ATP Tour

Medvedev successfully defends Almaty title

Daniil Medvedev successfully defended a tour-level title for the first time in his career on Sunday at the Almaty Open, where he triumphed at the ATP 250 event.

The top seed Medvedev battled to the trophy in Almaty 12 months ago and ensured he would once again leave Kazakhstan victorious, defeating Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3 in the final at the indoor hard-court tournament.

"It is just a matter of time, luck, a moment," Medvedev said on successfully defending a title. "I was feeling fresh, physically good. Sascha [Bublik] being injured in the semis gave me an extra push in the final and I am happy to finally do it."

Medvedev recovered from failing to convert a set point in the first-set tie-break, soaking up Basilashvili’s big ball striking with his exceptional defensive skills in the second set to quickly force a decider. The 30-year-old then went after his groundstrokes in the third set, while he served well, making 78 per cent of his first deliveries in the decider to earn victory after one hour and 53 minutes.

"It was not easy but I had my chances in the first set. I got a bit unlucky," Medvedev continued in his on-court interview. "I knew I would probably have my chances to turn the match around and it was not easy. But I am happy to win."

Medvedev has now won 25 tour-level titles. The former World No. 1 has lifted four trophies in a productive 2026, having also triumphed on hard courts in Brisbane, Dubai and Chengdu. Only Jannik Sinner, with six crowns, has had more success on the ATP Tour this season.

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Medvedev’s run in Almaty, which also featured victories against Alexander Bublik, Terence Atmane and Sho Shimabukuro, has further boosted his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. Medvedev competed at the prestigious year-end event from 2019-2024, lifting the trophy in 2020.

Medvedev failed to qualify last year but looks in a good spot to return in November. The former US Open champion is currently fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin on 2,670 points and is 790 points clear of 10th-placed Alex de Minaur, who is the first player outside the qualification cut. Medvedev will next compete at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, where he will aim to seal qualification and join Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton in Turin.

The 34-year-old Basilashvili was playing in his first tour-level final since 2022, when he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in Doha. The five-time ATP Tour champion is up 30 spots to No. 98 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will return to the Top 100 for the first time since February 2023 on Monday.

Did You Know?
Medvedev has earned a Tour-leading 38 hard-court wins in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.