04 Oct 2026
Revitalized Daniil Medvedev Wins First Trophy in Nearly 30 Months
19 of Medvedev's 21 championships have been won on hard surfaces
A resurgent the Russian player claimed his maiden championship for 882 days with a win over Frenchman Moutet in the Almaty Open championship match.
The athlete, a former world number one, has had a difficult season, achieving just one win at the major tournaments and experiencing a difficult moment at the US Open.
His inconsistency on the tennis tour - and struggles with his service game in specific - led to him dropping out of the elite rankings and finally separating with long-time mentor Cervara.
Now collaborating with his coach and his other coach, Medvedev has steadily improved in the recent weeks - culminating in a hard-fought competitive win over opponent Moutet.
It is his initial title following the 2023 Rome Masters and maiden on a hard surface since spring of 2023.
The win also signifies he has won 21 victories at 21 different tournaments.
"For the first time I'm at a event with my both daughters simultaneously, so to secure a championship is really nice," commented ranked player Daniil Medvedev.
"This championship is in honour of my younger daughter her name, because the initial championship I won when my older daughter her name was born was for her."
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, had failed in his previous six finals, featuring in the German tournament earlier this year.
His counter-punching approach and frequent emotional displays on the tennis court had led some to doubt if his capacity to perform at the top level was concluded.
However the player has implemented adjustments in recent weeks, making an effort to approach the net and perform assertively, reinforced by an enhanced serve.
The champion came back from a disadvantage in the initial set against the tricky opponent, taking 4 of the final five exchanges to take the lead.
The competitors traded service breaks in the following set before Moutet, attempting for his first professional title, seized the initiative to create a final set.
He rescued 4 initial break points in a close deciding set before the Russian broke to fifteen to serve for the match.
Suitably, he secured the title with a point at the front of the court, with the Frenchman failing to control a volley after two hours and 38 minutes.