Wins Brisbane International, eyes Australian Open crown after form slump
“I’m definitely playing very well at the end of the season, I think I’ve won six out of a quarter of the last seven tournaments. [finals]That’s why I’m happy with the game I played. I know that when I play well there are not many players that can or will beat me easily.
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“If I manage to play well in Australia, I’m happy with my chances.”
While Nakashima, ranked 29th in the ATP live rankings, showed signs of fighting in the second set (Medvedev fell to 5-5 for the title), his opponent remained cool, his expression almost unchanged with each point, setting aside emotional outbursts as he had done all week.
“I always stay true to myself, so when I get angry I do bad things and sometimes I have to apologize, but that’s just the way I am,” Medvedev said.
“It’s my emotions, but I also know that emotion can be a bit much and cost me some energy and concentration during the match. I’m happy that I managed to find a flow here.”
He directly probed his bag of tricks during the tiebreaker; His clinical backhands were relentless, already forcing his American counterpart to scramble desperately all over the pitch. The way he chose the right moments to attack the net left Nakashima without answers.
The 29-year-old player, who waited until the Almaty Open in October to win the title in 2025 and ended the drought that extended to the 2023 Rome Masters victory (882 days), has now waited less than three months to win a new championship.
If winning is a habit, he’s certainly doing his best to make sure it’s not forgotten, and he credits his new coaching team for his quick turnaround.
A breakthrough win at Rod Laver Arena would continue the compelling narrative, with each of Medvedev’s 22 titles coming in different cities and competitions.
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“Last year was not easy, it was a bit turbulent and the change of team also helped. I have not played a grand slam yet with the new team and saying that, I feel that the important thing is my style of play,” Medvedev said.
“If I lose the first round at the Australian Open but play like here [in Brisbane]I would be surprised but I would leave the match and say to myself ‘it was great, I’ll try better next time’.
“It’s a fun story – 22 titles in 22 different cities – and if it continues to be great, I could never win in Melbourne.”
