"He’s still separated himself from players that are a bit younger than him" - Daniil Medvedev definitely not 'overrated', declares tennis journalist

Daniil Medvedev may have faltered during his first two tournaments of the 2023 season, but the player is back to proving why he was the World No. 1.

Medvedev rose to his peak form in the 2021 season. The athlete began the season with a runner-up finish at the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic. He proceeded to lift four titles throughout the season, including the 2021 US Open, where he scored a sensational win against World No. 1 Djokovic, who was vying for the calendar Grand Slam. The Russian player then went on to feature in two other summit clashes at the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.

In light of all that, tennis commentator Geoffrey Chizever suggested that Daniil Medvedev had placed himself on the elite list after his 2021 glory, which was followed by yet another runner-up trophy at the 2022 Australian Open and an eventual rise to the World No. 1 ranking.

“After Medvedev got the win over Djokovic at the US Open, where he kind of munched him up, so to speak, you know, it was an easy win. It was kind of like, ‘Oh man! He is up there,’” Chizever noted on the latest episode of the Inside-In podcast.

The Russian, however, suffered a slump in form after his brutal 2022 Australian Open final loss to Rafael Nadal. While Medvedev lifted two trophies in the past season, he suffered some shocking defeats in the remaining tournaments, which raised doubts in people’s mind about the player’s capabilities.

Daniil Medvedev’s first two tournaments of 2023 did not help the former World No. 1 prove himself either. Instead, with a semifinal showing at the Adelaide International 1 and a third-round exit at the Australian Open, the 27-year-old crashed out of the world's top 10.

However, if Medvedev’s victories since are anything to go by, the player is successfully overturning everyone’s negative views about him. After the Australian Open, the 2021 US Open champion participated in the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he clinched his 16th title.

Along the way, he outclassed defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals before scoring a comeback victory in the final against 21-year-old Jannik Sinner. This was the Russian’s fifth straight victory over both young players, who are yet to score a single win against him.

Furthermore, at the 2023 Qatar Open, the 27-year-old scored yet another win against 22-year-old Auger-Aliassime, marking his sixth straight win against the Canadian. Geoffrey Chizever was of the opinion that these two head-to-head records against the newer generation were significant in proving Daniil Medvedev’s worth, putting him firmly in the "not overrated" category.

“But, with that win against Sinner, he’s now 5-0 against Sinner and FAA (6-0 against Felix Auger-Aliassime). So, I tend to look at the ranking as in tiers. So because he’s still kind of separated himself from those two players that are a little bit younger than him,” he continued, “So, No. I will not go with overrated. I will definitely not do that.”

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Daniil Medvedev wins back-to-back titles in Rotterdam and Doha

Daniil Medvedev is the 2023 Qatar Open champion

Ever since his poor showing at the 2023 Australian Open and the brief fall outside the top 10, Daniil Medvedev has been back with renewed spirit. After lifting the title in Rotterdam, the 27-year-old continued with his winning ways in Doha.

Daniil Medvedev defeated two-time tournament champion Andy Murray in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the final to lift his 17th career title at the Qatar Open. He is now scheduled to compete at the ATP 500 Dubai Tennis Championships between February 27 and March 4.