Daniil Medvedev Admits He Tried His Best After Storming off the Court Following His Loss to Alexei Popyrin in Toronto

Daniil Medvedev has now lost 15 of his 40 matches on tour this season, including the third-round defeat at the Canadian Open.

Daniil Medvedev Admits He Tried His Best After Storming off the Court Following His Loss to Alexei Popyrin in Toronto

Daniil Medvedev stormed off the court after loss (via X/Daniil Medvedev/Tennis Channel)

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Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the Canadian Open after losing in the third round to defending champion Alexei Popyrin. The former World No.1 had entered the match as a favorite, having defeated the Aussie in four of their five meetings, but he fell to the World No.26 in three sets and left the court without glancing at his bag.

Medvedev, who won the Canadian Open in 2021 was seeking to reach the fourth round of the tournament. The Russian star began his clash against Popyrin on a negative note after the Australian star broke his serve early in the match, but he came right back and broke the defending champion twice to win the set 7-5.

However, Popyrin improved on from where he left off in the first set and broke Medvedev early in the second and maintained his lead until the end to force a decider. In the deciding set, Medvedev was visibly frustrated with his game as he tried rallying back into the match, but his error made Popyrin take the lead.

Medvedev hit eight double faults before Popyrin then broke him to win the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 30 minutes. After the match, both players walked up to each other at the net and had a handshake before doing the same with the umpire. But surprisingly, Medvedev was spotted walking away from the court without his bag.

In the viral video, the former champion didn’t even turn back and one of the ball boys was forced to pack his rackets into his bag. Medvedev was later interviewed by Bolshe! after the loss, and he revealed that things haven’t worked out the way he wanted on the court:

Yes, I played a few games very poorly on my serve. If in the first set it didn’t affect, let’s say, because I broke back, then in the next two sets I had break points, but I couldn’t break. So these two games decided everything. It’s a shame, because I tried. So far it’s not working out the way I want, but if I continue to do everything right, then at some point it will work out.

Popyrin is now into the fourth round of the Canadian Open as defending champion. The Aussie is not among the favorites to win the title but will relish his chances of making that possible. He will face fifth seed Holger Rune, who was recently seen training with Andre Agassi in Washington before arriving in Toronto.

Daniil Medvedev proud of his performance despite crashing out of the Canadian Open

Daniil Medvedev has now lost two of his three matches on tour. He kicked off his North American hard-court campaign at the Washington Open where he reached the fourth round before losing to Corentin Moutet in three sets. He has not won more than three matches since getting to the final of the Terra Wortmann Open.

Daniil Medvedev Washington Open 2025
Daniil Medvedev (image via Getty)

The Russian star currently holds a 25-15 win-loss record on tour this season, and has faced multiple early exits, including a first-round loss at the French Open and Wimbledon Championships. He said after crashing out of the Canadian Open that he remains proud of his performance on the court:

To be honest, the way I fought in this match. In principle, I didn’t really… Well, I think that I behaved correctly mentally, and let’s say that because of this I’m proud of myself, not the result, but because of what I did on the court, I’m proud of myself in this match.

Medvedev is expected to compete at the Cincinnati Open ahead of the US Open in August. The former World No.1 has won just one Grand Slam match this season and will hope to get to his best form before the Flushing Meadows.

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