Daniil Medvedev defeated compatriot and longtime friend Andrey Rublev. The world No. 6 neutralized Rublev’s firepower by holding all 11 of his service games, landing 70 percent of his first serves, and converting two crucial break points to seal the victory.
Clinical Serves and Tactical Control
The tape from the baseline battle tells a clear story of defensive mastery and disciplined execution. Medvedev was nearly untouchable behind his initial delivery, firing 40 successful first-serve points from 47 attempts—an 85 percent conversion rate that effectively starved Rublev of any rhythm on return. Facing just two break points across the entire match, the world No. 6 erased both with disciplined depth and forced errors.
Rublev, ranked No. 24, battled hard to protect his own territory. He struck four aces and successfully defended five of the seven break points he faced under intense pressure. But the two breaks Medvedev managed to secure were enough to swing the momentum and close out the sets. It marked Medvedev’s first victory over a Top 25 opponent since he ousted world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals.
The Path Through the Draw
Neither finalist had an easy route to the championship match. Medvedev navigated a tricky draw, opening with a three-set battle against Chak Lam Coleman Wong 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3, followed by a tight straight-sets win over Frenchman Valentin Royer 7-6 (6), 6-3, and a semifinal victory against Roman Safiullin 7-5, 6-4.
Rublev fought through his own share of adversity. His tournament run featured wins over Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet 7-6, 6-1 and Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3, before a semifinal win over Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-1. Chasing his 19th title and his second of 2026 following his triumph in Bastad, Rublev ultimately fell short of solving Medvedev’s impenetrable defensive wall.
| Statistic | Daniil Medvedev | Andrey Rublev |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | No. 6 | No. 24 |
| First-Serve Percentage | 70% | N/A |
| First-Serve Points Won | 85% (40/47) | N/A |
| Break Points Saved | 2 / 2 | 5 / 7 |
| Aces | N/A | 4 |
A Friendship Forged on the Tour
During the post-match trophy ceremony, the two longtime friends exchanged warm words. Remembering their previous final encounter in Dubai in 2023—which Medvedev also won 6-2, 6-2—the competitors acknowledged the shifting dynamics of their careers.
“First of all Andrey, I think the same. After what we said in Dubai, we don’t need to repeat each other. I’m really happy to see you in this final,” Medvedev said. “We probably play a bit worse than before in terms of results. We did a final of 500, 250, now time for one Masters 1000. And after in 5 years, a Slam. I’m happy to see you in the final. Sorry that I served good today. Hopefully we can finish the season this strong.”
Rublev echoed the mutual respect as he addressed his opponent. “First of all I want to say a few words to Daniil. To be honest I don’t know what to say. After so many years we said so many things to each other. So I don’t know what else to say,” Rublev said. “I just wanna congratulate you and say a big hi to all your family. I hope we will have many, many, many more memories over the years in the future.”
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