Daniil
Medvedev has reached his fifth Grand Slam final and surpassed Marat Safin as
the Russian with the most major finals in the Open Era.
Former
world No. 1
Daniil Medvedev caused a sensation by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in
the semifinals of the
US Open with a score of 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. The
Russian tennis player reached his third final at the US Open (2019, 2021, and
2023), in addition to two finals at the Australian Open (2021, 2022).
Medvedev
only claimed the trophy at the US Open in 2021, where he faced the nearly
unbeatable Novak Djokovic, who had a remarkable record of 27-0 in Grand Slams
that year and was aiming to achieve the historic feat of winning all four Grand
Slams in a calendar year, a feat previously accomplished only by Steffi Graf in
the women's game.
Medvedev's
journey to the final sets a new precedent as he becomes the Russian tennis
player with the most Grand Slam finals. He was previously tied with Marat
Safin, a former world No. 1 who reached three finals at the Australian Open
(2002, 2004, 2005) and one at the US Open (2000).
Although
Safin managed to secure two Grand Slam titles in his career, one more than
Medvedev, it's worth noting that Marat clinched the US Open title and his third
attempt at the Australian Open.
Medvedev
not only has three finals appearances at Flushing Meadows but also boasts the
highest number of victories in Grand Slam matches with 29 wins and only 5
losses, equating to an impressive 85% win rate.
In his
previous four Grand Slam finals, he lost twice to Rafael Nadal and twice to
Novak Djokovic. On Sunday, he will face 'Nole' in this stage for the third time
and aim to secure his second major to equal his compatriot Safin.
