Follow us on Google Discover Daniil Medvedev made the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters last week as he enjoyed an upturn in his fortunes.
Medvedev has endured a pretty rotten 2025 by his usual high standards.
In January, he was dumped out of the Australian Open by Learner Tien, who was playing in his maiden ATP-level event, let alone a Grand Slam.
The match he won at the Australian Open would be the only match he won at a Grand Slam all year, and Medvedev split with his long-term coach this year.
Medvedev praised Tien after beating him in Shanghai, and although it was the first time he had beaten the American, it wasn’t the only hurdle he apparently cleared at the event.
Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesRobbie Koenig makes Daniil Medvedev claim
Medvedev has been working with Thomas Johansson for a little while now and clearly, the work that’s being done is paying dividends.
Medvedev did struggle with some fatigue against Tien in the two matches he played against him in Asia, but in large part, his performances have been far more like his usual self.
Now, Koenig felt that Johansson had clearly got into Medvedev and his mental side of the game was on point last week against the American.
He said on the Inside-In podcast: “What I like about the match against Learner in Shanghai was that for all the bad attitude he was giving Thomas Johansson in that match, Thomas was not accepting it, he was telling him to be tougher, keep doing, you’ve got to be tougher.
“The week before he’d retired against Tien, he’d retired him and TJ was determined not to let him retire him two weeks in a row and for all the moaning after every point, he was telling him to stop it, give everything, get your backhand down the line and everything he took on board started to work.
“I think that match, the fact he was so strong mentally, it looked for all the world that he was going to be retired two weeks in a row against Tien, that said a lot for me, and I think that’s a very big hurdle for him to overcome.
“I know losing in the semifinal wasn’t ideal, it looked like he’d opened the door for the win for the tournament and you’ve got to be careful when you have a look at the rankings of the two guys you’ve got to play for the title, it’s never done but to go from thinking man, I’ve done well this week and not having any expectations of winning the tournament, suddenly the draw opens up and you’re the main man and you should be winning the tournament and then tennis has got this way of telling you to stay grounded.
Medvedev can go all the way at the Stockholm Open
It proved really disappointing for Medvedev last week at the Shanghai Masters.
After finally ousting Tien, beating Alex de Minaur and seeing Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all sent packing in some way, shape or form, he must have felt like the title was his.
However, a semifinal loss to Arthur Rinderknech left him in a daze, and it was the Frenchman who took on Monagasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot in the final.
However, after a poor year, Medvedev is determined to keep playing and faces Adam Walton in his opening match at the Stockholm Open.
The Russian clearly wants to try and end the season on a high and as the number two seed in Sweden, he will once again fancy his chances of winning the title.