazine "FHM" that "At a party in my home in Miami in 1997, Van Damme was tired of Steven Seagal claiming he could kick his ass so he offered Seagal outside into my back yard." According to Stallone, Seagal made his excuses and left while Van Damme tracked him down at a nightclub and challenged him again. Stallone finished by stating "Van Damme was too strong. Seagal wanted none of it."</s><s>Controversies.:Chuck Zito incident. Tensions arose between Van Damme and bodyguard/stuntman Chuck Zito when Zito began dating Van Damme's estranged wife Darcy LaPier. Zito was reportedly unhappy about LaPier's claim in a divorce action that Van Damme had abused her. On 6 February 1998, the "New York Daily News" reported that Van Damme had been punched by Zito the previous night at the Scores strip club in Manhattan, New York. Zito, who had previously bodyguarded Van Damme and did stunts on the film "

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Nowhere to Run", recalled the incident in his 2002 autobiography "Street Justice", claiming that he suffered a broken hand as a result of striking Van Damme several times after Van Damme made disparaging remarks about him to a club bouncer, who then relayed the comments to Zito. Van Damme denied in an appearance on "Inside Edition" days after the incident that he had been struck by Zito and challenged Zito to a fight. Zito has stated: "I hope we can be friends again, but he was abusive. Some people will take that kind of abuse. I am not one of them."</s><s>Controversies.:Kadyrov event. In October 2011, Van Damme, along with other celebrities including Hilary Swank, Vanessa-Mae and Seal attracted criticism from human rights groups for attending an event in Russian federal subject Chechnya's capital Grozny on the 35th birthday of Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov on 5 October. Human rights groups, who had urged the celebrities to cancel their appearances because of abuses carried out under Kadyrov, criticised the celebrities for attending the event. Human Rights Watch released a statement which said, "Ramzan Kadyrov is linked to a litany of horrific human rights

Jean-Claude Van Damme

abuses. It's inappropriate for stars to get paid to party with him [...] And getting paid to be part of such a lavish show in Chechnya trivializes the suffering of countless victims of human rights abuses there."</s><s>Public image and influence. In the French-speaking world, Van Damme is well known – and often mocked – for the picturesque aphorisms that he delivers on a wide range of topics (personal well-being, spirituality, the environment, women, dogs, his ability to crack walnuts with his buttocks, his realization that Christianity is flawed based on the fact that "snakes are nice" and "apples contain pectin which is anti-cholesterol", etc.) in a sort of Zen franglais. He was deeply affected by his depiction in the media and the frequent derisive use of his interviews in comedy shows in the early 2000s, becoming increasingly reluctant to grant new interviews in French. He later explained that he was trying to communicate bits of his hard-earned wisdom to young uneducated people dreaming of success, like he used to be himself, and had to struggle with the time constraints of TV, with his difficulties reacquainting with the French language, and with the effects of jet lag, often resulting

Jean-Claude Van Damme

in a clumsy, haphazard delivery. His public image in the French-speaking world became a major theme of the 2008 movie "J.C.V.D." (directed by Mabrouk El Mechri, a fan of Van Damme's from his childhood, who sought to rehabilitate him by exploring those issues head-on). The original video game "Mortal Kombat" was conceived as a fighting game based on Van Damme. Creators Ed Boon and John Tobias had originally wanted to star Van Damme himself in the game. That fell through as he had a prior deal for another game under the auspices of the Sega Genesis platform. Ed Boon and John Tobias eventually decided to create a different character for the game named Johnny Cage, who is modelled after Van Damme, primarily from Van Damme's appearance and outfit in the martial arts film "Bloodsport". In the German version of the Donkey Kong 64 website, DK's greatest hero is Jean-Claude van Kong. Renowned UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre was inspired by Van Damme, and described fighting him in the film "" as "a dream come true". In January 2017, Van Damme featured in an Ultra Tune television advert which was part of

