Daniil Medvedev had won 24 tour-level titles and never defended one. On Sunday he came from a set down against a qualifier to change that, beating Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Almaty Open.
The top seed had a set point in the first-set tiebreak and could not take it, and Basilashvili, whose big ball-striking had already carried him through qualifying and past Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, took the tiebreak 8-6. Medvedev answered with defense. He soaked up the pace in the second set and gave up one game. In the decider he went after his own groundstrokes and served well, landing 78 percent of his first serves.
“It was not easy but I had my chances in the first set. I got a bit unlucky,” Medvedev said on court. “I knew I would probably have my chances to turn the match around and it was not easy. But I am happy to win.”
The defense. Medvedev won this title 12 months ago, against Corentin Moutet. It was his 21st title, and afterwards he called it a continuation of “my funny story of 21 titles in 21 different cities.” This time the trophy came from a city that had already given him one, and he put the long wait for a successful defense down to circumstance.
“It is just a matter of time, luck, a moment,” he said. “I was feeling fresh, physically good. Sascha [Bublik] being injured in the semis gave me an extra push in the final and I am happy to finally do it.”
Alexander Bublik retired after losing the first set of their semifinal 6-3. Before that, Medvedev had beaten Sho Shimabukuro 6-2, 6-1 and Terence Atmane 6-4, 6-4.
The finalist. Basilashvili, 34, won two qualifying matches, against Taro Daniel and Adam Walton, then beat Marin Cilic, Facundo Diaz Acosta, Adrian Mannarino and the seventh seed Tsitsipas, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. It was the five-time tour champion’s first final since Doha in 2022, where he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut, and the run takes him back into the Top 100 for the first time since February 2023.
The season. Almaty was Medvedev’s 25th tour-level title and his fourth of 2026, after Brisbane, Dubai and Chengdu. Only Jannik Sinner, with six, has won more this year. Medvedev’s 38 hard-court match wins this season lead the tour.
What it means. Medvedev played the Nitto ATP Finals every year from 2019 to 2024 and won it in 2020, then missed out last year. He is fifth in the live Race to Turin on 2,670 points, 790 ahead of Alex de Minaur in 10th, the first man outside the cut. With Sinner out for the rest of the season, ninth place is effectively the last way in. Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton have already qualified.
Medvedev moves on to the ATP 500 in Vienna this week, where he can seal his place. The selection list is fixed on the Monday after the Rolex Paris Masters, which ends on 8 November. Our Race to Turin tracker follows the rest of the chase.
