After a tough three-set battle, Medvedev finally secured his first victory against this opponent, with the champion himself setting his sights on the title.

Speaking of Russian male tennis player Daniil Medvedev, many fans know him well. In 2021, he convincingly beat Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the US Open final, halting Djokovic’s 20-match winning streak at the Grand Slams that year and spoiling his hopes of winning all four majors in a single season. This was Medvedev’s maiden Grand Slam championship. Moreover, he became the only player born after 1995 to have won a Grand Slam title. At that time, Medvedev was at the peak of his career, leading many fans to believe he was on the path to greatness.

As time has passed, Medvedev may be showing signs of decline, possibly due to aging. In the 2025 season, he lost to a relatively unknown player at both the Australian Open and the China Open. This week at the Shanghai Masters, Medvedev faced this same opponent for the third time. So, who will come out on top this time? Let this article take you through the story.

At the start of the 2025 season, Medvedev entered the Australian Open as the fifth seed. In the first round, he faced Thai player Kasidit, who entered via the Asia-Pacific wildcard. Due to the large gap in world rankings, many expected Medvedev to win easily. However, on court, he battled through five tough sets before narrowly advancing. In the second round, Medvedev’s opponent was American qualifier Learner Chen, who had just earned his first career win at the Australian Open.

Although Medvedev’s form in the first round was less than ideal, he was still highly regarded due to reaching the Australian Open final three times previously. Yet, in this match, Learner Chen unexpectedly defeated the Grand Slam champion, causing a major upset. After the loss, Medvedev had no choice but to accept an early exit from the tournament.

At the end of September, Medvedev appeared at the China Open as the eighth seed. He defeated former Masters champion British player Norrie, Spanish player Fokina who had reached a Masters final, and German player Zverev who had been a Grand Slam finalist, advancing to the semifinals. In the semis, Medvedev’s opponent was again American player Learner Chen.

Meeting again after more than half a year, Learner Chen was a very different player. He had not only recorded his first career Wimbledon win but also reached the round of 16 at his first Masters event at the Rogers Cup. In this encounter, Learner Chen took the first set, gaining an early advantage. Although Medvedev won the second set 7–5 to push the match to a decider, he was forced to retire while trailing by a large margin in the final set. Notably, this was Medvedev’s first retirement of the 2025 season.

Last weekMedvedev competed at the Shanghai Masters. After receiving a first-round bye, he defeated Czech qualifier Svrcina and Spanish player Fokina to reach the round of 16. In the round of 16, Medvedev faced American Learner Chen once more. Medvedev took the opening set, but in the second set, despite being behind by a large margin, Learner Chen pushed the set to a tiebreak and won it, forcing a deciding set. Fortunately, Medvedev steadied himself in the final set and secured the victory.

This was Medvedev’s first win over this opponent since their rivalry began. Having previously won the Shanghai Masters title, Medvedev’s next opponent is Australian player De Minaur. It is believed that after defeating his long-time rival, Medvedev will advance further. That’s today’s tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)