Daniil Medvedev has come a long way since that US Open win in 2021. But after disappointments in all 4 majors, disciplinary drama on the court, and no titles, it finally feels like things are falling into place for Medvedev at the Shanghai Masters. He’s through to the semifinal, but its been a hard fought journey; he’s been struggling with cramps that flared up during the China Open where he even had to pull out of his semifinal against Learner Tien.

The Russian later opened up about the strange and intense cramps, saying, “Cramps started in the hand, went into the leg, the glutes, then in the locker room my abs cramped as well. It was more mental than physical. I’ve rarely experienced this..maybe 3 times in my whole career. It’s quite painful.” This incident paved the way for his next meeting in Shanghai, where he would find himself up in a similar situation during his thrilling quarterfinal match.

As reported by edgeAI on X, the former world No. 1 was struck by cramps in both of his quads as he was set to serve while leading 5-4 against Alex de Minaur in the second set. But this time, Daniil Medvedev didn’t hold back; he stuck it out on the hard court and came out on top against his Australian rival with a score of 6-4, 6-4.

But, you know, those cramps had also bothered him a couple of rounds earlier. In a tense fourth-round rematch against Learner Tien at the same event, Medvedev ended up in a situation that felt all too familiar and quite troubling. After splitting the first two sets in a tense battle with plenty of momentum shifts, the former world No. 1 suddenly got hit by cramps in his right leg right at the start of the second-set tiebreaker. Medvedev was having a tough time with his movement, and since he couldn’t take a medical timeout without losing the tiebreaker, he just had to push through the points.

Meanwhile, American Learner Tien managed to even things up in the match. The physical struggle was really intense, and during a changeover, Medvedev actually requested help to get his sweat-soaked shirt off as he was unable to because of the cramps. In the end, it was ATP supervisor Gerry Armstrong who stepped in to help out. Even with the clear pain and frustration, the Russian tennis star managed to snag a crucial break of serve in the ninth game of the final set, wrapping up a 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-4 win.

“Learner drives me nuts. He’s an unbelievable tennis player. I lost two very strong matches against him, so for sure I was scared to lose again. I’m really happy that I managed to cross the finish line. The match was up-and-down, but I’m very happy that I managed to win,” he said about his victory over the American sensation.

He’s clearly feeling the pressure from the tennis scheduling, with two back-to-back ATP pro events, plus the weather in China. And this isn’t only an issue for the Russian tennis star; other players are dealing with it as well.

Daniil Medvedev is another victim of the event’s grueling conditions

Just like Daniil Medvedev, many ATP pros are struggling with the intense heat and humidity of Shanghai. Yesterday, Novak Djokovic shared his thoughts on his tough quarterfinal against Zizou Bergs, saying, “[I had to give] pretty much everything, just trying to stay alive on the court. First encounter with Bergs, great guy, and a lot of firepower in his game. I tried to make him miss the ball; that’s what happened. I was a little bit too passive. Challenging conditions for all the players. Just trying to stay alive and overcome this hurdle.”

Survival is now the name of the game at the Shanghai Masters. Earlier in the match, the Serbian had to take a medical timeout because he hurt his leg in the first set. It was quite a long battle, lasting two hours and 41 minutes against Jaume Munar.

During his match with Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday, Djokovic also ended up throwing up. Defending champion Jannik Sinner had to withdraw from his third-round match because he was dealing with some really intense cramps that made it tough for him to even walk. He even had to use his racket to help him move around before he chose to call it a day on the match.

Even some other pros, like World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, Terence Atmane and Hamad Medjedovic, had to call it quits because of the heat too. So, even though the tough conditions are here, that doesn’t mean the tennis action is going to stop. It’ll be interesting to see who can handle Shanghai’s heat the best and take home the title.