No.1 Medvedev uneasy with Russian events

As much as Daniil Medvedev cares about taking over the No.1 ranking in men's tennis, he knows there are more serious matters involving his home nation Russia.

A loss by Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Championships meant the Serbian will move down to No.2, with Medvedev assured of becoming the 27th man to hold the top spot in the ATP.

It happened even before Medvedev could reach the Mexican Open semi-finals, and on the same day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began with air and missile strikes on military facilities before troops and tanks rolled across borders from the north, east and south.

"Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy," Medvedev said after beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 6-3 in his quarter-final in Acapulco on Thursday.

"By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world. We play in so many different countries; I've been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro. It's just not easy to hear all this news. ... I'm all for peace."

Medvedev noted the pair that won the doubles title at the Marseille Open last week included one Russian (Andrey Rublev) and one Ukrainian (Denys Molchanov), saying: "This was amazing, because people need to stay together."

Reflecting on the day, Medvedev added: "In these moments, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important.

"It was not easy to play and I'm happy that I managed to win the match, but it was bit of a roller-coaster day for me."

The 26-year-old Medvedev, who won last year's US Open for his first grand slam title, said he received congratulations from other players about his new ranking, which will become official on Monday.

"Of course, I'm happy to reach No.1," Medvedev said. "It was my