Jean-Claude Van Damme

a controversial series of ads. Two women were confronted in a car park by a gang of youths in a threatening manner, Van Damme appears to defend them and then the mood lightens and they take pictures with the star. In October 2020, Van Damme rescued a three-month-old chihuahua, saving her from euthanasia after a legal tussle between Norway and Bulgaria.</s><s>Personal life. By the mid-1990s, the stress of the constant filming and promotion of his films, as Van Damme explains, led him to develop a cocaine habit, on which he spent up to $10,000 a week, and consuming up to 10 grams per day by 1996. He was arrested for driving under the influence in 1999. Attempts at drug rehabilitation were unsuccessful, and he resorted to resolve his addiction via quitting cold turkey and exercise. In 1998, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2011, he discussed the condition on the British reality show "", saying, "Sometimes you're gonna like me, and sometimes you're gonna hate me. But what can I do? I'm not perfect ... I'm an extreme bipolar, and I'm taking medication for this ... When I was young, I was suffering those swing moods

Jean-Claude Van Damme

. In the morning, the sky was blue [when I was] going to school, and to me, the sky was black. I was so sad." Van Damme has been married five times to four different women. Until 1992 he was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues, with whom he has two children, Kristopher (born 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (born 1990).) He had begun an affair with actress Darcy LaPier, whom he married in February 1994. From this marriage, the couple has a son named Nicholas (born 10 October 1995). That same year he had an affair with his "Street Fighter" co-star Kylie Minogue during filming in Thailand. LaPier, who was pregnant with their son at the time, did not become aware of the affair until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012. Van Damme had been in a decade long relationship with Model Alena Kaverina, though still married to Gladys Portugues. Kaverina was born in Ukraine; Van Damme visited the country during the Russian invasion of Ukraine to show his support.</s><s>Championships and accomplishments. Mr. Belgium bodybuilding Championships (1976 Gold) Belgium Karate Lightweight Championships (1977

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Gold) Belgium Karate team European Championships (1979 Gold) Belgium Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament Championships (1980 Silver)</s><s>Books cited. -  (Wako) -  (PKA World Heavyweight Title) -  (Eku) - -</s><s>Further reading. - -</s>


Prompt: Question: Tell me a bio of Daniil Medvedev.

Daniil Medvedev

<s>Daniil Medvedev Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev (; born 11 February 1996) is a Russian professional tennis player. He is currently ranked as the world No. 5 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and was ranked as the world No. 1 for 16 total weeks. Medvedev has won 18 ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2021 US Open and 2020 ATP Finals. In the former, Medvedev defeated then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final to deny him the Grand Slam. In the latter, he became the first and only player to defeat the top three ranked players in the world en route to the year-end championship title. He has also won four Masters 1000 titles and contested four major finals. Medvedev made his ATP Tour main draw debut at the singles event of the 2015 Kremlin Cup. In 2017, he participated in a major for the first time at Wimbledon, where he defeated world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka. In 2018, Medvedev won his first ATP Tour singles titles at Sydney and Winston-Salem, and his first ATP 500 title in Tokyo. He achieved a breakthrough in 2019, making his top 10 debut after Wim

Daniil Medvedev

bledon and reaching six consecutive tournament finals, including at the US Open. In February 2022, Medvedev became the first man outside of the Big Three to hold the world No. 1 ranking since Andy Murray in November 2016, the third Russian man following Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999 and Marat Safin in 2000, and the 27th man overall.</s><s>Early and personal life. Medvedev was born in Moscow to Sergey Medvedev and Olga Medvedeva. Daniil's father, a computer engineer, developed his own business of building materials sales, from the mid-1980s to the early 2010s. Medvedev has two older sisters named Julia and Elena, 12 and 8 years his senior, respectively. When he was 6 years old, his mother noticed an advertisement for group tennis lessons at the pool where he was taking swimming lessons. His father encouraged him to enroll. Medvedev's first tennis teacher was Ekaterina Kryuchkova, a former coach of professional tennis player Vera Zvonareva among others. - -  Daniil's other childhood activities besides sport included harpsichord and guitar lessons. Medvedev studied physics and math at a specialized school before graduating early and enrolling in economics and commerce

