Calm, meticulous, ferocious: Why reborn Medvedev can end Australian hoodoo

7 hours ago 2

Daniil Medvedev is adamant that his form slump, which triggered his freefall out of the world’s top 10, is behind him, and he is more ready now than ever to clinch a maiden Australian Open crown.

The polarising Russian star added the Brisbane International trophy to his cabinet on Sunday courtesy of a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) triumph over Brandon Nakashima, dropping just one set en route to the silverware.

Daniil Medvedev has triumphed at the Brisbane International.

A three-time finalist at the first grand slam of the year, Medvedev endured an underwhelming 2025 in which the former No.1 fell to 18th, before rising back to 13th in a year that began with a shock second-round exit in Melbourne.

That did not stop his infamous on-court outbursts that resulted in $122,000 worth of fines for repeatedly smashing his racquet against the net and causing damage to a camera. He then lost in the first round at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open - the latter the scene of his sole grand slam victory, where he copped further fines for unsportsmanlike conduct and racquet abuse.

But this week, there have been promising signs that the Medvedev of old was back. On Sunday, Pat Rafter Arena became his hunting ground - meticulously grinding Nakashima out of the contest with his relentless court coverage from the baseline to the net, off the forehand and backhand.

While Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have distanced themselves from the pack as the clear favourites once the Melbourne showcase gets underway - sharing the past eight grand slam titles with four each since the start of 2024 - Medvedev believed he was nearing the sort of form needed to turn the tide.

His variable short and back court game and fitness, while managing serve speeds beyond 200km/hr, perhaps gives him the greatest repertoire needed to unseat the world’s leading two stars.

“I want to say I think so, but then you know the next grand slam is in one week, and you never know - you could lose in the first round, you could win it, so I’ll try my best,” Medvedev said.

“I for sure have been playing very good at the end of the season, I think I made six of the last seven tournaments’ quarters [finals], so I am happy with the way I was playing. I know that when I’m playing good, there are not that many players who can beat me easily, or at all.

“If I manage to play good in Australia, I’m happy with my chances.”

While Nakashima, ranked 29th on the ATP live standings, showed signs of fight in the second set - breaking back as Medvedev served for the championship to level at 5-5 - his rival remained unflappable, his expression barely changing with each point as he kept the emotional outbursts to the side as he had done all week.

“I always stay true to myself, meaning when I get angry I do bad things, and sometimes I have to apologise, but it’s the way I am,” Medvedev said.

“It’s my emotions, but I also know this emotion can be a bit too much, and they can cost me a bit of energy and concentration during the match. I’m happy here I managed to find a flow.”

He dug straight into his bag of tricks throughout the tiebreaker - his clinical down-the-line backhands brutal, having already forced his American counterpart to desperately scramble all around the court. The way in which he picked his moments to attack the net left Nakashima bereft of answers.

Having waited until October’s Almaty Open to win a title in 2025, ending a drought dating back to his 2023 Rome Masters victory (882 days), the 29-year-old has now waited less than three months to claim another mantle.

If winning is a habit, he is certainly doing all he can to ensure it is not a forgotten one, while crediting his new coaching team for his rapid transformation.

A breakthrough win on Rod Laver Arena would also continue an intriguing Medvedev narrative, with each of his 22 titles coming in different cities and competitions.

“Last year was not easy, it was a bit turbulent, and changing the team helped. I haven’t played a grand slam yet with the new team, and as I’m saying this I feel what’s important is the way I play,” Medvedev said.

“If I lose first round in the Australian Open but play like here [in Brisbane], I would be surprised, but I would go out from the match and say to myself ‘it was great, and I’ll try better next time’.

“It’s a fun story - 22 titles in 22 different cities - and if it continues great, I’ve never won in Melbourne.”