Medvedev hails Safonov as his sporting hero and "one of the world's best goalkeepers"

Daniil Medvedev did not hesitate for a second: asked on the sidelines of the ATP Masters in Turin about the athlete who inspires him most, world number 5 chose his compatriot Matveï Safonov, starting goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain.

“It’s not easy to give just one name, but I’m going with Matveï Safonov. He’s PSG’s goalkeeper, I love football and it was nice to see him arrive as Donnarumma’s backup,” Medvedev said, recalling that the former Krasnodar keeper joined Paris in 2024 with relatively little fanfare.

The tribute did not end there. The Russian praised Safonov’s trajectory, who managed to establish himself in the Paris hierarchy by overtaking Lucas Chevalier over the course of last season. “In my opinion, he is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best goalkeeper in the world. It was nice to see that, it inspired me,” he added.

While Safonov’s unconventional style sometimes draws criticism, his position as number one at PSG is no longer contested. Luis Enrique has not called upon Donnarumma since January 20, a sign that the hierarchy is now clearly established in the French capital.

This unexpected statement from a tennis star illustrates the path Safonov has travelled in barely a year: arriving in the shadow of the Italian European champion, he has established himself as one of Europe’s most prominent goalkeepers, to the point of becoming a source of motivation for one of the best tennis players of his generation.