Russian Tennis Federation President Shamil Tarpischev believes Daniil Medvedev can "absolutely" compete for Grand Slam titles in 2026, especially if some things go his way.
The Russian tennis star, who will turn 30 in February, is a six-time Grand Slam finalist but only has one Major title in his collection.
In January 2024, Medvedev made his third Australian Open final. After losing his first two finals at Melbourne Park, the Russian went two sets up against Jannik Sinner and appeared to be set for his first title at the Happy Slam. But then, his game shut down as Sinner completed an impressive five-set comeback.
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Since then, Medvedev's only really deep Grand Slam has been reaching the Wimbledon semifinal in 2024. This year, the former world No. 1 went a stunning 1-4 in Majors and finished the year ranked at No. 13 in the world.
Asked about Medvedev's 2026 Slam chances, Tarpischev noted that no one besides Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has won a Major since 2024, while the rest of the competition is more or less of the same strength.
Tarpischev: With the right set of circumstances, Medvedev is quite capable of winning a Slam
"Absolutely. There are two clear frontrunners right now Alcaraz and Sinner. But with a favorable draw, Medvedev can certainly produce results, because after them there are six or seven players who are roughly equal in level," Tarpischev said.
"Everything depends on who is fresher in the latter stages and how they progress through the draw. Tennis isnt limited by match time, and if you reach the quarterfinals without expending too much energy, you already become a favorite. With the right set of circumstances, Daniil is quite capable of going all the way."
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Medvedev may not have enjoyed much success on the biggest stage in 2025, but he started to play much better after replacing coach Gilles Cervara with Thomas Johansson after the US Open.
It remains to be seen if Medvedev's first Australian Open with Johansson as coach can bring something special.
