Steve Johnson has ‘no doubt’ about what is going to happen to Daniil Medvedev after his title victory in Brisbane

Steve Johnson reacts to Daniil Medvedev winning the Brisbane International

Following his difficult 2025 season, Medvedev fell outside the top 10 and even slipped to his lowest ranking in six years.

However, after watching Medvedev’s performances at the Brisbane International, Johnson has suggested that a return to the top 10 is inevitable for the 29-year-old.

“But watching him play throughout the week, we kind of saw that he was a little bit of a mental basket case at the end of last year,” Johnson said on the Nothing Major Podcast. “I mean, he’s been known to do that throughout his entire career, but I think a little time away was great for him, because he looked great in Brisbane.

“Didn’t seem like anything was bothering him, he was enjoying tennis as much as he is enjoying it out there, not kind of snapping at little things and if he is playing like this with a clear head and a clear mind he’s a top 10 guy, there’s no doubt about that.

“For him to have struggled like that at the end of last year, that was just a bump in the road, so good on him for being able to reset in a short kind of off-season and come out with a great first week.”

Will Daniil Medvedev be ranked in the top 10 after the Australian Open?

Medvedev’s return to the top 10 could come sooner rather than later, and could even occur after his next tournament of the Australian Open.

At the Australian Open last year, Medvedev won only one match and therefore has only 50 points to defend this year.

This means that Medvedev is already guaranteed to overtake the injured Jack Draper, who is currently the world number 11.

However, Medvedev may need to go on a deep run to actually break into the top 10 and overtake the likes of Alexander Bublik, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.

This could be very possible for Medvedev, who is a three-time former finalist at the Australian Open.

However, much of this could depend on where Medvedev is placed in the draw, which will take place on Thursday, January 15.