Daniil Medvedev’s 2024 season has been a turbulent one, with no titles to his name thus far and a series of performances that have left many questioning his standing among the current top players on the ATP tour. Despite maintaining a high position in the rankings, the Russian champion has endured a difficult year, facing multiple defeats at the hands of players who have taken the tennis world by storm, notably Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. These losses have exposed some weaknesses in Medvedev’s game, and as the season winds down, the pressure is on for him to find a way to rediscover his form.
Medvedev’s season began with promise, reaching the final of the Australian Open, where he appeared to be on track for another major victory. However, after building a two-set lead against Jannik Sinner, he experienced a dramatic collapse, losing the next three sets and handing the Italian one of the most significant wins of his career. This loss set the tone for a frustrating year, where Medvedev struggled to find consistency and often found himself on the losing end in matches against the elite players on the tour.
While Medvedev did manage a respectable showing at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals, his inability to close out key matches continued to haunt him. At the All England Club, he again faced Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish sensation who has taken the ATP tour by storm. Medvedev’s struggles against Alcaraz have been well-documented, with the Spaniard defeating him at the Indian Wells Masters final, the Wimbledon semifinals, and more recently in Beijing. Alcaraz’s aggressive baseline play, versatility, and ability to dominate rallies have proven to be a nightmare for the 2021 US Open champion, who has often looked bewildered on the court when facing the young Spaniard.
The rivalry with Sinner, on the other hand, has taken a more complex turn. Medvedev initially dominated their head-to-head encounters, but in the last 12 months, the Italian has made significant strides in his game, winning seven of their last eight matches. Sinner’s consistency, power, and ability to adapt his game have allowed him to surpass Medvedev in key moments, as evidenced by their showdown at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where Sinner handed Medvedev another humiliating defeat.
Medvedev’s form in 2024 has been further compounded by physical and mental exhaustion. His withdrawal from the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna due to a shoulder injury, which followed his disappointing loss to Sinner in Saudi Arabia, raised concerns about his fitness. Medvedev has always been known for his durability, but the grind of the season seems to have taken its toll. The shoulder issue, which forced him to pull out of the Erste Bank Open, adds to a list of woes for the Russian, who is now scrambling to salvage a season that has not lived up to his or his fans’ expectations.
The absence of Medvedev from Vienna is a blow to the tournament, which has already lost world number one Jannik Sinner. Despite this, the competition will still feature a strong lineup, with stars like Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov, and Tommy Paul vying for the title. Medvedev’s replacement in the tournament, young American Alex Michelsen, will look to make a name for himself in a field that is wide open following the withdrawal of two of the biggest names in tennis.
In the aftermath of these defeats, Medvedev has been candid in assessing his own game and the changing dynamics at the top of men’s tennis. In a striking admission following yet another defeat to Sinner, Medvedev acknowledged that the Italian’s level of play has reached new heights. “I have never played against someone who performed like Jannik,” Medvedev said. “I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t know what to do. He was like a machine. While I used to think that Carlos [Alcaraz] had more class and flair in his shots, after this match, I have changed my mind.”
Medvedev also weighed in on the recent doping controversy involving Jannik Sinner, offering his support for the Italian while stressing the difficulty of such a situation. “Nobody wants to be in that position,” Medvedev remarked. “I can’t imagine getting a notice that I failed a doping test for something I didn’t even know about. It’s a tough position for him, and I support him. We’ll see how it all plays out, but I don’t think this will affect the image of tennis.”
Looking ahead, the off-season will be crucial for Medvedev as he seeks to close the gap between himself and the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz. His dominance on hard courts has always been his greatest strength, but in recent years, even this advantage has started to slip. Players like Sinner and Alcaraz have learned how to neutralize his deep-court defense and counter-punching style, exposing the need for Medvedev to evolve his game if he hopes to remain a contender for major titles.
The 2025 Australian Open will be a litmus test for Medvedev. Having come so close to victory there in 2024, only to fall short, the Russian will need to address both the mental and physical aspects of his game if he is to add another Grand Slam to his resume. Time will tell whether he can rise to the challenge, but one thing is certain: Daniil Medvedev’s place among the elite of tennis is under threat, and the road to reclaiming his status will be anything but easy.