ATP Finals: Decoding the major stats of Daniil Medvedev
World number two, Daniil Medvedev, will face Hubert Hurkacz at the ATP Finals on Sunday. The defending champion has been drawn with Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, and Matteo Berrettini in Group Red. Medvedev recently finished as the runner-up at the Paris Masters after losing to world number one, Novak Djokovic. He is now gearing up for his title defense at the ATP Finals.
Why does it matter?
Medvedev has been one of the most consistent performers in 2021. He has the second-most match wins (54-12) after Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas (55 each). Medvedev has won a total of four titles in the season so far, including his maiden Grand Slam (US Open). He enters the ATP Finals as one of the front-runners to win the title.
Medvedev lost his first three ATP Finals matches
Medvedev lost his first three matches at the ATP Finals in 2019. He suffered defeats to Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, and Zverev respectively in the group stage. The Russian won only one set in the tournament, against Nadal, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-7(4).
Medvedev defeated the Top 3 in the next edition
In the 2020 edition, Medvedev claimed straight-set wins against Zverev, Djokovic, and Diego Schwartzman to reach the semi-finals. The Russian then overcame Nadal and Dominic Thiem to become the undefeated champion. Medvedev became the first player to defeat the Top 3 in the ATP Finals history. He became the fourth player to accomplish the feat at a single event since 1990.
Records broken by Medvedev
Medvedev became the first player from Russia to win the ATP Finals since Nikolay Davydenko (2009). He was the first player to beat the Top 3 at a single event since David Nalbandian (2007 Madrid). Djokovic (2007 Montreal) and Boris Becker (1994 Stockholm) have also reached this landmark. Medvedev was the sixth different champion at the year-end championships in the last six years.
