Daniil Medvedev made his debut at the Beijing ATP 500 today and finally conveyed positive feelings, although it is necessary to wait further time before decreeing whether or not he has solved the problems that have plagued him for a year and a half.
The former world No.1 who had a season below expectations and recently announced his separation from Gilles Cervara beat British player Cameron Norrie in straight sets, confirming that he has a great feeling for this tournament. It is no coincidence that the champion from Moscow reached the final in the Chinese capital two years ago, when he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the final, and the semifinals in the last edition (defeated by the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz after a rather brilliant run).
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Medvedev defeated Norrie
This last part of the season could allow Daniil to regain some confidence ahead of the 2026 season, in which he will have to get closer to the top positions of the ATP rankings and achieve better results in Grand Slam tournaments. The winner of the 2021 US Open has won only one match in the Majors this year and was the protagonist of a very unpleasant episode in New York a few weeks ago.
Medvedev has not lifted a trophy for over two years, more precisely since the 2023 edition of the Rome Masters 1000, and his career has come to a crossroads as he himself admitted when he decided to break off his professional relationship with Cervara.
In his press conference after the victory over Norrie in Beijing, the former world number 1 expressed his feelings: "I think I played quite well today. I'm especially satisfied with my level with the serve, except in a couple of games where I could have done better. I had a lot of break points and I think I deserved the win, becoming aggressive when I needed to. I can play better than this, but the road to get back to my best level is still long and requires one step at a time. I definitely took a step forward today."