Daniil Medvedev

at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He later dropped out to focus on tennis. He then switched to the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, and Tourism, where he received his diploma as coach. With his family he moved to Antibes, France where he trained at the tennis academy. His parents have been living in France since then, as retirees. As a result of living mostly overseas after turning 18, Medvedev can speak French and English fluently, besides his native Russian. Medvedev married his girlfriend Daria Chernyshkova, a Moscow State University graduate and former juniors tennis player, in Moscow on 12 September 2018. -  On October 14, 2022, he announced with his wife, Daria, the birth of their daughter. In September 2019, he credited his marriage for the improvement of his tennis results: "Before I made a proposal, I had been on the 65th place in the ranking, and then in ten months I've won two major tournaments and entered the top 10. We have significantly rebuilt our life, we work for each other. I earn [money], and Dasha helps me to earn more". Daria also works as his assistant, e.g., she helps to procure travel

Daniil Medvedev

visas which is not easy with a Russian passport. When he won the US Open on 12 September 2021, his first Grand Slam singles title, Medvedev joked, referring to the final being on the same day as his wedding anniversary, "If I lose, I have no time to find a present. So I have to win this match." Medvedev has been listed as an "unsuitable" subject to compulsory military service in the Russian Armed Forces because of his minor health issues due to the preterm birth at 8 months. Like many other Russian tennis players, Medvedev considered switching to the flag of Kazakhstan in the beginning of his professional career for a lack of support from the Russian Tennis Federation. -  Sports psychologist Francisca Dauzet has been a part of his French-speaking entourage since 2018. He is a supporter of FC Bayern Munich.</s><s>Junior career. Medvedev played his first junior match in July 2009 at the age of 13 at a grade 4 tournament in Estonia. In December 2010, he won his first junior title as a qualifier at just his third tournament. 2012–2013 would see Medvedev surge on the junior circuit as he won six titles between October 2012 and July 2013 which included four consecutive titles.

Daniil Medvedev

He made his junior Grand Slam debut at 2013 Junior Wimbledon where he won his first round match against Hong Seong-chan but lost in the second round to 2nd seed Nikola Milojević. At the 2013 Junior US Open, he went into the tournament seeded 10th and made the third round where he lost to Johan Tatlot. Medvedev reached his career-high junior ranking of world No. 13 at the beginning of 2014 and went into the 2014 Junior Australian Open seeded 8th. He ended his junior career after a first round loss at 2014 Junior Wimbledon. Medvedev ended his junior career with an overall win–loss record of 109–43 and wins over several future stars including Alexander Zverev and Reilly Opelka. Junior Grand Slam results – singles: Australian Open: 3R (2014) French Open: 3R (2014) Wimbledon: 2R (2013) US Open: 3R (2013)</s><s>Career.</s><s>Career.:2015–2016 Early pro career. Medvedev made his ATP main draw debut at the 2015 Kremlin Cup, partnering Aslan Karatsev in the doubles event. The two defeated Aliaksandr Bury and Denis Istomin in the first round but

Daniil Medvedev

were defeated by Radu Albot and František Čermák in the second round. As a qualifier, Medvedev made his ATP singles main draw debut at the 2016 Nice Open, losing to Guido Pella in three sets. Three weeks later he earned his first singles ATP World Tour win at the 2016 Ricoh Open, defeating Horacio Zeballos in straight sets. Medvedev was disqualified from the second round of the Savannah Challenger event (in Georgia, U.S.) for comments he made after the umpire ruled in favor of his opponent. Medvedev thought he had won a break point against his opponent Donald Young's serve, but chair umpire Sandy French ruled that his returning shot had gone out. After that, Medvedev said Young and French were friends. As both parties are black, he was disqualified mid-match for allegedly 'question[ing] the impartiality of the umpire based on her race'.</s><s>Career.:2017 First ATP final. In January 2017, Medvedev reached his first ATP singles final. In the final at the Chennai Open he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in two sets. As a result, Medvedev jumped 34 positions from 99 to 65 in the

