Despite a straight-sets loss to Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup final Sunday, getting to the last day of the tournament was enough for Russian Daniil Medvedev to move up one spot in the world rankings to a career-high No. 8. Medvedev has been rising steadily in the rankings since a strong run in last year’s US Open Series, and he’s proving this year that 2018 was no fluke.
The Rogers Cup was Medvedev’s second straight final appearance—he lost to Nick Kyrgios in the Citi Open championship match. Overall, he’s won eight of his last 10 matches since cracking the Top 10 after reaching the third round at Wimbledon. Earlier this year, the 23-year-old notched his first win over a World No. 1 player, defeating Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters. Like Djokovic, Medvedev has one of the best backhands in the game.
Medvedev is 5-5 in 2019 against Top 10 opponents, so he certainly looms as a threat when play begins at the 2019 US Open. He reached the third round at Flushing Meadows last year, knocking off a red-hot Stefanos Tsitsipas in Round 2. But the top-ranked Russian player knows that in order to get far at a major, he must be at his best against the big three—Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer.
“Yeah, I think I gained experience by playing these matches,” Medvedev told reporters after Sunday’s loss to Nadal. “Novak, for example, I finally managed to beat him this year, not on my best surface. It was the fourth time I played him. I was getting closer and closer from what I was feeling. Finally I beat him. I think I just need to go further in the tournaments, to play them more, and that's how I will find my rhythm and my tactic to beat them more.”
The Daniil Medvedev File
Age: 23
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Current Rank: 8
Career-High Rank: 8 (August 2019)
Best US Open Finish: Third round (2018)
The Baseline
- Medvedev finished 2018 with the most hard-court match wins (38) on the ATP Tour. He won his first three career titles that year, all on hard courts. His fourth and most recent title also came on hard courts, at the 2019 Sofia Open.
- Medvedev married his longtime girlfriend last year, and he told reporters recently that the marriage has been a key reason for his rise in the rankings. “I made the best American swing I could have made last year, and it was only going up, and she does a lot for me in order for me to play better tennis,” he said of his wife. “I'm talking about small things in life that would take my attention, she cares about them, and I just have to play tennis and win some matches.”
- Medvedev broke into the Top 10 in July, one month after his good friend Karen Khachanov. It marked the first time since October 2010 that two Russian men have been ranked in the top 10.
They Said It
“You need to put it in the court no matter how hard it is. That's kind of my mentality. That's the toughest for my opponent. Still I'm able to play aggressive, if I need to. I'm able to have different styles in my game.” –Medvedev, to Tennis.com
