Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1438671
10 Winter 2021 ITF World come here at the end of the season but they are some of the best weeks of my career." The team dynamic to which Medvedev alludes has certainly brought out the best in Rublev this season after the 24-year-old claimed mixed doubles gold alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in August. "The team environment is always special," said Rublev. "Normally, we don't have much time to spend together. At these kind of competitions, we have to be together almost every day. "This is something special that we are missing, that we don't really have time to do. These kind of events, they give us this chance. It's a great feeling because then you have a lot of memories. This is the most important thing." With four players ranked within the top 30, RTF were the among the pre-event frontrunners for the title, and a team consisting of Medvedev, Rublev, Aslan Karatsev, Karen Khachanov and Evgeny Donskoy exploited its outstanding talent and fulfilled its potential. RTF lost just one match throughout the entire tournament, while US Open champion Medvedev was particularly imperious as he brutally dispatched all opponents in straight sets. The 25-year-old was also more than happy to play Hot favourites to top the podium from the outset, the crown was duly placed upon the collective head of the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) after a stirring and highly-skilled showing at the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2021. The coup de grace arrived in a showpiece conclusion at the Madrid Arena as RTF overcame Croatia courtesy of successive singles victories for Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev over Borna Gojo and Marin Cilic respectively. Victory handed the Russians a third Davis Cup title and their first since 2006 when an inspired team comprising Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov, Mikhail Youzhny and Marat Safin defeated Argentina in Moscow. Success also completed a remarkable but thoroughly warranted clean sweep of national team competitions for RTF in 2021 after their women conquered all before them at November's Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in Prague. Only three other nations in history – USA, Australia and Czech Republic – have ever achieved the feat of winning both Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup in the same year, with the Czechs the last to do so in 2012. Taking a wider view, it has been a truly sensational year for Russia as their girls were victorious at the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in August, while their boys triumphed at the Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in October. "It feels amazing," said world No. 2 Medvedev, who won all five of the matches he contested at the Davis Cup Finals. "But I am happier for the team than for myself. We have an amazing team and an amazing atmosphere. "I'm happy to be part of it and bring the points we needed. It's never easy to Medvedev won all five matches he contested at the Finals Pavic and Mek c once again showed their class Croa a won many plaudits