Daniil Medvedev

ATP rankings, a new career-high. In February, he advanced to the quarterfinals of both the Open Sud de France and the Open 13, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille respectively. In June, he made it to the quarterfinals of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, defeating the 6th seed, Robin Haase, and Thanasi Kokkinakis before losing to Ivo Karlović in straight sets. At the Aegon Championships, he advanced to his first ATP 500 quarterfinal by beating Nicolas Mahut and Kokkinakis in the first two rounds, before losing to the No. 6 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, in the quarterfinals. One week later, he on grass advanced to the semifinal of Eastbourne International, losing to Novak Djokovic. Medvedev registered his maiden Grand Slam match win at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, defeating fifth seed and world No. 3, Stan Wawrinka, in the first round in four sets. He lost in the next round to Ruben Bemelmans. Medvedev was handed three fines totaling $14,500 (£11,200) for his conduct during the match with Bemelmans: $7,000 for

Daniil Medvedev

insulting the umpire on two occasions and $7,500 for throwing coins under the umpire's chair.</s><s>Career.:2018 First ATP titles. Medvedev started the 2018 season by qualifying for the Sydney International. He reached the final which he won against Australian Alex de Minaur. The final was the youngest ATP Tour tournament final since 2007, when a 20-year-old Rafael Nadal defeated a 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in the final of Indian Wells. It also was the tournament's youngest final since 1989. In August, Medvedev won his second ATP title at the 2018 Winston-Salem Open after defeating Steve Johnson in straight sets. In October, Medvedev won his first ATP 500 and third career ATP title in Tokyo as a qualifier, overcoming Japanese star and No. 3 seeded, Kei Nishikori, in straight sets in the final. This triumph brought him to a new career high ranking of No. 22 and made him the No. 1 player in Russia. The victory also marked the third consecutive final that Medvedev had beaten the home favorite in to win the title. Medvedev reached the Kremlin Cup semifinal, losing to his countryman and eventual champion Karen Khachanov.

Daniil Medvedev

One week later, he made the semifinals at the ATP 500 Swiss Indoors event, which he lost to Roger Federer. After the tournament, he achieved a new career high ranking of world No. 16. Medvedev finished 2018 with the most hard court match wins of any player on the ATP Tour (38 wins). He also had the most titles on hard court tournaments (3 titles), tying with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov.</s><s>Career.:2019 Two Masters titles, US Open final. Medvedev started the season strongly by reaching the final of the Brisbane International, defeating Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route, but then lost to Kei Nishikori. At the Australian Open, he was seeded 15th, the first time he was seeded at a major. He reached the round of 16 for the first time in his career, where he was defeated by eventual champion Novak Djokovic. In February, Medvedev won his fourth ATP title at the Sofia Open, beating Márton Fucsovics in the final. The following week, Medvedev lost in the semifinals of Rotterdam to Gaël Monfils.

Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev entered the Monte Carlo Masters having only won two of his 13 career matches on clay courts. Despite this, he reached his first ever Masters 1000 quarterfinal at the event after defeating world No. 8 Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the quarterfinals, Medvedev earned his first triumph over a world number 1 ranked player, when he defeated Djokovic in three sets. His run ended in the semifinals against Dušan Lajović. At the Barcelona Open, Medvedev earned his third successive top 10 victory (this time over Kei Nishikori) to reach his first clay-court final. There, he was defeated by world No. 5 Dominic Thiem. Following his victory over Nishikori, Medvedev experienced a five-match losing streak, including an opening-round defeat at the French Open. He returned to form on the grass courts of Queen's Club, reaching his sixth semifinal of the season where he lost to Gilles Simon. Medvedev made his top 10 debut after reaching the third round of Wimbledon. The North American hard-court swing proved to be a momentous breakthrough in Medevdev's career, as he reached four tournament finals (in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, and the US

Daniil Medvedev

Open), becoming only the third man in tennis history to do so (after Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi). In Washington, he was defeated by Nick Kyrgios in the final. He followed this up with a strong performance at the Rogers Cup, reaching his first Masters final after beating top 10 players Dominic Thiem and Karen Khachanov. In the final, he was defeated by defending champion Rafael Nadal. Medvedev would reach a second consecutive Masters final at Cincinnati after beating defending champion Djokovic for the second time, where he defeated David Goffin in straight sets for his first Masters title. Medvedev entered the US Open as the world No. 5. In his second round match, he fought off cramping to defeat Hugo Dellien in four sets. He then defeated Feliciano López in a contentious match for which he was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $4,000 for flipping off the crowd. Medvedev next recovered from a set and a break deficit to beat Dominik Köpfer and reach his first Major quarterfinal. He then beat former champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals and Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals to reach his first Grand Slam final

