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World No. 1-ranked Daniil Medvedev has not had his best year. He won his first major in 2021 when he was crowned at the US Open, but this season he has had to withdraw from some tournaments due to surgery and has not been able to win any titles.
He is number one because Novak Djokovic has not been able to score the points needed to unseat him. His quality is enormous and no one doubts that he is the best in the world at the moment, but there are trophies to be won and that is something the Russian is desperately trying to do.
The season is not over yet, and Medvedev will surely fight for a major and try to defend his crown at the US Open. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to use this sports betting promo code to use on this ATP season or any sport for that matter. There you can make a safe bet with the highest odds.
How it started
The ATP Cup was the start of the season and the Russian didn’t get off to the best start, as his first match of the year was a loss to Frenchman Ugo Umbert. He would go on to record three victories, but Russia would go on to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
It was time for the first Grand Slam of the season, and he travelled to Australia, where he played perfectly. He came up against players like Nick Kyrgios and at times was down on the scoreboard, but his ability to react and his level made him reach the final, where he met Rafael Nadal.
In a match of epic proportions, the Spaniard and the Russian did not stop for 5 hours. In one of the longest finals ever played at the Oceanic Open. Medvedev could not beat Nadal, but he showed an extraordinary level.
He had to travel to the beaches of Acapulco for the Mexican Open. There he had a chance to become world number one. He reached the semi-finals and met Rafael Nadal, who had defeated him in Australia just a few weeks earlier.
In the Aztec courts, it was not possible either, and the Russian lost the chance to play in the final. But he would become number one in the world ranking because Djokovic fell in the quarter-finals in Dubai. It was the first time that the young tennis player had this distinction and the third from his country to achieve it. He was the best in the world and entered Russian history with this achievement.
The title did not sit well with him at first, as in Indian Wells he lost in the third round to Gael Monfils and lost his place in the ranking. At the Miami Open, he was able to regain it, but lost in the quarter-finals against the Polish Hubert Hurkacz.
After the North American tournament, Medvedev announced that he would undergo surgery for a hernia that had been bothering him. This would mean missing three important tournaments such as Monte Carlo, Madrid, and the Italian Open.
The idea was to come back stronger, regain the world’s number one ranking and win a title. But the bad news didn’t stop there. The All England Club announced that tennis players of Russian and Belarusian origin could not participate in this year’s Wimbledon, taking away the tennis player’s chance to compete for one more Grand Slam.
He decided to focus on his recovery so that he could compete in his remaining tournaments and forget the British tournament altogether. He returned for the Geneva Open but fell in his first match against Richard Gasquet, not what he had hoped for, but he had to recover his sensations and rhythm.
At Roland Garros, he was much more recovered, with a higher level and a lot of spirit. He reached the fourth round, where he was eliminated by the Croatian Marin Cilic. In the camp of the Russian tennis player they saw him better and better and with more confidence, so they knew that the triumphs would begin to arrive.
He had also regained the world number one ranking because the Serbian Novak Djokovic lost at Roland Garros.
In Germany, he looked much better and reached the final of the Halle Open, where he lost the final against the Pole Hurkacz, who had already eliminated him in Miami. The number one could not win any title in 2022 and the alarm bells started to ring.
For the Mallorca Open, he was more focused, but he made a lot of mistakes and went out in the quarter-finals. He seemed more desperate and anxious. He would not play Wimbledon and this could mean that his preparation could continue as he still has a long way to go in the season.
What’s missing?
There are many tournaments where the Russian can prove that the number one title is well deserved. The Hamburg Open in July is important, and he is likely to play it because it is ATP 500, and points are needed to maintain the ranking.
In August, he would have to go to the United States again for another ATP 500 in Washington, and immediately after that, he is confirmed to play in Los Cabos, Mexico for an ATP 250. Medvedev plans to add as much as possible and win one of these in order to have peace of mind.
But what is perhaps most important is August 29. The defence of his US Open title. The last Grand Slam of the year and another chance to prove his worth. A successful defence of his championship would be ideal for the history and aspirations of the Russian tennis player.
He would become the first Russian to win it twice. His compatriot Marat Safin won it in 2000 and failed to repeat his feat. There has not been a back-to-back champion since Roger Federer. The Swiss won five American championships in a row. So the task for Medvedev is quite complicated.
Getting world ranking points, he can do it. But the most important thing is championships, and that is what the tennis player is lacking at the moment. Will he get some? Or will he finish the season blank? The Russian has quality, but so far he has not been so lucky.
