Former Russian coach believes Daniil Medvedev will never reach a Grand Slam final again on tour

Daniil Medvedev has managed to reach just one final on tour this season and has not won a title since the 2023 Italian Open.

Former Russian coach believes Daniil Medvedev will never reach a Grand Slam final again on tour

Daniil Medvedev (image via Cincinnati Open)

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Daniil Medvedev has failed to be at his best level on the court this season, which has led to immense criticism from former tennis players and legends. His fellow compatriot Viktor Yanchuk, who is a respected coach in Russia, revealed that he doesn’t see him reaching a Grand Slam final again on tour.

Medvedev has been to six Grand Slam finals in his career. Only Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have been to more Slam finals than him among all the active players in the men’s circuit. He was highly rated as one of the players who was going to take over the Big 3 on the court but he has failed to do so.

Out of the six Slam finals, he only managed to make one count, beating Novak Djokovic at the 2021 US Open. However, the last time he reached a Grand Slam final was at the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne. There he lost in five sets to Sinner, who claimed his maiden major title at the tournament.

Since then, he has managed to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. This season, things got worse for the 29-year-old as he earned only one win in the four major tournaments. His single victory came at the Australian Open, before losing to Learner Tien in the second round. He then went on to lose in three consecutive major tournament opening matches.

The former World No.1 arrived at the China Open ahead of the event, which kicks off on September 25, a tournament in which Sinner is the favorite to win. During an interview with Championat, Yanchuk revealed that Medvedev will need a miracle to get to his best level and doesn’t think he can regain his previous form on the court:

The process of failure drags on, and his chances diminish. A miracle of sorts needs to happen. He needs to be in shape and properly prepared. Medvedev needs to sharpen his game. He holds the ball well, distributes it well, but he lacks sharpness. Younger opponents play sharper and at higher speeds. Medvedev lacks speed, and this is linked to good physical condition. It’s hard to believe he’ll be able to regain this form and be at his peak when needed.

Medvedev has been able to reach just one final this season and that came at the Terra Wortmann Open in June. He lost the title to Alexander Bublik in straight sets. Since then, he has gotten worse on the court, struggling to beat young players he always enjoyed beating two or three years ago.

Olympic champion believes Daniil Medvedev has lost the motivation of a top player

Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the Hangzhou Open after losing to home favorite Wu Yibing in three sets in the quarter-finals. The Russian star competed in the ATP 250 tournament with the aim to win the title, but was poor after the first set, which led his Chinese opponent to claim a 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory after three hours and eleven minutes.

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

It was Medvedev’s first tournament since parting ways with his long-term coach Gilles Cervara. During an interview with the aforementioned outlet, the 2016 Olympic doubles champion Elena Vesnina revealed that the 29-year-old lacks the motivation and ambition of a top player:

It’s a difficult situation for a player who was at the very top. He’s dropped out of the top ten. Agassi was even worse off when he was number one in the world, and he ended up falling out of the top 100. In any case, the skill of players who were number one in the world isn’t going away. It’s a question of motivation, health, and form.

Medvedev is currently ranked 22nd in the ATP Live Race To Turin and looks completely far from making the top eight. He was heavily criticized for his controversial behavior during his opening match loss against Benjamin Bonzi at the US Open.

He fell to the Frenchman in five sets, making it two consecutive Grand Slam match losses in a year against Bonzi. Most importantly, his performances has not improved after Flushing Meadows.