Will Medvedev overcome his weakness? In Dubai, he will start with a spicy duel against his former compatriot

He hasn’t been heard from much since the Australian Open. Daniil Medvedev has called off his tournament participation after his unsuccessful final clash with Italy’s Sinner and will finally be in action this week. And in Dubai, he’ll be looking to defend last year’s triumph. Why is it a huge challenge for him and who will be his opponent in the first round of this tennis event?

Medvedev after the Australian Open

Already at the end of the final duel at the Australian Open it was obvious that Daniil Medvedev was not in optimal health. And after losing a promising duel with Italian Sinner, it became clear that his problems were of a longer-term nature.

Leg problems and general fatigue have kept him out of any action since the end of the opening Grand Slam of the season. As a result, last week he did not even attempt to defend his title from Doha last year.

But a week later he has the same opportunity in Dubai. Moreover, he will be the number one seed at the ATP 500 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

A big challenge

The Russian tennis player has achieved a lot in his career. In singles, he has won twenty triumphs, among which there are some very valuable examples.

First and foremost, the Moscow native is the winner of the 2021 US Open. A year earlier, he triumphed at the Nitto ATP Finals. He has already won six times at tournaments of the Masters category. And, for example, last year’s title at the clay Masters in Rome was not expected from him at all.

But what the former ATP number one has never done is defend his title. Thanks to a prolific 2023, Dubai is not his last attempt in that regard this year, but given the line-up, it is probably the Russian tennis player’s best chance to recapture the prestigious trophy.

The first opponent to stand in his way will be the man who was his compatriot just a few weeks ago. But now he represents another country.

Alexander Shevchenko

The promising tennis player surprised the tennis world when he announced his new citizenship a month ago. Shevchenko is now a Kazakh.

Under the new flag, the twenty-two-year-old player is showing solid performances. He played the quarterfinals in Montpellier and two weeks later in Rotterdam he defeated the Dane Rune.

But in Dubai, the twenty-three-year-old has the opportunity to surpass those performances. A win over his former compatriot, who is also the tournament’s number one and defending champion last year, would certainly stand out among his achievements so far. And given Medvedev’s record of defending, Shevchenko is not completely without a chance.

Source: ATP