Daniil Medvedev had a peculiar moment during his defeat in the first round of Roland Garros, after having a brief discussion with his wife, who reproached him for his attitude on court after just a few games of his match against Adam Walton.
The former world No. 1 was eliminated in the first round of the French Open for the seventh time in his career – in 10 appearances on the Parisian clay. Medvedev has a record of just 10-10 at the tournament (only a 50% win rate), far below his numbers at the rest of the majors, where he holds over a 70% winning percentage.
It is well known that Medvedev does not have much appreciation for competing on clay courts, where he has always struggled to produce deep runs at the biggest tournaments. At Roland Garros, his best performance was the quarter-finals back in 2021 – when he was eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas, the eventual runner-up of that edition.
However, it was not only the defeat that stole the attention of fans during Medvedev’s opening round, but also the particular interaction with his wife Daria Medvedeva, who criticised him for not having a good attitude on court while the Russian was trailing by a break in the opening set.
Medvedev argues with wife during chaotic Roland Garros loss
It was an especially erratic performance from the former US Open champion, who committed as many as 60 unforced errors and hit five double faults. He only managed a 56% first-serve percentage and eventually fell in a five-set battle by 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-1, 4-6 against world No. 97 Adam Walton – who was securing the first win over a top-10 player of his career.
Only 24 minutes had been played and Medvedev already found himself trailing by a break. Walton had broken Medvedev and then held serve to move ahead 4-2. While the 30-year-old was preparing to serve, television cameras captured comments from his wife, who was watching from the front row of the current world No. 8’s player box.
Daniil Medvedev competing in an exhibition event in St Petersburg, Russia
“We’re all hot, we’re all struggling, we have to behave properly,” Daria Medvedeva could be heard telling her husband in Russian from the stands, amid the intense heat that hit Paris this Tuesday.
“When I start finding my rhythm on the court, I’ll start behaving properly,” Medvedev replied in an evidently annoyed tone while approaching the side of the court to grab his towel before continuing the match.
A second consecutive break quickly arrived for Walton, who ended up taking the set 6-2 – winning five games in a row.
"Todos tenemos calor, todos lo estamos pasando mal. Compórtate" 🥵
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 26, 2026
La discusión de Medvedev con su mujer en pleno partido #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/F4aHnf2Mjn
Medvedev avoids rankings collapse despite another early French Open exit
The defeat for Medvedev will not mean major changes in the rankings for now, since he was not defending points – considering that back in 2025 he had also been eliminated in the first round of the French Open. In fact, he currently appears as No. 7 in the live rankings – climbing one position – since Novak Djokovic still has an important amount of points to defend after reaching the semi-finals in 2025, which currently leaves him at No. 9 in the live rankings.
If Djokovic manages to advance at least to the fourth round, Medvedev will return to No. 8, a position from which he is unlikely to move. With the elimination of some of his colleagues from the top section of the rankings – such as Taylor Fritz (No. 9), Alexander Bublik (No. 10) and Jiří Lehečka (No. 12) – added to the absence of Lorenzo Musetti due to injury (No. 11), it makes it unlikely that Medvedev will lose positions despite a disappointing clay swing.
The only chance of Medvedev dropping positions is if there is a surprise French Open champion capable of overtaking him. Among them, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud or Valentin Vacherot are some of the names who could push Medvedev lower in the rankings if they were to win the title – something that at first glance appears unlikely considering the overwhelming favourite status of Jannik Sinner.
Medvedev will now focus his energies on preparing for the grass swing, where he is committed to playing in Libéma Open and the Halle Open, tournaments he will use as preparation for Wimbledon Championships – another tournament where he suffered a first-round elimination last year, and where even a single victory would represent a gain of points in the ATP Rankings.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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