Has Daniil Medvedev overcome His Demons

Indeed, tennis occasionally throws up a real oddity -sports in general tend to do that; however, even Daniil Medvedev’s greatest hater could not have conjured the season he had. A man who, for many years, was considered the natural successor to Djokovic, not necessarily based on style of play but rather on their natural ability to be the impossible force, the immovable object. He has made a career of frustrating opponents into submission, oftentimes described as being a “human wall” or “backboard”, to name a few.

However, last season proved to be more frustrating for him than for his opponents. The usual things we have come to expect from Medvedev were all present – the on-court antics, the constant bickering at the umpires, the running battle with his coach, but notably what was missing was the man who just never went away; instead, he went away way too easily, evidenced most shockingly by his solitary grand slam match win coming at the Australian Open. In all other 3 slams, he failed to win a single match, beaten by players he would normally brush aside. A refresh was certainly needed.

New Year, New Daniil Medvedev

The new year has seemingly brought on a new Medvedev, buoyed by a change in the coaching dugout after parting with long-time coach Gilles Cervara after the US Open. He has the look of a man on a mission, having already surpassed his grand slam match win total from last year. The signs of an upward tick were already evident on the back end of last year, and he’s taken that into this year, winning his 22nd title at the Brisbane International.

He appears more aggressive whilst still maintaining his formidable defensive capabilities. He will now be looking to make a deep run in the Australian Open, with hard courts being his preferred playing surface. Fans of Medvedev and tennis fans in general will be hoping he can rediscover his form and his ability to be an impossible opponent on court. At his very best, he remains one of the few who has the game to trouble the evolving Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly at the slams, which would make a fascinating subplot.