In a vivid display of just how brutal the heat and humidity were at the Cincinnati Open, Daniil Medvedev was seen literally putting his head inside an on-court refrigerator to cool off. The Russian, known for his unique on-court antics, was struggling mightily with the conditions during his first-round match against Australian Adam Walton, a contest he would ultimately lose in a stunning upset.
The bizarre, yet relatable, scene occurred during a changeover in the deciding set. Medvedev, who had already used a wet towel and was sitting with a fan pointed directly at him, took his cooling efforts to a new extreme. He was captured on camera leaning into a courtside refrigerator, a small white unit typically used for storing drinks and ice, and placing his head inside. The visual highlighted the sheer physical toll the sweltering Ohio weather was taking on the players. Despite his best efforts to combat the heat, Medvedev’s form seemed to crumble as the match wore on.
Medvedev’s shocking loss to the world No. 85, a player who was making his main-draw debut at a Masters 1000 event, only amplified the drama. After a flawless first set tiebreak where he didn’t drop a point, Medvedev’s game unraveled, and he ultimately fell 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-1. The defeat marks another early exit for the former World No. 1, whose once-dominant form on hard courts has been in a noticeable slump. He has now won just one match in his last two seasons at both the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters, tournaments he has previously won.
The 29-year-old’s struggles are a stark contrast to his past successes, particularly during the North American hard-court swing, where he famously won the US Open in 2021. This recent run of poor results, including early exits at all three majors this year, has left him searching for answers. Medvedev recently addressed his current form, acknowledging its complexity. “It’s very tough in tennis, because I could find 10 reasons and I would not know which one is the main reason,” he said in a recent interview. He added that he and his team are actively working on solutions. “Whatever we do, we just try to improve. So we sat down with the team: Where can we do things better? What can we change? We discussed some things and I’m going to try and implement it.”
His recent performance against Walton, a match where he hit 41 winners and 18 aces, but also struggled with unforced errors and consistency, underscores his search for a winning formula. The physical and mental exhaustion was palpable, and his defeat has raised serious concerns about his preparation for the upcoming US Open, where he will aim to rediscover his major-winning form. For Medvedev, this period represents a significant challenge, one he is determined to overcome. “This is the most exciting part of the season, there is hard courts until Miami next year,” he stated, seeing the period as a “challenge of trying to raise my level in the big occasions, trying to go step by step.” The image of him desperately seeking refuge in a fridge serves as a powerful symbol of his current battle, not just against his opponents, but against the elements and his own declining form.
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