Dani Mérida unleashed in Cincinnati: "My confidence is huge, I see myself able to dominate with all my shots"

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 15 Aug 2026 | 08:42
Dani Mérida ATP Rueda de prensa ATP Cincinnati 2026

The Madrilenian made strong statements after confidently defeating Cilic in his debut at the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026.

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Dani Mérida, confidence in Cincinnati. Photo: gettyimages

Dani Mérida is becoming one of the big names of the season on the circuit and is determined to showcase his progress on hard courts as well. Debuting with a victory at the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026, just a few days after reaching the quarter-finals in Montreal, is a clear testament to his current level.

He poses a headache for all his rivals, a player with a style that is as contracultural as it is fearsome, capable of dismantling opponents with his tenacity from the baseline, tactical vision, defensive skills, but above all, with an ever-increasing effectiveness and aggression in his shots. He demonstrated this with a stunning comeback against a legend like Marin Cilic, whom he ended up tormenting in two sets of brilliant tennis, winning 3-6 6-1 6-1.

Mérida shares the keys to his victory against Cilic in Cincinnati

He then addressed the microphones of TennisTV, where he provided insight into his win. "The start of the match wasn't easy because the conditions here are very different from those in Montreal, and to be honest, I've had little time to train. I realized that I was playing too passively from the baseline and decided to take more risks and be aggressive with my shots in the second and third sets. I think I did great, and I'm very satisfied with my level," the player from Madrid stated.

What is clear is that he has changed drastically as a player, finding ways for his shots to be much more incisive, without losing that natural essence of fighting for every ball and possessing great defensive skills, but without it being the foundation of his game, rather a supplementary resource. "Right now, I'm feeling incredibly confident. I see myself capable of dominating with all my shots," warned a man who aspires to establish himself in the top-40 of the ATP ranking and already dreams of becoming the third-best Spanish tennis player at the moment, a goal he must achieve by surpassing Davidovich, who is still ahead.

Dani Mérida, colossal in comeback matches and with reasons to dream in Cincinnati

However, nothing suggests that Dani Mérida cannot progress, even on the fast courts of Ohio. He can never be counted out, as evidenced by the fact that he has ended up winning half of the matches in which he lost the first set, with a record of 6-6 that places him as the second-best mark of the year on the ATP circuit, just behind Shelton's 9-7.

He will now seek to extend his magnificent moment against Zizou Berg, who will be his opponent in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026. The 27-year-old Belgian is in the best form of his career, ranked 33rd in the world after being crowned champion in Eastbourne this season. If he wins, he will face the winner of the match between Fritz and Michelsen. Nothing seems impossible for Dani Mérida at the moment, who has earned the right to dream.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dani Mérida, desatado en Cincinnati: "Mi confianza es enorme, me veo capaz de dominar con todos los golpes"