Daniil Medvedev has issued a chilling warning to the field ahead of the Australian Open, capturing his 22nd ATP title with a clinical 6-2, 7-6(1) victory over American Brandon Nakashima. The victory at the Brisbane International not only ends his seven-year wait for redemption in the Queensland capital but also preserves one of the most statistically bizarre streaks in professional sports.
With this win, Medvedev has now won 22 ATP titles in 22 different cities, a record of variety that the former World No. 1 jokingly admitted is becoming a logistical problem. "I’m starting to run out of cities," Medvedev quipped during his press conference. "Maybe the ATP needs to add some new ones to the calendar."
Medvedev, currently ranked World No. 13 after a turbulent 2025, looked anything but an "underdog" as he stepped onto Pat Rafter Arena. Working under the new guidance of 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, the Russian displayed a more aggressive, serve-oriented style that left Nakashima shell-shocked in the opening set.
First set dominance: Medvedev broke Nakashima twice in the first three games, racing to a 4-0 lead. He won 91% of his first-serve points in the opening stanza, closing it out in just 34 minutes.
The Nakashima fightback: The American, chasing his second career title, showed grit in the second set. After falling behind a break at 2-2, Nakashima saved two match points while Medvedev served for the championship at 5-4.
The decider: Any hopes of a third-set upset were swiftly extinguished in the tie-break. Medvedev reeled off five consecutive points to start the breaker, eventually taking it 7-1 to seal the match in 96 minutes.
The triumph in Brisbane elevates Medvedev into elite company. He is now only the third active player to win at least 20 hard-court titles, joining Novak Djokovic (72) and Jannik Sinner (21).
"It’s been a great start to the year. I made the final here in 2019 and lost. I said then I’d come back and win it. Seven or eight years later, I’m happy to hold the trophy," Medvedev said.
The Russian enters the Australian Open, beginning January 18, as a three-time runner-up (2021, 2022, 2024). Despite his fall from the Top 10 last year, his form in Brisbane; where he did not face a break point in his early rounds, suggests he is the "dark horse" nobody wants to draw.
"I think in the long run, for sure I'm the underdog because I'm outside the Top 10," Medvedev noted. "But I feel like people in Melbourne love me. I'm going to enjoy the fight and hopefully, they support me."
