Daniil Medvedev’s straight‑set march into the fourth round marks his cleanest US Open run since his 2021 title, a striking departure from his usual five‑set chaos. The 2021 champion defeated 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech 6‑4, 6‑4, 6‑4 to reach the last 16 for the seventh time in eight years. The quality of the win, and the unusual calm in Medvedev’s matches, was what got everyone talking.

The match had an early wobble, just like any other Medvedev outing. Rinderknech broke serve in the sixth game to take the first lead, while the Russian committed nine unforced errors in the first six games. But from then on, things clicked.

Medvedev managed only nine more unforced errors the rest of the way, including a straight break back, a hold, and another break to close out the first set. Rinderknech’s second‑serve weakness proved decisive as he won just 23 percent of those points, allowing Medvedev to break consistently. Both men won about 85 percent of their first‑serve points, but Medvedev converted four break points to Rinderknech’s one.

His North American hard‑court swing was a disaster. A second‑round loss in Montreal to Botic van de Zandschulp and a first‑round exit in Cincinnati to world No. 85 Adam Walton, which left him slumped in his chair in frustration. Those defeats preceded his decision to sign former world No. 33 Andrey Golubev on a trial basis, a move already paying dividends in New York.

Fans notice a version of Medvedev they haven’t seen since 2021

This is the first time Medvedev has reached the fourth round of a major without losing a set since his 2021 US Open triumph, where he didn’t drop a set until the quarterfinals and then defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. Since then, his Grand Slam narrative has been penned in five‑set chapters, some successful, some not.

He bounced back from two sets down to defeat Emil Ruusuvuori at the 2024 Australian Open en route to the final. But the trend reversed just as often. At the 2025 Australian Open, he barely survived the first round against qualifier Kasidit Samrej before losing to Learner Tien in five sets.

He then failed to get past the first round in the next three majors, two of them being five‑set losses. Fans have clearly registered how far removed this run is from that recent trend.

“Daniil Medvedev mannnnnnn,” one wrote. “This is exactly the brand of tennis that got me hooked in 2019. Can we go all the way here again? Let’s run back 2021 my love.” Another marked the occasion for what it statistically represents: “2026 Medvedev through to the fourth round of a major without dropping a set.”

“Pretty shocked at how well Medvedev has been playing considering he’s been awful up to the Open,” another fan admitted. “Might be a straight‑sets win against Rinderknech here.”

“Why is Medvedev having the calmest, straight‑sets US Open ever. This must be a new record for him,” one post captured the disbelief more bluntly.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Medvedev makes the semifinal or even the final,” another fan wrote. “He’s been playing some brilliant tennis at this Grand Slam.”

The former world No. 1 awaits the winner of the third‑round clash between 11th seed Frances Tiafoe and 22nd seed Valentin Vacherot, Rinderknech’s cousin, for a place in the quarterfinals. He has never faced Vacherot, while Tiafoe has beaten him just once in seven meetings, a win at the Laver Cup.

Medvedev’s first week in New York has reassured fans that things are finally going right for the world No. 8, evoking memories of his 2021 US Open title run.