Daniil Medvedev Archives

Daniil Medvedev wins Dubai title after Tallon Griekspoor withdrawal

Daniil Medvedev claimed his second Dubai title on Saturday following the withdrawal of his opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, due to a left hamstring injury.

The Russian also said he was unsure if he would be able to play next week’s ATP 1000 event in California after UAE airspace was partially closed due to Iranian strikes on the country, following the United States’ and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Dutchman Griekspoor picked up the injury towards the end of the opening set of his semi-final win over Andrey Rublev on Friday and looked doubtful for the final when he limped into his post-match press conference.

The tournament announced on Saturday that Griekspoor “was deemed unfit to play in the ATP 500 men’s final following a medical assessment”.

“Of course, unfortunate, but Tallon, I could see yesterday that maybe he had an injury,” said Medvedev in audio quotes provided by the ATP.

“You never know how these injuries develop through the night. Sometimes they get easier, and you can play, like with some soreness. Sometimes they get worse, so I guess it got worse.

“I cannot do anything about it. I played a great tournament, the four matches I played. Of course, I wanted to play the final, but it is what it is.

“I played an unbelievable match yesterday, so I would, either way, take it as a final for me, and I’m happy to win the tournament.”

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This is the first time Medvedev has been able to repeat a title. The 30-year-old Russian had won 22 trophies in 22 different events before clinching a second Dubai crown on Saturday to go with the one he captured in 2023.

“Of course, I take a lot of confidence. But tennis is a very fast-paced sport, so one week you can play not the way you want, and the other week you’re playing amazingly. So I just hope to bring this confidence from the four matches I played in Indian Wells, for sure.

“I played unreal the whole week, so I was actually really looking forward to the final and trying to play even better than I did. But it is what it is, and I’m really happy with how the week turned out in general.”

The Dubai doubles final went ahead as scheduled, and the singles final was set to be played despite Iran’s ongoing attacks on the UAE on Saturday.

The players are meant to fly straight to California for the upcoming Indian Wells Masters, but their travel plans have been disrupted due to regional airspace closures and the suspension of all flight operations at all Dubai airports until further notice.

Medvedev said he still didn’t know how he was going to make it to California and will be waiting on updates regarding the reopening of the Gulf region’s airspace.

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Daniil Medvedev opens 2026 with Brisbane victory over Marton Fucsovics

Top seed Daniil Medvedev cruised into the second round of the Brisbane International on Monday, while defending champion Jiri Lehecka outlasted fellow Czech Tomas Machac over three sets.

World number 13 Medvedev looked in ominous form as he demolished Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 6-3 in just 69 minutes in the warm-up tournament for the Australian Open, which begins on January 18.

“Sometimes you can play well and lose, but I know that also when I play well, I win a lot of matches,” said the Russian Medvedev.

“So I’m happy to play well today and to win the match,” added Medvedev, who next plays American Frances Tiafoe.

Lehecka, the third seed, saw off Machac 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in almost two-and-a-half hours.

The 24-year-old has won two tournaments in his career, both in Australia.

“The weather and the court conditions here are things that I look forward to,” he said.

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“There’s no better place to start the season than here.

“It was a great match — I think the level was high for a first match of the season for both of us, so I’m super happy for the win.”

Lehecka now plays American Sebastian Korda, who beat Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.

Alex Michelsen survived a tough battle against Australian qualifier James Duckworth 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 and will next face fellow American Learner Tien.

In the women’s draw, qualifying lucky loser Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan beat American Hailey Baptiste 6-2, 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai, 36, turned back the clock when she beat Ashlyn Krueger of the US 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

She will now face former champion and world number five Elena Rybakina.

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Daniil Medvedev fined after meltdown in US Open first-round loss

NEW YORK: Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has been slapped with a hefty fine by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) following his fiery outburst during a five-set first-round loss to France’s Benjamin Bonzi.

Medvedev went down 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 in a dramatic clash on Sunday that saw tempers flare after a controversial call in the third set.

At 5-4 with Bonzi serving for the match, play was halted for nearly six minutes when a photographer disrupted a point.

