Daniil Medvedev ended his season without any joy. The Russian champion did not win a single title in 2024 and gave the feeling of being very far from his best level for most of the year.
The former world No. 1 has played some good tournaments, but his game is no longer enough against opponents like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Italian ace prevented him from winning the Australian Open, despite Daniil being ahead two sets to nil in the final. That painful loss also affected him in the following months and the inertia of his rivalry with Jannik was totally reversed.
The player from Moscow defeated Sinner in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships, but was beaten by the world number 1 at the Miami Open, at the US Open, at the Shanghai Rolex Masters and at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Medvedev also struggled a lot against Alcaraz, who prevailed over the Russian in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, in the semifinal of Wimbledon and in the semifinal of the Beijing ATP 500.
The 2021 US Open champion showed signs of nervousness and frustration during 2024, suffering numerous unexpected defeats and often complaining about the balls used by the ATP. Daniil is convinced that this type of ball benefits players like Sinner and Alcaraz, who are able to express monstrous power from the baseline. It is clear to everyone that the former world No. 1 will have to do a great job in the off-season to close the gap that separates him from the two young leaders of the ATP tour.
The Russian ace – who was eliminated in the second round at the Rolex Paris Masters and in the group stage at the ATP Finals – will have a lot of pressure at the 2025 Australian Open, in which he will have to defend the final reached this year.
Medvedev reveals his plans
Medvedev will be able to work well with his coaches Gilles Cervara and Gilles Simon, who are looking for new weapons to add to his game.
During a long interview with ‘Kommersant’, Daniil talked about his plans: “Now we will try to do a thorough pre-season preparation together (with former ATP ace Gilles Simon) and see what comes of it. I won’t go into details, but I have an idea on how to improve my game with the balls I’m using now. It’s not a fact that it will work.
But I need to try to find a way to beat Jannik Sinner again, to whom I’ve lost so many times in recent months.”
He continued: “It’s a tough question… Probably some lost matches. They often say that defeats teach you. Well, I’ve had a few defeats this year, after which I left the court and realized that I hadn’t learned anything.
It was like that in the summer at the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters. It was hard to switch to hard immediately after playing on clay at the Olympics.
“And before the red clay, there was the grass of Wimbledon. But I still don’t regret going to the Olympics at all. It was a good, necessary experience.”
A crucial phase
The Russian is experiencing the most delicate moment of his career, especially since he became a top player. His next steps will be decisive for the continuation of his career. Medvedev will have to shine again next year, otherwise he risks falling into the same limbo as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The former world number 1 has the right skills to return to play his best tennis, but the other young talents continue to improve and it will not be easy to beat them. Sinner and Alcaraz are not the only problems for Daniil, who has suffered against many players in recent months. The rivals have understood the Russian’s weaknesses in some areas of the field and have learned to exploit them more effectively.
As everyone knows, Medvedev believes that the current balls are very disadvantageous to his game. The former world No. 1 complained several times throughout the year and suggested a change.
“As I say, I feel like I’m in a big disadvantage, but I need to do something with it. For the moment, I couldn’t find the exact way, like I can find the way through some matches like Shanghai, Beijing, even US Open. I can fight my way. I can try to find solutions during the match,” he explained in an interview during the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
2025 will be interesting to see if the champion from Moscow has finally defeated all his demons.
