Martina Navratilova points to key factor behind Daniil Medvedev’s Australian Open form

Daniil Medvedev has kept up his strong form in 2026, booking a spot in the third round of the Australian Open.

The Russian came into the tournament after winning the Brisbane International, picking up his 22nd ATP title – each one from a different country.

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Now, he’s hoping to finally add Melbourne to that list. Medvedev has reached three Australian Open finals but is yet to win one.

Last year was rough for him at the Grand Slams, starting with a second-round exit in Australia and then going out early at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

Martina Navratilova sees a ‘relaxed’ Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open

Following his early exit in New York, Medvedev parted ways with coach Gilles Cervara, bringing Thomas Johansson into his corner.

Speaking after the Russian’s second round win in Melbourne, tennis legend Martina Navratilova told Tennis Channel: “I think he looks better now than he has in a couple of years.

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“He looks really relaxed. I think that new coaching, just slightly different philosophy maybe. And also, the players are on their best behaviour with the new coach, so you don’t see him mouthing off at the coach.

“So I think it’s been a great move for him, and he looks relaxed. He’s not yapping at the crowd, he’s all business, but relaxed at the same time.”

Lindsay Davenport calls Daniil Medvedev one of the best hard-court players

Lindsay Davenport also weighed in on Medvedev, pointing out that he has been a top player on hard courts for a while now.

“I think all players kind of go through that lull at some point in their career. How do they get themselves out of it?” she began by saying.

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“A great job by Medvedev and his team to kind of work through it. He tried to make the relationship with Gilles Cervara work.

“Tried very hard in that, eventually it became clear that he needed some fresh energy. Went about, did his homework, made it happen, and now he’s back enjoying himself.

“Playing a little bit different tennis, different mindset than what we saw last year. I mean, he joked the other day I’ve got more Grand Slam wins already than I did last year.

“So, you’ve got to make light of the situation, but he’s here to win also, and we’ll see how far he can go. One of the best hard court players we’ve seen in the last six years.”

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Medvedev’s Australian Open campaign has so far included wins over Jesper De Jong and Quentin Halys, with Fabian Marozsan up next in round three.

The third seed has a decent path through the draw as well, with Alexander Zverev the main name standing between him and a place in the quarterfinals.

Beyond that, Carlos Alcaraz could be waiting for him in the semis before a potential final against Jannik Sinner – another daunting path through an event he has still never managed to win.

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