Daniil Medvedev wins Brisbane crown for perfect start to 2026 | ATP tour | Tennis

Match report

Medvedev wins the Brisbane crown and sets up a perfect start to 2026

Former world number 1 overcomes Nakashima in straight sets to win his 22nd tour-level title
January 11, 2026

Daniil Medvedev made a statement at the start of the new season at the ANZ-presented Brisbane International on Sunday, beating Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 7-6(1) to win the title at the ATP 250 event.

The 29-year-old fell just short in the 2019 Brisbane final but ensured there would be no repeat heartbreak on Australia’s east coast, where he secured his 22nd tour-level crown with an impressive performance against Nakashima. The victory also marked a rare distinction in Medvedev’s career, with all 22 titles coming at different events.

The championship match featured punishing baseline changes, with Medvedev forced to dig deep late in the second set. After dropping two championship points on serve at 5-4, the former world number 1 quickly regrouped and dominated the tie-break to seal victory after one hour and 34 minutes.

“I want to dedicate this to my family,” Medvedev said during the trophy presentation. “They couldn’t make it to Australia, it’s a bit too far guys, about 23 hours from where I live and with two young children it’s not easy. I decided to play this tournament and we thought we would all come together but we stuck with the decision and my daughter’s birthday was while I was here so I’m dedicating it to her first birthday. This [trophy] however, is a bit too heavy for her.

Medvedev’s victory in Brisbane continues an upward trajectory that began in October, when he broke a two-and-a-half-year title drought in Almaty alongside new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke. He continued that momentum into the opening week of the new season, becoming the first top seed to lift the Brisbane trophy since Roger Federer in 2015.

Nakashima was chasing his second tour-level trophy after winning on home soil in San Diego in 2022. The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion leaves Brisbane at number 31 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Nakashima did not drop a set en route to his fourth tour-level final but failed to outpoint Medvedev, who now leads the American 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Did you know?

Medvedev is the third active player to win 20 tour-level hard court trophies, joining Novak Djokovic (72) and Jannik Sinner (21).