Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev addresses rumors about his retirement from tennis

In early 2022, Daniil Medvedev reached the pinnacle of the ATP Rankings, claiming the World No. 1 spot, a position he held for an impressive 16 weeks. It was a dream stretch for the 28-year-old Russian tennis star, who hails from Moscow.

Medvedev’s career highlights include winning the 2021 US Open, where he stunned Novak Djokovic to capture his maiden Grand Slam title. Additionally, he has reached five Grand Slam finals: the 2019 and 2023 US Open and the Australian Open in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

However, Medvedev’s recent form has been less than stellar. His struggles were highlighted by a shocking loss to World No. 92 Mattia Bellucci in the Round of 16 at the Rotterdam tournament. This defeat, coupled with other inconsistent performances, has caused him to slide in the ATP Rankings.

Following the latest update, Medvedev has dropped to No. 7, trailing Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, and Novak Djokovic. As a result of these surprising setbacks, speculation has arisen about whether Medvedev is reportedly contemplating retirement from professional tennis.

Daniil Medvedev (RUS) in action against Mattia Bellucci (ITA) on the third day of the ABN AMRO Open tennis tournament in Ahoy. (IMAGO / ANP)

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Medvedev on retirement rumors

Addressing the swirling rumors, Medvedev spoke candidly in an interview with Sportskeeda. The former World No. 1 clarified his stance on retirement, saying: “I like tennis, I’m still making a lot of money, so I’ll keep playing as long as I can”.

When asked about a potential fall outside the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings, Medvedev remained confident but didn’t entirely dismiss the idea: “If I drop out of the Top 100 of the ATP Ranking, I don’t know… But that’s probably not going to happen. I’m sure I can come back stronger, that’s all”. Medvedev’s response highlighted his determination to continue competing, while subtly acknowledging that the future remains uncertain.

What’s next for Medvedev?

Medvedev’s next challenge comes at the ATP 500 event in Doha, running from February 17–22. The tournament will feature a competitive field, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alex de Miñaur, Andrey Rublev, Grigor Dimitrov, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.