Daniil Medvedev

. There, Medvedev was defeated by Rafael Nadal in five sets. Medvedev followed up his success in North America with his maiden title on Russian soil at the St. Petersburg Open, to become the first Russian to win the tournament in 15 years. Medvedev then won a second consecutive title at the Shanghai Masters, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final. By reaching the final, Medvedev became the 7th man since 2000 to reach at least nine finals in a season. He ended the season losing his last four matches, including all three round robin matches in his ATP Finals debut.</s><s>Career.:2020 ATP Finals champion, third Masters title. Medvedev opened his season at the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup as Russia's top ranked singles player. He led Russia to the semifinals, where they were eliminated by the Serbian team after Medvedev lost to world No. 2 Novak Djokovic. At the Australian Open, Medvedev was eliminated in the fourth round by former champion Stan Wawrinka in five sets. During the February indoor season, Medvedev suffered early defeats in Rotterdam and Marseille. When the season resumed in August after a six-month hiatus due to the COVID-19

Daniil Medvedev

pandemic, Medvedev failed to defend his title at Cincinnati Masters, losing to Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals. As the 3rd seed in the US Open, Medvedev reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Dominic Thiem. At the French Open, Medvedev exited the tournament in the first round for the fourth consecutive year, losing to Márton Fucsovics. His struggles with form continued into the October indoor season, failing to string together more than two consecutive match wins in the St. Petersburg Open and Vienna Opens. Medvedev then resurged, winning his first title in a year at the Paris Masters. At the ATP Finals, Medvedev won all his round-robin matches in straight sets, over Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Diego Schwartzman. Medvedev recovered from a set- and break-deficit to defeat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, before beating Dominic Thiem in the final, once again coming from a set down. With the victory, he became the first player to have defeated the world's top three players at the ATP Finals, and only the fourth player (after Djokovic, Boris Becker, and David Nalbandian) to

Daniil Medvedev

have done so at any tournament since the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990.</s><s>Career.:2021 US Open, Davis and ATP Cups champion. At the second edition of the ATP Cup in February, Medvedev led Russia to the title, going 4–0 in singles. This included 3 top ten victories (over Diego Schwartzman, Alexander Zverev, and Matteo Berrettini) extending his win streak over top 10 opponents to ten wins. Medvedev then reached his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open after straight sets victories over Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, extending his win streak against top 10 opponents to twelve wins, and his overall win streak to twenty wins. In the final, he was defeated by the defending champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Medvedev won his first title of the season at the Open 13 in Marseille, defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final. With the win, Medvedev ascended to world number 2 in the ATP rankings, becoming the first man outside of the Big Four to occupy a position in the top 2 since Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005. On 13 April, Medvedev tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced

Daniil Medvedev

to withdraw from the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters. At the French Open, Medvedev reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas. With the grass-court season, Medvedev took a wildcard to play in the Mallorca Championships, where he won his first career grass-court title. At Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round for the first time in his career. There, he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in a match plagued by rain delays. Medvedev entered both the men's singles and the men's doubles events at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In doubles, Medvedev and Aslan Karatsev were defeated in the first round by Slovakia's Filip Polášek and Lukáš Klein. In singles, he defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, India's Sumit Nagal, and Italy's Fabio Fognini to reach the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, he lost to Spain's Pablo Carreño Busta. To start the North American hardcourt season, Medvedev competed at the Canadian Open, where he won the title by defeating Reilly Opelka in the final. The following week, he competed at the Cincinnati Masters, reaching the semifinals where

Daniil Medvedev

he was defeated by Andrey Rublev. At the US Open, Medvedev dropped just one set en route to his first major title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The final received immense attention, as Djokovic was vying to become only the second man in the Open Era to achieve the calendar-year Grand Slam. Following the US Open, Medvedev participated in the Laver Cup as part of Team Europe. Team Europe comfortably won the title, with Medvedev winning his match against Denis Shapovalov in straight sets. At the Indian Wells Masters, Medvedev was upset in the fourth round by Grigor Dimitrov. At the Paris Masters, Medvedev reached the final for the second consecutive year, but lost to Novak Djokovic in three sets. In his third ATP Finals, Medvedev qualified for the semifinals after winning all of his group matches. He there defeated Casper Ruud, but lost in straight sets to Alexander Zverev in the final. Medvedev ended his 2021 season by leading Russia to the Davis Cup title, not dropping a set through his five singles matches.</s><s>Career.:2022 Australian Open final, world No. 1. Medvedev represented Russia in the

