Tecnifibre player Daniil Medvedev has graduated this year from ITF Futures tournaments to ATP Challenger Tour events and it may not be long before he becomes a regular fixture on the ATP World Tour.
Medvedev is currently at a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 136 and is still in a position to crack the Top 100 by the end of the season.He's also vying for $50,000 in the Young Guns on the Road competition.
Competing at this week’s $125,000+H ATP Challenger Tour event in Orleans, France, the 20 year old Russian defeated fourth seed and defending champion Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the opening round.
“A lot of the guys told me how good this tournament is, but it’s my first time here and I’m very impressed,” said Medvedev. “It looks a lot like an ATP World Tour event to me.“
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Starting out 2016 at No. 329 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Medvedev began the year playing ITF Futures events. But as his game has continued to flourish, so have the surroundings he has found himself competing in.
“It’s definitely a difference to be playing Challengers now,” said Medvedev. “The level of the players is stronger and the organisation is better. Everything is just bigger and better now.”
Medvedev has won 10 of his past 11 ATP Challenger Tour matches. After reaching the finals in August at the $50,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Portoroz, Slovenia, he broke through last month with his first Challenger title at the $50,000 tournament in St. Remy, France.
“It was a big moment for me,” said Medvedev. “Anytime you win your first tournament, whether it’s in juniors or ITF Futures, it’s a very strong moment. I’d be trying to do that for awhile, so I was very happy to finally achieve it.”
But while Medvedev has already created a season that he’s happy with, he’s still not completely content yet.
“It’s been a very good year. My [Emirates ATP] ranking has gone up a lot,” he said. “I have no points to defend now, so I hope to finish inside the Top 100 by the end of the season.”