Watch: Daniil Medvedev’s Fake Backhand Antic Goes Viral at the Canadian Open

Meanwhile, his opponent Popyrin, who came back from a set down to defeat him, will meet fifth seed Holger Rune in the next round in Toronto. This marks their second meeting on court, with Rune having previously defeated him in the round of 16 at the Italian Open in 2023.

Rune defeated Alexandre Muller and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in straight sets in his prior rounds in Toronto. At the Canadian Open last year, Popyrin clinched his maiden Masters 1000 title last season in his tournament main-draw debut.

Daniil Medvedev leaves the court without picking up his stuff after losing to Alexei Popyrin

Alexei Popyrin overcame Daniil Medvedev 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, and improving to 2-4 in their head-to-head record. With this victory, the Australian earned his fourth Top 20 win of the season.

The 25-year-old led by an early break in all three sets. Popyrin broke in the opening game of the second and third sets and defended his serve nicely to seal the deal. After he lost the match, Medvedev left the court quickly, leaving his rackets and bag behind, a rare and surprising moment that showed how disappointed he was.

Daniil Medvedev will partner with Mirra Andreeva for the US Open mixed doubles

Between 2018 and 2023, Daniil Medvedev would regularly win multiple titles in a year, including the 2021 US Open, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. The Russian’s best season came in 2023, when he clinched five titles. But since then, Medvedev hasn’t been quite the same.

He recently opened up about his shoulder pain, which bothered him from mid-2023 to mid-2024. He reached the final of one tournament this year at the Halle Open but shortly faced a shocking opening round exit at Wimbledon. He has now faced an early exit in all the Grand Slams so far and will be looking to level up for the US Open, where he has reached the final thrice.

At the US Open this year, he also received a direct entry into the newly reimagined mixed doubles draw, where he will pair up with compatriot Mirra Andreeva. They are among the eight teams to receive a direct entry to the event.

While Medvedev has not won any titles in doubles, 18-year-old Andreeva is quite accomplished in this domain, having won two WTA doubles titles, reaching the semifinal of two Grand Slam women’s doubles, and clinching the silver medal in women’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.

Medvedev and Andreeva had previously also paired up for mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics. Prior to the US Open, Medvedev will also play at the Cincinnati Open, where he triumphed in 2019, defeating David Goffin in straight sets.

Also Rsad: Jannik Sinner’s Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in French Open Final is ‘Reason’ Behind Shocking Split with Novak Djokovic’s Ex-Team Member