match report
Medvedev wins Brisbane title, perfect start to 2026
The former world number one defeated Nakajima in straight sets to win his 22nd tour title
January 11, 2026
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Daniil Medvedev lifts the trophy in Brisbane.
Sam Jacott
Daniil Medvedev made a statement to start the new season at the ANZ Brisbane International on Sunday, defeating Brandon Nakajima 6-2, 7-6(1) to win the ATP 250 event.
The 29-year-old fell slightly behind in the 2019 Brisbane final but ensured there would be no further heartbreak on Australia’s east coast with an impressive performance against Nakajima to win his 22nd Tour-level title. The victory also kept Medvedev’s career in rare glory, with all 22 of his titles coming from different events.
The championship match featured a brutal baseline battle, with Medvedev forced to dig deep late in the second set. After losing two service points at 5-4, the former world No. 1 quickly rallied, dominating the tie-break and sealing the victory after one hour and 34 minutes.
“I want to dedicate this to my family,” Medvedev said at the ceremony. “They didn’t make it to Australia, guys, it’s a little too far, it’s about 23 hours from where I live and with two young kids it’s not easy. I decided to do this race and we thought we would come together but we stuck with the decision and my daughter just had her birthday while I was here so I dedicated it to her first birthday. This [trophy] A little too heavy for her though. “
Medvedev’s victory in Brisbane continued an upward trajectory that began in October, when he worked with new coaches Thomas Johnson and Rohan Götzke to end Almaty’s two-and-a-half-year title drought. He carried that momentum into the first week of the new season, becoming the first top seed to lift the Brisbane trophy since Roger Federer in 2015.
Nakajima is chasing his second Tour-level trophy, which he won in 2022 on his home soil in San Diego. The former Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF Champions has seen Brisbane ranked 31st in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
Nakajima didn’t drop a set in his fourth tour final but failed to defeat Medvedev, who now leads the American 3-0 in the Lexus ATP Head-to-Head series.
did you know?
Medvedev is the third active player to win 20 Tour hard-court trophies, following Novak Djokovic (72) and Jannik Sinner (21).
