BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

January 11, 2026

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/B. Nakashima

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Daniil. Starting off the year, the season, on a really good note, how much confidence does this give you going into the Australian Open?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Great. Honestly, for sure a lot, but I'm not thinking about this right now. I came here, you know, to play this tournament here, not exactly like to prepare Australian Open or something. I came here to try to start the season strong.

Of course by not being in Turin last year, I had a couple weeks more preparation with the new team, which helped, and I'm happy to kind of start it strong after the good preparation. It's important, you know, for self-confidence. So happy with it, and looking forward of course for the next tournament, which is Australian Open.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I think when you won your title in October, it was about two-and-a-half years or so in between wins, and now it's been less than three months. Does it feel like the Medvedev of old, the one we see going deep into Grand Slams, is back? Or are there still chinks in the armor you are trying to iron out?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I want to say I think so, but the next Grand Slam is in what, one week. You never know. You could lose first round or you could win it.

I will try my best. I for sure have been playing very good end of the season. I think I made six out of last seven tournaments quarters, a lot of them semis, two titles. So I'm happy with the way I was playing, and I know that when I'm playing good, there are not that many players that can beat me easily or at all.

So that's the most important, so if I manage to play good in Australia, I'm happy with my chances. In the end, you never know. Sometimes a player can make a match of the year against you, or you can get Carlos or Jannik or Sascha or someone else, and they can beat you.

So I'm happy with the way I'm playing right now, happy with the title, and I'm looking forward for more.

Q. I guess last year wasn't the Grand Slam results we typically expect from you, but can you walk us through those four tournaments last year and what's changed between those and coming into 2026?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, I definitely changed my team, and again, it's not at all to say that it's all because of this, but last year was not easy, was a little bit turbulent, and changing the team helped. So I'm happy with it.

I haven't played a Grand Slam yet with the new team. Again, as I'm saying, I feel what's important and what's important is the way I'm playing.

So if I lose first round in Australian Open but playing like here, first of all, I would be surprised. Again, it means the guy played good, but I would go out from the match and say to myself, you know what, it was great and I'll try better next time. For me, that's the most important right now. I managed to stay in the present moment throughout this tournament, and that's exactly the same thing I'm going to do in Australia.

Q. Looked like this week you were really experimenting with things and trying out, like with your new team, trying some new ideas. Is that fair to say? Do you think you learned a fair bit about what you're trying to do?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't think there was anything crazy new, but again, I did work a lot on the volley during preseason, on the serve. Nothing new I was doing on the serve but I was serving great, I feel like. Still room to improve. Especially today I felt like the conditions were tiny bit heavier so a bit tougher to go through the air, and I think for him, as well, because usually I think he gets more free points on the serve.

So room to improve, but kind of the small things, because I don't think again I had any big, major, not even improvements, but major new things in my game. But the small things we were working on practice, I think my team is happy with what I did here this tournament, and that's the most important, as well.

Q. Heading to Melbourne, outside the top 10 for the first time in a long time, Australians, they like an underdog, do you think you can get a bit of extra love? You have always had an interesting relationship with crowds around the world. Do you think they might latch onto you this year because you've kind of got that narrative as a...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You know, I think it will be fun. To be an underdog, it depends. If we look in the long run, for sure I'm the underdog, because it's been some time I haven't been in the later stages of a Grand Slam, I'm outside of top 10. But probably first four rounds or something I'm not going to be underdog. If I count right, it's going to be four rounds. Three, four, whatever.

But again, I was three times in the final there, and I do feel like in general people in Melbourne love me. Maybe a big thing to say, but I hope so.

I'm going to try to do my best exactly like here. Enjoy my tennis, enjoy the game, enjoy the fight, and hopefully like this people can support me.

Q. You mentioned sort of the heavy ball tonight slowing things down. It's been a little bit of a topic in tennis recently. What are you expecting court-wise in Melbourne? Does it suit your game if it gets slower, or do you want it to be faster?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I have no idea how it's gonna be. Here it was pretty fast conditions. I liked it. I won. The ball was feeling nice.

When I said today was heavy, was very humid. I do think that the ball was not actually growing too much as it did usually. But again, it's been some time, I kind of left this talk a bit behind me. At one moment I was really too much focused on it, like whatever happened to the ball, I was like, Oh, my God what's happening to the ball?

Now I'm like, Whatever. I know I can't change anything. Just try my best.

And what else? No, that's it. So I hope the conditions in Australia are exactly like here because I liked it here.

Q. You said I think after the semifinal win last night that you were trying to be a bit calmer and not getting as fussed on the court as well. Obviously a lot of fans enjoy your emotion out on court, as well. How are you juggling that, the Medvedev that gets something out of doing that and also maybe, yeah...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, the most important is I always stay true to myself, so meaning when I get angry and even I do bad things, well, sometimes I have to apologize, but it's the way I am. It's my emotions. But I also know that these emotions, they can be fun, can be a bit too much, but many times they can cost me a bit of energy and a bit of concentration during the match.

So of course I always said it's better to stay calm. It's easier, but then that's something I couldn't do. So I'm happy that here I managed to find kind of a flow which I was following, and I do think there are so many fans around the world, so some people like angry Medvedev and some people like calm Medvedev.

If I play well, if I stay true to myself, there is going to be people who love me and people who hate me as well.

Q. I'm not sure if you're aware of this stat, probably are, but 22 titles now and 22 different titles. What's the reason why? Is there a reason?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No idea. You know what? Let's put it, you always ask me about goals for next year, and I never put myself any goals. I will try to put myself a goal to try to win a second title where I won it somewhere. Not sure it's going to happen but I will try. It's a fun story: 22 titles, 22 different cities.

Again, look, if it continues in Melbourne, great. I never won in Melbourne, so could be 23. I'm just doing my best, and I will be honest, I do hope I win somewhere the second title till I finish my career in the same city.