Daniil Medvedev is the ATP World #10 and the 2021 US Open champion. The 30-year-old from Moscow plays a style that looks wrong on paper and works brilliantly in practice: flat groundstrokes with almost no topspin, a serve built on deception rather than power, and a defensive game so relentless that opponents run out of ideas before they run out of energy. Watching Medvedev is like watching someone solve a puzzle in real time, and the puzzle is his opponent’s game plan.
Standing 6’6”, he uses his enormous reach and flat ball-striking to smother opponents from the baseline. His backhand skids through the court, staying low and denying opponents the high bounce they need to attack. His return of serve is widely considered the best in the sport, neutralizing even the biggest servers and turning their strongest weapon against them. His tactical intelligence is visible on every point: he changes pace, direction, and rhythm constantly, refusing to let opponents settle into a pattern. When he drops in a junk ball, a slice that sits up or a moonball that resets the rally, opponents accustomed to pace and power look genuinely confused.
The 2021 US Open final was his masterpiece. He defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to deny the Serb a Calendar Grand Slam, one of the most significant results in modern tennis. The clinical precision of that performance, the way he dismantled Djokovic’s return game and controlled rallies with flat, deep groundstrokes, showed Medvedev at his absolute best. He reached the Australian Open final in 2022 and 2024, leading both matches before heartbreaking losses. His 2024 final against Jannik Sinner, where he held a two-set lead and lost in five, was one of the most painful defeats in recent Grand Slam history.
His ranking has fluctuated in recent seasons as the next generation has pushed past him, but his hard-court pedigree remains intact. When conditions suit him, when the court is fast and the bounce is low and the match becomes a battle of tactical intelligence rather than raw power, Medvedev is still capable of beating anyone.
Medvedev will be a factor at all four 2026 Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Check Russia time to convert match schedules to his home timezone.