882 days without a title is practically a lifetime in tennis years. Daniil Medvedev’s last trophy came way back in Rome in 2023, and since then, he’s been haunted by near misses – six finals (US Open, Beijing, Vienna, Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Halle) and six heartbreaks. But that dry spell finally came to an end in Almaty, where the former world No. 1 snapped his 29-month title drought against 26-year-old Corentin Moutet in what felt like long-overdue redemption. And true to form, he did it with flair.

After falling short in the Shanghai Masters semifinals against the underdog, Arthur Rinderknech, Daniil Medvedev came out swinging at the Almaty Open, kicking things off with a dominant straight-sets win over Adam Walton. He followed that up with victories over Fábián Marozsán and James Duckworth to reach the final. And after a grueling two-hour, 29-minute battle that ended 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, Medvedev finally closed the deal today. And the moment the match ended, the Russian sprinted toward his family, a fittingly heartfelt finish to a long-awaited comeback.

Just moments ago, The Tennis Letter took to X to share a heartwarming photo, showing Daniil Medvedev rushing over to embrace his wife, Daria Medvedev, their older daughter, Alisa, and their newborn, Victoria. And this win was absolutely worth celebrating. Medvedev’s decision to revamp his coaching team after the US Open has turned out to be a masterstroke. Bringing in Thomas Johansson (the former Australian Open champ) alongside Rohan Goetzke has clearly reenergized his game as Medvedev has gone 12-3, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. But why does this victory matter more than any other, you ask?

“It’s the first time I’m at a tournament with my two daughters together, so to get a title is really nice,” the world number 14 said after his victory. He further added that, “This title is in honor of my second daughter, Victoria, because the first title I got when my first daughter Alisa was born was for her.” Sure, the Almaty Open isn’t Wimbledon or the US Open, but context is everything. After nearly two years of coming close but falling short, he reminded everyone, and perhaps himself, that he still knows how to finish the job when the pressure’s on. But that’s not all.

The victory also gives Daniil Medvedev’s season a serious boost, pushing him up three spots to No. 12 in the ATP Live Race to Turin. Suddenly, the ATP Finals don’t feel out of reach anymore. He now sits 875 points behind eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, a gap that’s big, but far from impossible to close. However, it’s worth noting that this victory didn’t come easy at all.

Daniil Medvedev breaks free from turmoil with title win

Coach Gilles Cervara and Daniil Medvedev officially ended their eight-year partnership just a week after Medvedev’s first-round exit at the U.S. Open. The Russian fell to Benjamin Bonzi, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4, marking a tough chapter in their long run together. “Thank you, Gilles,” Medvedev wrote on Instagram. “Amazing 8-10 years together, 20 titles, world number 1, but most importantly a lot of fun moments and memories that will stay with us forever.” But that wasn’t the only shake-up in Medvedev’s world.

The 29-year-old has been fighting through a string of injuries and illnesses over the past two seasons. Earlier this year, he had to pull out of the Doha quarterfinals with food poisoning, and not long after, severe cramps forced him to retire in the China Open semifinal while trailing 5-7, 7-5, 4-0. Medvedev later admitted he’s been dealing with an ongoing injury “crisis,” one that’s led to sudden withdrawals, including right before the Shanghai Masters.

So those constant setbacks, along with bouts of heat stress and mid-match medical timeouts (like in Washington), have made it tough for Medvedev to find his rhythm. Staying healthy, composed, and consistent has been an uphill battle. And, in true Medvedev fashion, his fiery temperament hasn’t helped much either.

At the Australian Open, the 20-year-old racked up a total of $76,000 in fines for smashing a net camera in his opener and earning more code violations for racket abuse and verbal outbursts in his second-round match against Learner Tien. Then came the U.S. Open. In that heated first-round loss to Benjamin Bonzi, Medvedev clashed with the umpire, shattered his racket after a disputed point, and added another $42,500 fine to his tab. After a tumultuous season, the win in Almaty surely must have tasted sweet.