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Chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi a first serve instead of a second, prompting a furious reaction from Daniil Medvedev, who ranted at the official and even addressed the TV cameras, quipping: “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

The Russian, currently ranked world No.13, went on to smash his racket after the defeat, drawing further sanctions.

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Consequently, he was fined a total of $42,500. According to the USTA, $30,000 of the fine resulted from unsportsmanlike conduct, while $12,500 was due to racket abuse.

Despite earning $110,000 in prize money for his first-round appearance, the fines took a significant chunk out of his earnings.

After the match, Daniil Medvedev admitted he was bracing for punishment: “I’m getting a big enough fine, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak.”

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Daniil Medvedev ‘needs help’ after US Open meltdown: Boris Becker

German tennis legend Boris Becker believes Daniil Medvedev should seek “professional help” after the Russian crashed out of the US Open following the latest in a long line of spectacular on-court meltdowns.

Medvedev was at the centre of extraordinary scenes during his late-night battle with France’s Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday, losing in five sets in a game that descended into chaos during the third set.

The drama unfolded when chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi a first serve as he served on match point after a photographer mistakenly wandered onto the court.

That ruling sparked a furious reaction from Daniil Medvedev, who unleashed an angry tirade at Allensworth, accusing the official of wanting to end the game early.

“Are you a man? Are you a man?” Medvedev ranted. “He wants to go home guys. He doesn’t like to be here; he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

Medvedev then turned to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, waving his arms wildly to encourage them to voice their displeasure, leading to a six-minute delay before Bonzi could finally serve.

The rattled Frenchman subsequently lost his serve and the set, but later fought back to clinch a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 0-6, 6-4 victory.

Medvedev’s final act was to violently smash his racquet in anger following the loss.

The Russian later told reporters he was expecting a big fine for his actions but denied inciting the crowd, leading to the six-minute delay.

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“I’m getting big fine enough, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak,” Medvedev said.

Asked if he was deliberately testing officials to see how far he could go before being defaulted from a tournament, he replied: “Today I didn’t do anything bad, no.”

But Medvedev’s actions were a cause for concern for six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker.

“We call this ‘public meltdown,'” Boris Becker wrote in a post on X about Medvedev’s eruption. “I think he needs professional help ?!?”.

Former US tennis player, coach, and commentator Brad Gilbert agreed, saying Medvedev’s “brain is getting the better of him” after a string of recent defeats. The 29-year-old has now lost in the first round at three straight Grand Slams this year.

“I agree he definitely needs some help,” Gilbert replied to Becker’s post.

Former US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, meanwhile, said Medvedev should take a break from the game.

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“And Medvedev needs to take the rest of the year off,” McEnroe wrote on X.

Daniil Medvedev has compiled a litany of on-court outbursts throughout his career, regularly clashing with umpires and racking up thousands of dollars in fines in the process.

At the 2019 US Open, he sparred with American fans after snatching a towel from a ballboy, tossing his racket towards the umpire, and making an obscene gesture to the crowd. He was later fined $19,000 for his actions in the tournament.

At the 2022 Australian Open, he lambasted chair umpire Jaume Campistol, at one point questioning the official’s competence and asking: “Are you stupid?”

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Novak Djokovic voices physical concerns after US Open win

Novak Djokovic fears his lack of physical conditioning may come back to haunt him as he chases a record 25th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

The 38-year-old Serbian superstar made a winning start to his latest tilt at glory on Sunday, defeating US teenager Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 2hr 25min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

But Djokovic, who needed a lengthy medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot between the second and third sets, admitted afterwards he was worried by a sudden loss of stamina during the second set.

“I started great, just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic said. “Then some long games to start the second set… I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically.”

“We had long exchanges, but also, I kind of dropped my level and made a lot of unforced errors and kind of got him back into the match.

“There are positives, but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of how I felt on the court physically in the second set.

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“It’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.”

Novak Djokovic has not played since his defeat in the semi-finals at Wimbledon last month, skipping ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati to focus all his energy on the US Open.

While there were a few signs of rustiness at times on Sunday, Djokovic also laced his performance with flashes of the brilliance that has been his calling card throughout a glittering career.

Djokovic looked to be a man in a hurry in a scorching start, rattling off winners to take the first set 6-1.