Daniil Medvedev

third edition of the ATP Cup. Russia advanced to the semifinals of the tournament after Medvedev and Roman Safiullin went undefeated in doubles. There, Medvedev won his singles match against Canada's Félix Auger-Aliassime, but Russia was eliminated when Medvedev and Safiullin were defeated in the decisive doubles rubber. In January, Medvedev reached the final of the Australian Open for the second successive year. En route to the final, he beat home favorite Nick Kyrgios, world No. 10 Auger-Aliassime (saving match point), and world No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the final, he was defeated in five epic sets by Rafael Nadal despite taking a two-set lead. At 5 hours and 24 minutes, it was the second longest Major final ever played. In February, Medvedev was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year award. Medvedev entered the Mexican Open with the opportunity to gain the world number 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic. Medvedev reached the semifinals where he was defeated once again by Rafael Nadal in a rematch of the Australian Open final. However, as Djokovic was also defeated

Daniil Medvedev

in the Dubai quarterfinals being played simultaneously, Medvedev ascended to world number 1 for the first time. Medvedev thus became the first man outside of the Big Four to hold the top ranking since Andy Roddick in February 2004, and the third Russian man to achieve the ranking, following Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999 and Marat Safin in 2000. At the Indian Wells Masters, Medvedev lost to Gael Monfils in the third round. The loss resulted in his losing the number 1 ranking, with Novak Djokovic once again taking the top spot. Medvedev had a chance to reclaim the number 1 ranking the following fortnight if he reached the semifinals at the Miami Masters, but fell one match short, losing to defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals. On April 2, Medvedev announced that he would miss the beginning of the clay court season to recover from a hernia procedure. On April 20, the All England Club announced a ban on all Russian and Belarusian players, including Medvedev, from competing at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following his recovery from surgery, Medvedev returned to play at the Geneva Open, where he lost his opening

Daniil Medvedev

match to Richard Gasquet in straight sets. At the French Open, Medvedev was eliminated in the fourth round by Marin Čilić. However, as Novak Djokovic failed to defend his title, Medvedev reclaimed the number 1 ranking. Medvedev entered three tournaments in the grass court season, Rosmalen, Halle, and Mallorca. At his first event in Rosmalen, he reached the final without dropping a set before suffering a shock loss to world No. 205 Tim van Rijthoven. He then reached the final at Halle, once again without dropping a set, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz. In Mallorca, Medvedev was defeated in the quarterfinals by Roberto Bautista Agut. Medvedev started his North American summer hardcourt season by winning the title at the Los Cabos Open defeating Cameron Norrie in the final. In his opening round match against Rinky Hijikata, he recorded his 250th career singles match win. At the Canadian Open, Medvedev, who was the defending champion, lost his opening match to Nick Kyrgios. At the Cincinnati Masters, Medvedev was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the

Daniil Medvedev

semifinals. Medvedev was yet again defeated by Kyrgios at the US Open, resulting in Medvedev losing his number one ranking. Medvedev began the fall indoor-hardcourt season by competing at the Moselle Open, where he lost his opening match to Stan Wawrinka in three sets. Medvedev next competed at the Astana Open where he reached the semifinals. In his semifinal match, against Novak Djokovic, Medvedev was forced to retire with the match level at one-set-all with a leg injury. Medvedev returned to play at the Vienna Open where he defeated Denis Shapovalov in the final to win his second title of the year, and second ATP 500 title of his career. Medvedev finished the year on a 4 match losing skid, losing in the opening round in Paris Masters, and losing all three of his round robin matches in the ATP Finals in third-set tiebreakers. This resulted in him dropping to world no. 7 in the year-end rankings.</s><s>Career.:2023: Three consecutive titles, Indian Wells Final. Medvedev started the season at the Adelaide International where he reached the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic in

