Daniil Medvedev’s form has been stagnant for some time now, as he continues to slide down the rankings.
The hard-court specialist travelled to North America with high hopes, but has failed to deliver any noteworthy performances as of yet.
Beginning his Washington Open campaign with wins over Reilly Opelka and Yunchaokete Bu, things were looking good for Medvedev before he fell to Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the quarterfinals.
Heading north, Medvedev struggled past Czech youngster Dalibor Srvcina in his Toronto opener to set up a third-round tie with the defending champion.
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Unfortunately for the former world number one, it was there that his run came to an end, as Medvedev lost to Alexei Popyrin in three sets, 7-5, 4-6, 4-6.
Now in Cincinnati for the final warm-up event before the US Open, Medvedev has given his verdict on the work done by tournament organizers over the past 12 months.
Daniil Medvedev claims Cincinnati Open organizers have done a ‘great job’
As part of a $260 million investment into the future of the tournament, organizers renovated the venue ahead of the 2025 Cincinnati Open.
With many praising the work done, Medvedev suggested he had ‘only good things’ to say about the tournament in Cincinnati.
“I’ve always liked this tournament, even though it was a bit smaller, older, and so on. Now it’s even better. Great facilities, great conditions for players,” he said.
“It’s a great tournament, nothing bad to say, only good things.”
Medvedev was then asked whether he believes the Cincinnati Open now feels like a ‘fifth Grand Slam’.
“Yeah, it does,” he said.
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“It’s very similar to Shanghai; Shanghai is also very big, and it really feels like that. If I remember correctly, Shanghai is sometimes considered the fifth Grand Slam or maybe Indian Wells too, but here, it’s probably even better than Indian Wells in terms of conditions.”
Medvedev commended the tournament for making improvements, as he suggested other events wouldn’t bother.
“They’ve done a great job, and it’s always nice when tournaments make an effort for players, because some Masters 1000 events, they have their licenses, so as long as they don’t mess up too badly, they’re fine,” he said.
“So, when the tournament makes an effort, it’s always appreciated.”
The Russian star was then asked the obligatory question about the court conditions, which continue to vary on the ATP Tour.
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“They change every year here,” he said.
“For example, the last two years, they were completely different from, let’s say, five years ago.
“This year, they’re a bit slower than they were before, it seems. Maybe a little slower than Toronto
“But overall, at least the practice courts, they are very nice.”
It sounds like Medvedev is enjoying his time in Cincinnati, but how likely is he to make a deep run in Ohio?
A former champion at the event, back in 2019, who knows how far Medvedev can go if he rediscovers his form from six years ago.
Daniil Medvedev’s potential route to the Cincinnati Open title
Entering the tournament as the number 12 seed, Medvedev will receive a bye into round two, where he’ll meet either Adam Walton or Mariano Navone.
He’d be expected to come out of that one unscathed, but might have a trickier test waiting for him in round three and beyond.
Daniil Medvedev’s projected route to the title (By ranking)
- 2R – Adam Walton
- 3R – [22] Jiri Lehecka
- 4R – [5] Ben Shelton
- QF – [3] Alexander Zverev
- SF – [2] Carlos Alcaraz
- F – [1] Jannik Sinner
Jiri Lehecka would be a tough out in round three, but things only get harder from then on, as Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton may await him in the last 16.
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If they were to progress as expected, Medvedev could then have to beat the world’s top three players, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner, in consecutive matches to lift the trophy.
He’s not going to have an easy ride of things in Cincinnati, but if Medvedev wants to return to the top ten and start challenging for big titles again, he’ll need to start picking up some marquee wins soon.
Medvedev will begin his campaign against Walton or Navone on Saturday, August 9.