Tien was given hope in a laboured second set from Djokovic, but the 19-year-old American could not convert a break point that would have made it one set all.

Instead, Djokovic held serve to make it 5-5 in the second set and reasserted himself to claim the second-set tie break, attacking the net cleverly and using some sublime variation to pull Tien all over the court.

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Djokovic paused for a medical timeout for treatment to his right foot before the third set got underway. The rest appeared to give Djokovic a jolt of energy, and he sprinted into a 5-1 lead to leave Tien reeling.

Tien did well to save a match point on Djokovic’s serve before breaking for 5-2.

But the respite was short-lived as Djokovic again responded emphatically, breaking back immediately to wrap up victory.

“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age — when you come to the late 30s, it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters,” Djokovic said.

“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully, I can keep it going,” he told the crowd.

Novak Djokovic will face US qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round.

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US Open chaos as Benjamin Bonzi ousts raging Daniil Medvedev

France’s Benjamin Bonzi sent Russian 13th seed Daniil Medvedev crashing out of the US Open early Monday in a stormy late-night thriller that boiled over into chaos following an extraordinary third-set flashpoint.

Bonzi advanced to the second round after holding his nerve to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 0-6, 6-4 in 3hr 45min.

The match exploded into drama in the third set as Bonzi served at advantage on match point, leading 5-4 after winning the opening two sets.

After faulting on his first serve, Bonzi prepared to serve again when chair umpire Greg Allensworth suddenly halted play after a photographer mistakenly walked onto the court.

Allensworth called for time after shouting, “Not now, get off the court please,” before awarding a new first serve to Bonzi on the grounds of a “delay caused by outside interference.”

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That prompted an incandescent reaction from Medvedev, who sprinted across the court to remonstrate angrily with Allensworth, accusing the umpire of seeking to end the match early.

“Are you a man? Are you a man?” the 2021 US Open champion asked Allensworth, before shouting into a courtside microphone: “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here; he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

Medvedev then turned to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, waving his arms wildly to encourage them to voice their displeasure.

As deafening catcalls and jeers rained down, play was held up for more than six minutes before Bonzi finally got the opportunity to serve for the match once again.

With the Frenchman clearly rattled, Medvedev saved match point and then went on to force a third-set tie-break, which he duly won to keep the match alive.

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Bonzi appeared to wilt in the fourth set, Medvedev winning 6-0 to send it to a decider.

But Bonzi showed great resolve in the fifth set, twice recovering from going a break down before breaking Medvedev’s serve to seal victory.

“It was crazy. I may have got some new fans but also some new non-fans,” Bonzi said afterwards. “The energy was wild. Thanks to all those who were booing that gave me energy in the fifth.”

Bonzi admitted he had lost composure during Medvedev’s third-set antics.

“I never experienced something like that. Maybe we wait five minutes before the match point, and it was so difficult to play,” he said. “I tried to stay calm and stay in the match, but it was not easy.”

Medvedev, meanwhile, slumped to his seat after the defeat, smashing a racquet violently in frustration.

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Jannik Sinner defeats Daniil Medvedev to reach first US Open semi-final

World number one Jannik Sinner reached his first US Open semi-final on Wednesday with a four-set victory over 2021 champion and two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev.

Sinner, looking to capture his second major of the season after the Australian Open, won 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 and will take on Britain’s 25th-ranked Jack Draper for a place in the final.

Sinner, 23, is the only top-10 player to make the semi-finals with number 12 Taylor Fritz due to face US compatriot Frances Tiafoe, ranked 20, in Friday’s other last-four duel.

Italy’s Sinner had defeated Medvedev from two sets down to claim the Australian Open title before the Russian gained revenge in another five-setter at Wimbledon.

“It was very tough, I knew it would be very physical,” said Sinner. “It was strange in the first two sets, whoever got the break started to roll.”

Sinner said he was looking forward to facing Draper.

“We are good friends off the court. He’s having an incredible tournament and hasn’t dropped a set.”

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Jannik Sinner swept through the opening set on Wednesday with a couple of breaks as the Russian committed 15 unforced errors to the Italian’s meagre six.

