It’s been a challenging year for Daniil Medvedev. So far, a title has eluded him since 2023. Although he reached the finals in Halle and made deep runs in several tournaments, he just hasn’t been able to catch a lucky break. After years with the same team, he shook things up, adding Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke to his coaching corner. A first-round exit in New York stung, but he bounced into the Shanghai Masters with high energy. The conditions were brutal, but Medvedev stayed tougher. In the end, a semifinal finish went into the books. His next move? Not one anyone saw coming from the former World No. 1.

Medvedev took some time off before returning at an ATP 250 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. His experience as a top player showed as he cruised into the semifinals without dropping a set, taking down Fabian Marozsan 7-5, 6-2. But why did Medvedev pick an ATP 250 event?

Well, he cleared that up in an interview with L’Équipe. “I signed up to come here to Almaty, and when I commit to something, I keep my word,” Daniil Medvedev said. “Maybe there were discussions elsewhere, but I don’t regret it. I’ve fallen in the rankings, so I need points and real matches.”

Fair enough, right? It’s not the first time a Grand Slam champion has decided to dip below the 500-level events. Medvedev currently sits at No. 14 in the ATP rankings, with a 34-21 win-loss record across 21 tournaments this year. It’s not even his first 250 of the season, he also played the Open 13 in Marseille back in February, reaching the semifinals before Hamad Medjedovic stopped him. Now he’s stacking points to protect his ranking ahead of the Paris Masters, starting October 25. And there’s a bigger goal on his mind.

He added, “I know my chances of qualifying for the Turin Masters are slim, but they exist, so I decided to play my last three tournaments of the season (Almaty, Vienna, and Paris) and give it my all, as long as my body allows it.” That’s been a recurring theme this season.

The 29-year-old has battled injuries and illnesses for two years now. Early in 2025, he withdrew from the Doha quarterfinals with food poisoning. Later, cramps struck again, forcing him to retire in the China Open semifinal while trailing 5-7, 7-5, 4-0. He admitted he’s been navigating a broader injury “crisis,” one that’s led to sudden withdrawals, including before Shanghai.

These constant setbacks, plus bouts of heat stress and medical timeouts (like in Washington), have disrupted his rhythm. Recovering, rebuilding, and staying cool haven’t been easy. His temper has flared too; two code violations and fines to his name this season. Though, as Medvedev might say, he’s got his reasons.

Daniil Medvedev speaks up about his “outbursts” on court

In 2025, Daniil Medvedev wasn’t just battling opponents. He was also battling his temper, and it cost him plenty. At the Australian Open, he was fined a total of US$76,000 for smashing a net camera during his first match and picking up more code violations for racket abuse and verbal outbursts in his second-round clash with Learner Tien. Then came the U.S. Open. In a fiery first-round loss to Benjamin Bonzi, Medvedev argued with the umpire, smashed his racket after a disputed point, and paid another US$42,500 fine for it.

During the China Open, Medvedev took a shot at tennis when asked about his wild season. “Yes, I mean, what’s beautiful about tennis, what’s difficult about this sport, and sorry, I go a bit far, I sometimes act a bit crazy on the court. A lot of fans come to see me in France or Monaco.” That was classic Medvedev; honest, funny, and completely aware of his quirks. Tennis fans love him because he speaks his truth, chaos and all.

He didn’t stop there. “They say to me: ‘Listen, I’m like you, I’m calm. In life, I’m calm. On the road, I’m calm. It doesn’t matter. I argue with my wife, I’m calm. And as soon as I go to play tennis, I go crazy, I go crazy.’ Tennis can make you crazy.” And it really can. There’s no team, no timeout, no one to share the pressure. A player has to control every shot and every emotion. Medvedev’s temper has cost him fines, but it’s also what makes him so fascinating to watch.

Still, he’s learning. “It makes me crazy because you don’t know. People ask me why I had a bad year? I don’t have the exact answer. It could be my second daughter. It could be my relationship with Gilles (Cervara, her former coach), it could be because I’ve grown up and started to think more than I did when I was younger or it could just be bad luck, or maybe I just wasn’t feeling well somewhere. You never know.”

Now, as he fights through the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, Medvedev looks ready to find that missing spark. He’s into the semifinals and will face James Duckworth next. Could this be the start of his long-awaited comeback?