Medvedev: "I am no longer the favorite to win everything, but I will try to become so again as soon as possible"

Daniil Medvedev aims to regain all the ground lost in 2025 in 2026, with the Australian Open being his first target. The Russian seeks to reclaim his former status as a top-ranked ATP player and a favorite in most Grand Slams this season. So far, he has started the year on the right foot by easily defeating Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 6-3 in his debut at ATP Brisbane 2026.

Although still not at his best level, the change from Gilles Cervara to Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke has breathed new life and perspective into Medvedev's game, showing glimpses of improvement in the latter part of 2025. He aims to confirm this progress during the Australian tour culminating in Melbourne, a place where he has reached the final three times, consistently displaying an impressive performance except for last year when he was knocked out by Learner Tien in the second round.

Despite this, the Russian is cautious about talking up his chances for the title, especially since he is not yet on par with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, or Novak Djokovic. His ranking may secure him an easy first-round match, but he anticipates facing tough opponents soon. Nonetheless, his determination remains strong to reclaim a spot among the world's top tennis players.

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Satisfied with his strong pre-season

"I played well during the pre-season, trained well, so I'm happy to have been able to translate that onto the tennis court because, guys, we all know how to play tennis, so we all can play well. Sometimes you can play well and still lose, but I know that when I play well, I win many matches. So, I'm pleased with my performance today and winning the match."

Daniil Medvedev doesn't see himself as the favorite to win the Australian Open, but he will fight to regain that status

"I believe that, in a way, no, I'm not highly ranked, so I could face a tough draw from the start, but at the same time, when you are in the tournament, you play your best regardless of your opponents. Sometimes there are surprises, and in reality, you may not be highly ranked but end up with a good draw, or you might defeat a strong player and get an easier draw. So you never know. As for my chances, at this stage of my career, I am no longer the favorite to win everything, but I will try to reclaim that status as soon as possible."

He is ready to accept any match schedule at the Australian Open, even the night matches

"I won't ever do that because it's the TV networks that control everything, and I think there's always a reason why it's at 7:00 p.m. and not at 6:00. But they just asked me a question, how we could make it different, and I said it would be great to start at 6:00 p.m., and that's it."

"I don't think that's going to change ever because it's almost the same at all Grand Slams, except at Roland Garros and Wimbledon because of the different surface, but still, Roland Garros starts at 9:00, the night session. So that's how it is. And again, I am willing to play in the night session if needed, and I won't complain about it."

Pleased with the speed of the balls and the courts

"Firstly, I think last year, even though I played poorly by my standards, in many ways, it was a good year in terms of ball conditions and court speeds, I didn't complain much. In fact, many courts are becoming much faster, as well as the balls. For example, here in Brisbane, the court is super fast. I don't know what other players said. I felt it was like the US Open from last year, and I played poorly, so I should be sitting here saying the balls were bad, the courts were bad, but I found them quite fast."

"Did I make any adjustments? We constantly make adjustments, but yes, again, I think the courts are getting faster now. It's probably the cycle where they become faster, then slower, slow, slow, slow, slower, faster, faster, faster, so now we're in the faster phase, and I like it."

Regrets Djokovic's exit from the PTPA

"I saw it, and honestly, I think it's a negative development for the PTPA because he was one of its co-founders, so I don't know exactly what led to his decision, or rather, the factors that influenced his decision. It's difficult for me to comment on that."

"I have always been in favor of the PTPA because I believe the ATP can improve some aspects, and they have a monopoly in this sport. Yes, it's just that, at the same time, I know my priorities, and for example, I never participated in the decision-making at the PTPA, but I always said that I think it's good to have more stakeholders trying not to change anything in tennis but to analyze the sport to see if something needs to change. So that's it. I'm neither for nor against. I believe the guys should continue doing their job and try to do it the best they can," concludes Daniil Medvedev, who will be a significant figure to watch in 2026: Revival or stagnation?
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: "Ya no soy el favorito para ganarlo todo, pero intentaré volver a serlo lo antes posible"