"If I were satisfied with my ranking, I think it would be time to retire" - Daniil Medvedev hints retirement plans as he attempts to regain form

It is fair to say that Daniil Medvedev has not hit the lofty heights in 2025 that he was once very much capable of. It has been a lacklustre year for the 29-year-old who is dissatisfied with where he sits in the current rankings. However, he hinted retirement if his ranking did improve in the short term.

The Russian first made a name for himself in 2019, winning two Masters 1000 titles while falling short of the US Open title in the final. Two years later he would finally clinch that title, confirming his stature in the sport. He leapt up to the number one spot in 2022 as he regularly challenged for the biggest honours in the sport while making Grand Slam finals occasionally.

It would not last, though. After Medvedev won the Rome Open in 2023, he would go on a title drought until late in 2025, losing six finals on the spin in this time period. 2025 also saw a catastrophic decline in form. He managed to muster up just one Grand Slam win, exiting the first round in the final three events. After splitting with long-term coach Gilles Cervara, he found some form. He ended his title drought at the Almaty Open. Beforehand he reached a brace of semi-finals at the China Open and Shanghai Masters. He ended his campaign with a quarter-final in the Paris Masters, culminating as the world number 13. It is the first time he has finished a season outside of the top 10 since 2018.

“If I finish 2026 in the same ranking? That wouldn't satisfy me much, and that's a good thing," Medvedev stated whilst competing at an exhibition event in St. Petersburg. "That's why I keep playing tennis. If I were satisfied with my ranking, I think it would be time to retire."

He openly admitted that the end to the season was a strong one, but there is still more to come. "So I just hope I can play at least as well as I did at the end of this year, because it wasn't bad. But I know I can play even better than at the end of the season in terms of consistency. Because some matches were fantastic. For example, the match against [Alex] De Minaur in the quarterfinals in Shanghai. You can't play better than that."

Medvedev struggled in large periods of last season, being dumped out of tournaments surprisingly early on a number of occasions. It was something he desperately needed to reinstate in his game. "However, in terms of consistency, I could have played better; so I'm going to work on my fitness so I can keep up the pace and play well in several tournaments in a row, like before. And, of course, from a tennis perspective, I just hope I can play well from one tournament to the next.”

Medvedev has continued to compete in exhibitions in the off season. The controversial Northern Palmyra Trophies in his homeland was a perfect event for him to keep his sharpness high. From December 17-20, he will be competing in the World Tennis League over in India. His 2026 ATP campaign will kick off in the Brisbane International from January 5-11. It is the first time since 2019 when he will participate in the Australian event, losing out to Kei Nishikori in the final that year. The Australian Open is the event Medvedev will be most anxious for. He has made it to the final three of the prior five years, unable to get over the line each time. It is another chance to seal Grand Slam number two and to spark a return in form which could see him shoot up the rankings.