Daniil Medvedev has returned to court with his 2026 season, successfully reaching the semifinal round of his first tournament, the Brisbane International. The current World No. 13, who defeated Kamil Majchrzak in the quarterfinals, reflected on his performance, highlighting that he is nearing his top form and that he is content with the way he played against the Polish player.
Daniil Medvedev Signals He Is Returning to His Best Form at Brisbane
Medvedev wrapped up his 2025 season by winning the Almaty Open, a title he clinched after ending a drought of more than two years. Apart from this, he reached the semifinal rounds of the Indian Wells Masters, Shanghai Masters, and China Open and the final at the Terra Wortmann Open.
The Russian had also delivered notable performances at the Citi Open, Hangzhou Open, Paris Masters, Libéma Open, Madrid Open, Dubai Tennis Championships, and Qatar Open, where he reached the quarterfinal rounds. Medvedev, who entered the Brisbane International as the top seed, surpassed Márton Fucsovics in the round of 32 and then Frances Tiafoe with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2.
In his quarterfinal clash, he overcame Majchrzak in three sets, losing the first but gaining the upper hand in the other two with a scoreline of 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2, securing his spot for the semifinals, where he will face 21-year-old Alex Michelsen.
During his post-match conference, Medvedev expressed that he is getting closer to his top form, a struggle that he faced in his last season.
READ MORE: Daniil Medvedev vs Alex Michelsen Preview: Head-to-Head, Prediction for Brisbane International 2026
He added when he expressed his views on his performance, “Yeah, I think it was close. I would say kind of first set, I would put myself at top 10, top 20, because there was one sloppy game on my serve where I missed all the first serves and I lost it.
“Without this, maybe I win the first set. And same on the tiebreak, I think I made only two out of maybe five first serves. But the second and third set, top-5 level, for sure. Amazing, not missing much, running well, serving like hell, volleys, everything. So really happy with my level these three matches and looking forward.”
Medvedev has faced the current World No. 37, the American star, twice last year; their first meeting was at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, in the round of 32, and then at the quarterfinal round of the Terra Wortmann Open, with the Russian leading their head-to-head record 2-0.