"Tension and cringe like it's a scene from The Office" - Andrey Rublev joking about being 'real father' of Daniil Medvedev's daughter amuses fans

Andrey Rublev's witty comments about him being the "real father" of Daniil Medvedev's daughter have prompted some interesting reactions from tennis fans online.

Rublev and Medvedev are currently playing for Team Eagles at the World Tennis League, an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi. The Russians, along with Sofia Kenin and Mirra Andreeva, squared off against Team Kites on Thursday (December 21).

After the match, an interviewer asked Rublev about his relationship with Medvedev, indicating that he is the godfather to the fellow Russian's daughter, Alisa.

Rublev jokingly replied that it was the other way around with him being the real father and that Medvedev was Alisa's godfather.

"I'm the real father, he's [Medvedev] the godfather," Rublev said.

While Medvedev, who sat behind Rublev during the interview, had a muted response to the banter, his wife Daria could barely control her laughter.

Taking to social media, fans shared their thoughts on the incident. One fan opined that the "cringe" episode was reminiscent of a scene from the American sitcom The Office.

"Lmao. The tension and cringe after he said that made me feel it's a scene from The Office," the fan wrote on Reddit.

Another user felt that Medvedev and his wife had extremely contrasting reactions to Rublev's joke.

"Med didn't take it well, and Med's wife took it maybe a bit too well," their comment read.

On seeing Medvedev's muted reaction, another fan joked that the Russian was wondering whether Rublev was just bantering or not.

"Medvedev looking like he's wondering if Rublev was joking or not," they wrote.

Fan reactions from Reddit

Here are a few other fan reactions from fans on Reddit:

Reddit reactions

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"I kind of laugh about it" - Daniil Medvedev on remaining close to Andrey Rublev after facing him on tour

Daniil Medvedev (L) and Andrey Rublev at the 2023 ATP Finals

Daniil Medvedev stated that he maintains a close relationship with Andrey Rublev even after subjecting each other to defeats on the tour. In a recent interview, the 27-year-old said that he needs no more than a few hours to recover from a match and laugh about it with his opponent.

"In general, I need probably one hour, around this. Depends on the match. Sometimes two. Sometimes 30 minutes. I kind of laugh about it. For sure I will be disappointed, but I can talk to people, laugh about it," Medvedev said.

However, Medvedev maintained that friendships do not hold a place on the court, with victory being the most important thing.

"To be honest, on court, for me on court, doesn't exist, friends, enemies. I just try to win the match. I don't think about anything else," he added.

Daniil Medvedev will commence his upcoming season at the 2024 Australian Open, where he suffered a third-round exit last year. Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev is set to get the ball rolling at the Hong Kong Open, which will kickstart on January 1.