Daniil Medvedev Names Player He Wants to Avoid in 2026 and He’s Not Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner

Daniil Medvedev secured just the Almaty Open this year, ending his title drought by defeating Corentin Moutet.

Daniil Medvedev Names Player He Wants to Avoid in 2026 and He’s Not Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner

Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Daniil Medvedev)

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Daniil Medvedev doesn’t like meeting a youngster who has troubled him a lot this year. The youngster is Learner Tien, the runner-up in last year’s Next-Gen ATP Finals.

Tien locked horns with Medvedev three times this year, with the former winning on two occasions. The teenager, in fact, was the reason behind Medvedev’s elimination in the second round of the Australian Open.

The second time the Russian faced Tien was in the semifinal of the China Open. Tien was given the walkover after reaching the final; he fell in straight sets against World No.2 Jannik Sinner.

Medvedev was pitted against the 19-year-old in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters, and this time, the senior player finally took his revenge. But the match was not a one-sided affair as the 2021 US Open champion had to toil for hours to secure a three-set win. Medvedev recently sat for an interview with Russian YouTube channel Bolshoi, during which he was asked about the player he wants to avoid meeting in 2026.

Tien. For some reason, we’ve faced each other quite a few times this season. I can sometimes get carried away in certain matches, but with him, I just get stuck at a certain point. It’s also difficult for him, and that’s why I think he doesn’t want to play against me either.

Tien produced his best performance this year when he grabbed the Metz Open by defeating Cameron Norrie, winning his career’s first tour-level title. He featured in the main draw of every Grand Slam, producing his best when he progressed to the fourth round of the Australian Open. These performances helped him climb up the rankings ladder, reaching a career-best No.28.

But Medvedev, a former World No.1, finished the season as the No.13 player because of his topsy-turvy season. In Grand Slam events, he failed to progress to a final for the first time since 2020. Medvedev, in fact, couldn’t make it past the second round of the Majors, reaching the stage just in Melbourne, while in the remaining three events, he succumbed to defeat in the first rounds.

Also, the 29-year-old failed to qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time since making his debut in 2017. He won the year-end championship in 2017 by defeating Dominic Thiem.

Daniil Medvedev on the comparison between Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca

Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca are expected to challenge the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the next few years. It was Fonseca who defeated the American in the championship clash of the Next-Gen ATP Finals.

Learner Tien Joao Fonseca Miami Open
Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca (image via Instagram @learnertien)

Fonseca grabbed his career’s first tour-level title by defeating home favorite Francisco Cerundolo at the Argentina Open. The Brazilian then lifted the ATP 500 Swiss Indoors against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Daniil Medvedev, when asked to compare Fonseca and Tien during that aforementioned interview with Bolshoi, said the Brazilian has an edge because of his technique.

I don’t think Tien is better than Fonseca in any way; both are very good players. Fonseca has a little more potential due to his playing style and the current state of tennis. If there were no serve in tennis, although, of course, that will never happen, then, except for Sinner and Alcaraz, I don’t see anyone who could easily defeat him. He is a phenomenal player with excellent court control. You can’t say he has a single crazy shot, but he plays wonderfully.

Fonseca was outside of the top 700 in the rankings table at the start of the 2024 season, but now, he stands in the 24th spot. Like Tien, he also featured in the main draw of all Grand Slam events this year.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Unveils Technological Plan to Compete With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in 2026