Daniil Medvedev became world number one in 2022, ending an 18-year dominance by Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, and Federer. He is the third Russian player to achieve this milestone.
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Daniil Medvedev ended an 18-year run when he became world number one for the first time in 2022.
Before that, only Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer had been at the top of the sport for almost two decades.
Medvedev followed up his run to the Australian Open final by reaching world number one for the first time. He also became just the third Russian player to do so, joining Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin.
The 2021 US Open champion has had an impressive career so far. But former American player Sam Querrey has commented on what he called Medvedev’s “ugly game.”
Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
Speaking to the ATP Tour website, Querrey gave his thoughts on Medvedev’s style: “He was a great returner. He hit an awkward ball; it was hard to attack against him. He was tall, but played great defence for a tall guy.
“He kind of perfected that, I hate to say, that ugly game that he has. I feel like he put people in really uncomfortable rallies, time and time again.
“His serve was just good. I feel like, though, for a 6’6” guy, we never talk about him as one of the best serves at any given time.
“He was kind of this taller guy that you talk about the other parts of his game and not his serve. Maybe that’s why he got to No. 1.
“It does seem like a lot of times when you’re talking about the tall guys, you’re always talking about their serve, and they’re not No. 1. Medvedev’s one of these guys that serve’s not the first thing that comes to mind, and he got to No. 1.”
Sam Querrey believes that Medvedev's unconventional playing style is a key factor in his success and rise to world number one.
The only other Russian players to reach world number one are Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin.
In 2022, Daniil Medvedev became the first player outside the 'Big Four' to reach world number one in nearly two decades.
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After a difficult season in 2025, Medvedev has responded well with a strong start to the 2026 campaign.
He began by capturing the Brisbane International title and then made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
While early exits followed in Rotterdam and Doha, he responded by claiming another trophy in Dubai. He also reached the final at Indian Wells, although his form dipped slightly in Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid.
However, Medvedev has found some consistency again on clay and is now preparing to face Jannik Sinner for a place in the Italian Open final on Friday night.
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