Daniil Medvedev Ends Title Drought, Nick Kyrgios Predicts Future Grand Slam Winner

Daniil Medvedev secured his first title in 882 days yesterday, winning the Almaty Open, while fellow player Nick Kyrgios has predicted either Medvedev or Alexander Zverev will win a Grand Slam tournament by 2026.

Medvedev defeated Corentin Moutet 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Kazakhstan. This victory marks the 21st title of Medvedev’s career, remarkably achieved in 21 different cities. The win is particularly significant as Medvedev has struggled in major tournaments recently, experiencing first-round exits in three consecutive Grand Slams following a second-round loss at the Australian Open.

The triumph came shortly after Kyrgios, while coaching Richard Gasquet at the UTS Hong Kong, offered a series of predictions for the 2026 season. Regarding the Grand Slam prospects of Medvedev and Zverev, Kyrgios stated, “Zverev or Medvedev is going to win a Grand Slam in 2026. I think that those two guys are going to be hungry. Obviously [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz are the juggernauts and the titans. But I think that Medvedev and Zverev are sick of them winning all the Grand Slams. So maybe one of those two.” