Australian Open ‘underdog’ Daniil Medvedev says he will be hard to beat
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Daniil Medvedev of Russia places an ice towel on his head during his 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) win over Brandon Nakashima of the US in the final of the Brisbane International tennis tournament on Jan 11.
PHOTO: AFP
BRISBANE – Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev will be an underdog at the opening Grand Slam of the year, but the Russian warned he will be hard to beat in his current form.
The 2021 US Open champion has moved up a place to No. 12 in the rankings, after warming up for another crack at the Melbourne Park title by winning the Brisbane International on Jan 11.
It was his second tournament victory in three months, after his first title in two years came last October in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
“I for sure have been playing very good (at the) end of the season. I think I made six out of the last seven tournaments quarters, a lot of them semis, two titles,” he said.
“So I’m happy with the way I’m playing, and I know that when I’m playing good, there are not that many players that can beat me easily or at all.”
Medvedev, who reached the final of the Australian Open in 2021, 2022 and 2024, will be an underdog in Melbourne with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz overwhelming favourites.
“If we look in the long run, for sure, I’m the underdog, because it’s been some time I haven’t been in the later stages of a Grand Slam. I’m outside of the top 10,” said the 29-year-old.
A year ago, Medvedev lost in the Australian Open second round to 19-year-old Learner Tien over five gruelling sets, before first-round exits at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.
The former world No. 1 has since split with long-time coach Gilles Cervara and started working with a former Australian Open champion, Thomas Johansson, and Rohan Goetzke.
“Last year was not easy,” he said. “It was a little bit turbulent and changing the team helped, so I’m happy with it.”
Meanwhile, Canada’s former world No. 3 Milos Raonic announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 35 on Jan 11, after winning eight ATP tour titles and more than US$20 million (S$25.7 million) in prize money over a decade and a half on the circuit.
Notable for a powerful serve which earned him the nickname “Missile”, Raonic’s career peaked in 2016 when he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the final at Wimbledon, losing to Andy Murray in both contests.
He also advanced to the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, losing once more to the Scot and finishing the season as world No. 3.
He has long been plagued by injuries and said on social media it was time to call it quits.
“This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life,” Raonic wrote in a post on social media platform X.
“I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfil my dreams. I got to show up every day and focus on just getting better, seeing where that will take me.”
Born in the former Yugoslavia during the violent break-up of the country in the early 1990s, Raonic and his family moved to Canada when he was three.
His loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2020 Cincinnati Masters was his last trip to an ATP final and his last tour-level event was his first-round loss to German Dominik Kopfer at the 2024 Olympics.
AFP, REUTERS
