Daniil Medvedev’s struggles continue as he was ousted from the Cincinnati Open on Sunday.
The Russian tennis star, once ranked world No. 1, was defeated by Adam Walton in the competition’s opening round, adding to his recent string of disappointing performances.
Medvedev has historically performed well during the American summer swing – even once winning the U.S. Open – but his recent form has been less than stellar. He now finds himself in a desperate scramble to regain his footing after a series of losses.
Facing off against the world No. 85 seemed like the perfect chance for Medvedev to get back in the game, but he suffered another defeat.
Despite winning the first set and showing moments of brilliance, Medvedev couldn’t maintain his momentum in the sweltering Ohio heat, losing 7-6(0), 4-6, 1-6.
The former U.S. Open champion hasn’t been shy about discussing his concerns regarding his current slump. Identifying the root cause of his issues remains a top priority, and his loss to Walton only underscored the challenges he faces.
Tensions ran high throughout the match, with Medvedev’s frustration becoming increasingly evident. After a missed forehand shot resulted in an unforced error, the Russian player lashed out at his team, questioning how he could let his lead slip away so dramatically.
Medvedev, who hasn’t won a title in two seasons and has only one victory in his last four hard-court matches, is feeling the pressure as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner continue to outshine him.
In a recent interview at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, the world No. 12 confessed to ATPTour.com: “It’s very tough in tennis, because I could find 10 reasons and I would not know which one is the main reason.
“Whatever we do, we just try to improve. So we sat down with the team: Where can we do things better? What can we change? We discussed some things, and I’m going to try and implement it.
“This is the most exciting part of the season, there is hard courts until Miami next year. So I will try to give my best and enjoy it. It’s an opportunity, I want to take it as a challenge of trying to raise my level in the big occasions, trying to go step by step.”