However, fifth-ranked Medvedev flipped the script with a double break of his own to level the quarter-final.

In a to-and-fro battle, Sinner returned the favour by racing through the third set in just 30 minutes.

Daniil Medvedev patiently carved out two break points in the sixth game of the fourth set, both of which were saved.

That allowed Sinner to grab the initiative with the crucial break for 4-3 before going on to seal the victory.

Medvedev had to save 10 of 15 break points in the tie while his dream of making a 10th Slam semi-final was undermined by 57 unforced errors.

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Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz into Wimbledon final

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached his fourth Grand Slam final at Wimbledon on Friday when he recovered from a set down to defeat Daniil Medvedev.

World number three Alcaraz beat his fifth-ranked opponent 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and will face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti for the title on Sunday.

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the 2023 final in a five-set thriller.

“Obviously it will be a really difficult match. Let’s see who I am going to play on Sunday,” said Alcaraz who crunched 55 winners to the 31 from Medvedev.

“I feel like I am not new anymore. I know how I am going to feel before the final. I have been in this position before.”

He added: “I started really nervous today. Daniil was dominating the match, playing great tennis. It was difficult for me.”

Twice Daniil Medvedev, beaten by Carlos Alcaraz at the same stage last year, led with breaks in the first set only to be pinned back.

Such was his frustration that he was handed a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Eva Asderaki for an apparent foul-mouthed reaction to a ball called for bouncing twice as he was broken in the ninth game.

The tournament referee and supervisor were even summoned to Centre Court by Asderaki, but Medvedev shrugged off the incident to sweep through the tie-break and take the opening set in which he committed only eight unforced errors to the Spaniard’s 15.

It was the third time at this year’s Wimbledon that Alcaraz had dropped the first set.

Alcaraz recovered impressively, breaking Medvedev for a 3-1 lead in the second, having come out on top in the previous game on the back of a 27-shot rally.

The 21-year-old then hit 14 winners in the third set, pocketing the only break in the third game.

Medvedev, who had knocked out world number one Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, retrieved a break early in the fourth set.

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But Carlos Alcaraz kept up his assault, edging ahead again for 4-3 on his way to victory.

Novak Djokovic has equalled Roger Federer’s mark by reaching a 13th Wimbledon semi-final and is two wins from matching the Swiss star’s record of eight singles titles at the All England Club.

Victory on Friday would take him to a 10th final at the tournament and 37th at the Slams.

At 37, Djokovic could also become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the modern era, an impressive achievement for a man who underwent knee surgery as recently as last month.

This season he has lost his Australian Open and French Open titles and has yet to make a final on tour.

He was handed a free pass into Friday’s last-four when Alex de Minaur withdrew from their scheduled quarter-final with a hip injury.

The Serb has been in feisty mood at Wimbledon accusing fans of disrespecting him in his last-16 win over Holger Rune.

“If somebody steps over the line, I react,” he said.

Djokovic has a 5-1 winning record over Musetti, including a come-from-behind five-set victory at the French Open last month.

That third-round match set the record for the latest finish at Roland Garros, with Djokovic completing victory at 3:07 in the morning.

Musetti, 22, also took Djokovic the distance in their first meeting at Roland Garros in 2021, when the Italian won the opening two sets of their last-16 tie before injury scuppered his hopes in the decider.

“He’s a legend, especially here at Wimbledon,” said Musetti ahead of his debut on Centre Court, where he was allowed to practice on Friday morning.

If Musetti reaches the final, it will be the first time in history that Italian players have reached the men’s and women’s singles finals at a Grand Slam in the same year.

Italy’s Jasmine Paolini will play the women’s final against Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova on Saturday.

READ: Lorenzo Musetti sets up Wimbledon semi-final duel with Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz sets up repeat Daniil Medvedev Wimbledon semi-final

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off the loss of the first set to beat Tommy Paul on Tuesday and set up a repeat Wimbledon semi-final with Daniil Medvedev.

The Spanish world number three, seeking a fourth Grand Slam title, beat his 12th-seeded opponent 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 under the No. 1 Court roof.

Alcaraz was slow out of the blocks, broken twice by the in-form American in a 72-minute first set.

