Medvedev Conquers Brisbane for 2026 Launch
Daniil Medvedev avenged a past final loss with a tense 6-2, 7-6(1) victory over Brandon Nakashima, blending baseline grit and family drive into his 22nd unique title at the Brisbane International.
Daniil Medvedev strode onto Pat Rafter Arena under the Queensland glare, the ghosts of 2019’s near-miss hovering but not haunting. He dismantled Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 7-6(1) in the Brisbane International presented by ANZ final, a 94-minute battle that etched his 22nd tour-level title—all at distinct venues—into the hard-court ledger. This ATP 250 crown, his first as top seed since Roger Federer in 2015, pulsed with the rhythm of redemption, Medvedev’s elastic defense turning Nakashima’s flat strikes into futile chases across the baseline.
The opening set unfolded as a clinic in control, Medvedev’s heavy topspin forehands kicking up from the medium-paced surface to shove Nakashima back, where his crosscourt returns often clipped the lines but rarely landed. Nakashima, undefeated in sets through the draw and hungry for a second trophy since San Diego in 2022, pushed with penetrating inside-out forehands, yet Medvedev’s 1–2 pattern—serve followed by immediate forehand pressure—disrupted that flow early. A break at 2-1 came via a sharp down-the-line backhand, the crowd’s hum rising as the Russian consolidated with serves holding at 85% efficiency.
“I want to dedicate this to my family,” Medvedev said during the trophy ceremony. “They couldn’t make it to Australia, it is a bit too far guys, about 23 hours from where I live and with two young kids it is not easy. I decided to play this tournament and we thought we would be coming all together but we stuck to the decision and my daughter had a birthday when I was here, so I dedicate it to her first birthday. This [trophy] is a bit too heavy for her though.”
Coaching tweaks fuel late-set fire
Medvedev’s partnership with new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, forged in October’s Almaty triumph after a two-and-a-half-year drought, sharpened his edges for Brisbane‘s synthetic hard courts. These venues reward retrieval over raw pace, and he leaned into varied depths—looping topspin mixing with flatter slices—to keep Nakashima guessing in rallies stretching beyond 10 shots. The American, a former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion now at No. 31 in the live rankings, clawed to 5-4 in the second but couldn’t convert, his down-the-line defenses forcing Medvedev to two championship points that evaporated on serve.
That wobble tested the Russian’s rebuilt poise, the arena’s tension thickening as points slipped, yet he reset with a jaw-clenched focus honed from lean seasons. Nakashima’s resilience echoed his head-to-head underdog status, but Medvedev’s adjustments—wider serves opening angles for inside-in forehands—tilted the scales. The shift from vulnerability to command mirrored his broader arc, positioning him as a counterpuncher primed for the Australian summer’s grind.
Tiebreak dominance cements hard-court mark
In the tiebreak, Medvedev erupted, his backhand down-the-line winners slicing through like precision cuts, sealing 7-1 and stretching his edge over Nakashima to 3-0. The victory preserved his unique title streak while joining him as the third active player with 20 hard-court trophies, trailing Novak Djokovic‘s 72 and Jannik Sinner‘s 21. Brisbane’s grippy surface amplified his game, the ball’s low skid forcing opponents into vertical scrambles that drained Nakashima’s flat-hitting fuel.
As the trophy gleamed under the lights, Medvedev’s gaze drifted forward, the family dedication a quiet tether amid the tour’s isolation. This win, erasing 2019’s echo on Australia’s east coast, recalibrates his path toward Melbourne, where baseline wars await. With momentum from Almaty carrying over, he steps into 2026 not as a shadow of past peaks, but a force bending the court to his will.
