Daniil Medvedev hoped Indian Wells would be the place to return to winning an ATP title after almost two years, considering that the Russian ace has not lifted a trophy since the 2023 Rome Masters 1000. The 2021 US Open champion who has not reached a final for exactly one year (when he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in California) stopped against Holger Rune in the semifinals of this year's edition.
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The star from Moscow gave his best in this tournament and had already risked elimination against Arthur Fils in the previous round, prevailing in the decisive tiebreak after a tough battle and letting go of an unbridled celebration at the end of the match.
His effort was not enough to defeat Rune as well, who played a very intelligent match from a tactical point of view and made the difference in the decisive phases of both sets.
Medvedev will play the Miami Open
Daniil's crisis is now certified and many fans believe that the 'prime' of the former world number 1 has already come to an end.
Medvedev's weapons have lost effectiveness and he no longer knows how to put his opponents in difficulty, who have become really adept at exploiting his weaknesses especially in the important points.
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Through his official X profile, top analyst Benoit Maylin briefly analyzed the moment the Russian champion is going through: "There is no doubt that it is a really terrible period for him. He hasn't won a tournament since the Rome Masters 1000 in 2023, the year in which he reached 9 finals and won 5 titles!
Two years have passed, but it seems like a lifetime has passed. His serve no longer hurts his rivals, his ball no longer creates any annoyance and is no longer brilliant from the baseline.
He only has speed and the ability to cover the court, but it's too little."
The former world No.1 will play the Miami Open next week, where he triumphed in the 2023 edition by beating Jannik Sinner in the final.
We'll see if Florida is the right place for his rebirth.
