Date of Birth: November 2, 1996

Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia

Nationality: Russian

Plays: Right-handed

Height: 6ft 6in (198cm)

ATP Tour titles: 20

Career-high ranking: 1 

Best Grand Slam performance: US Open Champion 2021; Australian Open Finalist 2021, 2022, 2024; Roland Garros QF 2021; Wimbledon SF 2023, 2024

UTS Appearances: UTS4 

Style and Personality

There’s nobody like Daniil Medvedev, on the court, in the heat of the battle, or off the court. The Russian just has a certain je ne sais pas quoi about him. We can start with the unorthodox, yet sublime, game. It is one that has been crafted into impenetrability, molded into perfection as Medvedev has risen above his peers to become one of the most lethal players of his generation – and yes he has the Grand Slam title, complete with a dominant shutdown over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final, to prove it. 

There is also the personality. Raw energy oozes from his pores as the unconventional talent flips the script on the typical fan-player dynamic and puts his own unruly signature on it. He can be controversial, but never – EVER! – is he boring. 

The player and the personality congeal to make one of the most endearing and delightful entertainment packages that the sport has to offer. To see him is to rethink preconceived notions about the sport. 

UTS History – A Slam champion seeks new challenges 

Daniil Medvedev is not known for his clay-court tennis. But the former world No 1 took it upon himself to take on the challenge when the Ultimate Tennis Showdown took place for the first time ever on clay in the spring of 2021. 

His nickname, “The Chessmaster”, was a nod to Medvedev’s intellect and tactical know-how, but his high tennis IQ didn’t guide him to the promised land at UTS. In his first UTS appearance Medvedev headlined a field packed with clay stalwarts, such as Diego Schwartzman, Fabio Fognini, Cristian Garin and Grigor Dimitrov. 

But his week on the clay at the Mouratoglou had its fair share of highlights. 

Medvedev enjoyed forcing his opponents to play serve-and-volley, via the UTS cards, and hit one of the most jaw-dropping winners of the tournament, a gorgeous around the net post winner against Taylor Fritz. 

UTS will return to the tennis calendar with four editions in 2023, including editions in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The star-studded lineup for 2023 and the event host cities will be unveiled in the coming months. The Countdown is on.