Paul raced into a two-game lead in the second set as Alcaraz again faltered on serve but the Spaniard got back on level terms and broke again to level the match.

Three breaks in the third set put the world number three in charge and he stepped up another gear in the fourth set, winning 92 percent of first-serve points and making just four unforced errors.

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Carlos Alcaraz, seeking to become just the sixth man to capture the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back, said it had been a tough start to his quarter-final against the recent champion at Queen’s.

“If I’m struggling a little bit to find the solutions, if the opponent is playing great tennis and I don’t get him in trouble, I believe at the end that I’ll be able to come back and be able to find solutions,” he said.

Looking forward to his match against Russian fifth-seed Daniil Medvedev, whom he beat last year on his way to winning his first Wimbledon title, Carlos Alcaraz said: “Hopefully I’m going to get the same result.

“He just won against Jannik Sinner, the best player right now, so I know that he’s in really good shape so I have to play my best, I have to believe in myself and try to keep going if I want to beat him.”

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Novak Djokovic into Monte Carlo quarters as Medvedev rages in defeat

Novak Djokovic avenged last year’s Monte Carlo Masters defeat by Lorenzo Musetti to reach the quarter-finals Thursday, while Daniil Medvedev launched into an angry tirade during his defeat.

World number one Djokovic made a poor start and endured a second-set wobble before coming through 7-5, 6-3 against the 24th-ranked Musetti, the man who beat him at the same stage 12 months ago.

Novak Djokovic goes on to play Alex de Minaur, the 11th seed from Australia, in the last eight.

The Serbian top seed dropped serve in the opening game against Musetti before working his way back to level at 4-4, and then snatched the set on a double fault by his opponent.

Djokovic broke twice early in the second set either side of losing his own serve to surge 4-1 ahead. Musetti clawed back to within a game but Djokovic broke again for 5-3 before closing out the win.

Novak Djokovic has struggled to find his best form in recent times in Monte Carlo. He has not won the tournament since the last of his two titles in 2015, failing to advance beyond the quarter-finals in seven subsequent appearances.

Medvedev launched into another angry tirade against the officiating as he was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by Karen Khachanov.

Daniil Medvedev was hit with a point penalty to start the final game after berating chair umpire Carlos Bernardes and then became embroiled in a heated discussion with the tournament supervisor.

The world number four had already been warned after hurling his racquet when he double-faulted to lose his service game and leave Khachanov a game away from victory.

Medvedev, who took issue with two line calls in his second-round win on Wednesday, felt aggrieved a Khachanov forehand was not called out during a rally that resulted in the latter earning two break points at 5-5.

The arrival of the physio to treat a finger bleed at the ensuing changeover tipped Medvedev over the edge, with the Russian yelling “did I ask for the physio!” at the umpire.

He then demanded of the supervisor “who will take responsibility?” for the decisions.

Television replays appeared to show the shot in question from Khachanov had landed wide of the court.

“It’s second day in a row. Guys, open your eyes. Do something. It’s out,” raged Medvedev.

“The mark is out. They don’t know how to referee anymore. Who will take action?

“Yesterday the ball is out, it’s called in. Who will take action. This ball is out there. Who will take responsibility? It’s not my responsibility to referee the matches.

“It’s this guy in the glasses (the line judge). He doesn’t need glasses because he doesn’t see anything. He should not be a referee.”

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Khachanov and Medvedev traded breaks in the first four games of the match before the former landed the crucial blow at 4-3 en route to taking the opening set.

The second set followed serve and Khachanov saved a set point down 5-4 before Medvedev imploded in the next game, losing both his serve and temper, and eventually the match.

Khachanov’s reward is a quarter-final Friday against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who saw off fifth seed Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).

De Minaur moved into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against fellow Australian Alexei Popyrin.

Grigor Dimitrov, last month’s Miami Open runner-up, continued his good form with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Miomir Kecmanovic in a second-round match that was suspended on Wednesday because of rain.

Seventh seed Holger Rune, the 2023 finalist, shrugged off Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

World number two Jannik Sinner, who owns a 23-1 record this season, takes on Jan-Lennard Struff in the ongoing Monte Carlo Masters.

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