The nightmare continues for Daniil Medvedev: Third loss to a young talent

Daniil Medvedev was defeated in the semifinals of the Open 13 Provence, falling to rising star Hamad Medjedovic, further deepening his inconsistent form. The Russian now holds a poor 4-3 record this season and suffered another loss despite being the favourite against the 21-year-old Serbian.

The former world No. 1 was the tournament's top seed and seemed to be putting behind his shock defeats at the Australian Open and Rotterdam Open – both losses despite being the favourite against young Learner Tien and then Mattia Bellucci. The new generation of players has troubled the 2021 US Open champion, handing him all three of his defeats this season.

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The Serbian, mentored by Novak Djokovic since his junior days, had already won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2023, but his 2024 campaign had been far from impressive, remaining competitive in Challenger tournaments but yet to secure significant results at the ATP level.

Medjedovic claimed his first victory over a top-10 player (just as Tien and Bellucci had done in previous weeks against Medvedev) and has now reached his first ATP final. The Serbian expressed his joy after defeating the Russian.

"I think I played one of my best matches of the week," Medjedovic said. "I am really happy. I delivered on my tactics, had a great performance, and I am really happy to be through."

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Medvedev, however, still managed to earn some valuable ranking points at a time when he seems to be the top-10 player in the worst form. The Russian has not won a title in 2024, and if his recent results continue, it will be difficult for him to remain among the elite.

The 29-year-old will play his next tournament at the Doha Open, where he lifted the title in 2023. He will face someone who knows him well – his compatriot Karen Khachanov, the tournament’s defending champion – in what will be a crucial test for Medvedev, who urgently needs good results.

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