Daniil Medvedev failing to defend last remaining title at Italian Open: Is the 1-year drought a worrying sign for the Russian?

Daniil Medvedev's title defense at the Italian Open ended in the fourth round as he lost 6-1, 6-4 to Tommy Paul. The defeat meant that the 27-year-old Russian's search for a title in 2024 continues.

It also means that his World No. 4 ranking is at risk, with No. 5 Alexander Zverev still in contention for the Italian Open title. The Russian had the most number of wins in 2023, triumphing in 66 matches with five titles to his name. However, he is yet to open his trophy account so far in 2024.

Daniil Medvedev's clay season has so far been far from impressive

Daniil Medvedev in action at the Italian Open in Rome

Daniil Medvedev produced some impressive performances on hard courts earlier this year, reaching the final of the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, while also making it to the semifinals at the Miami Open.

However, his clay season has been underwhelming so far, with six wins out of nine matches. Daniil Medvedev lost in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters and followed it up by reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. Here, he was forced to retire after losing the first set due to injury.

Medvedev then suffered a fourth-round exit at the Italian Open.

There are a few concerns for the Russian:

Medvedev's inability to win vital matches after having gone deep into tournaments is a concern. The Russian has featured in five finals (including the US Open) since winning the 2023 Italian Open, but has come up short in each. He has often found the going tough against the two youngsters, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, in the latter stages of tournaments. Both of them have proved to be hungrier and more intense during key moments than the Russian.

However, Medvedev's loss in Miami to Sinner was an exception, as the latter simply brushed him aside.

Daniil Medvedev's serve also seems to have lost some of its sting and that is a cause for concern. The Russian will not probably be among the favorites at either French Open or Wimbledon, but is expected to do well in the hard court tournaments those follow. It remains to be seen whether he'll be able to end his title-drought in any of those tournaments.

However, as of now, he should work on his serve and also the mental approach to improve his performance and close out crucial matches. He is now in his prime as a player and should be able to win titles more frrquently.