Daniil Medvedev

straight sets. Seeded 7th at the Australian Open, he defeated opponents Marcos Giron and John Millman before losing to Sebastian Korda in straight sets in the third round. As a result, Medvedev dropped out of the Top 10 to World No. 12. In February, Medvedev entered the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam seeded 6th, where he made it to the finals whilst dropping only one set. In the final, he defeated Italian No. 1 Jannik Sinner in three sets, thus returning back to the Top 10. The following week, Medvedev entered the Qatar ExxonMobil Open seeded third and won the tournament, defeating Andy Murray in straight sets in the final. In March, Medvedev defeated No. 2 seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in an all-Russian final to win in Dubai his third title in three weeks, and his 18th title overall thus winning titles in 18 different cities and becoming the first man in the Open Era to accomplish the feat. In this tournament, he did not drop a set including his win against No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic, snapping his 20-match winning streak. As a result he moved back to world No. 6 on 6 March 20

Daniil Medvedev

23. At the next Masters 1000 Indian Wels Masters he reached back-to-back quarterfinals defeating 12th seed Alexander Zverev. His victory against American, Frances Tiafoe propelled him into the final against Carlos Alcaraz. In the finals, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets but reentered Top 5.</s><s>Rivalries.</s><s>Rivalries.:Stefanos Tsitsipas. Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have faced each other 11 times since 2018, with Medvedev leading the rivalry, 7–4. They are considered to be two of the best tennis players of their generation. Medvedev won his first five matches against Tsitsipas, but Tsitsipas has won four of their last six.</s><s>Rivalries.:Alexander Zverev. Medvedev and Zverev have faced each other 13 times with Medvedev leading the rivalry 7–6. Zverev won the first four matches of their rivalry, but Medvedev won six of their next seven encounters.</s><s>Playing style and mentality. Medvedev is a counterpuncher. Standing at 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) tall,

Daniil Medvedev

he has an extremely powerful first serve capable of reaching 145 mph (232 km/h). He also hits long, flat groundstrokes, often wearing opponents down with lengthy baseline rallies. Medvedev is also known for his strong return of serve. He tends to adopt an extremely deep position at the back of the court which allows him to hit full-swing groundstrokes rather than blocking the serve back into play. He also possesses one of the best backhands on tour. His forehand is generally the weaker shot of the two. Medvedev is also a mentally strong competitor, which is evident in his attitude on the court, playing style, and demeanor in big matches. According to Francisca Dauzet, the performance coach he has been working with since 2018, he has “monstrous mental potential” and is learning to control his impatience. At times he has been “unable to channel his outbursts”, but Dauzet described him as a quick learner who is "fast at catching things". Medvedev's preferred surface is hardcourt and he has been one of the very best and most consistent players on the surface since he first broke through to the top 10 in 2019. He struggles

Daniil Medvedev

much more on clay due to his extremely flat strokes and the fact that his movement, one of his biggest strengths on a hardcourt, is hampered. However, he has still achieved solid results on the surface. With his playing style, Novak Djokovic has described Medvedev as a "very complete" player and Alexander Zverev called him "the best player in the world right now" in October 2019. 2019 ATP Finals champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas, once described his way of playing as "very boring"; however, later said "he just plays extremely smart and outplays you".</s><s>Endorsements. Medvedev is endorsed by Lacoste for apparel and shoes, Tecnifibre for racquets, and Bovet for watches. He also has been employed as an ambassador by BMW, Tinkoff Bank, and HyperX for gaming accessories, mostly for the Russian-speaking world. He was previously endorsed by Lotto for apparel and shoes until 2019. -  Since November 2021, he has been signed as a promoter of the Guojiao 1573 brand.</s><s>Career statistics.</s><s>Career statistics.:Grand Slam singles performance timeline. "Current through the 2023 Australian Open."</s><s>

Daniil Medvedev

Records. - These records were attained in the Open Era.</s><s>Awards. - National - The Russian Cup in the nominations: - Male Tennis Player of the Year: 2019, 2021; - Team of the Year: 2019, 2021. - Sports title "Merited Master of Sports of Russia" (2019)</s>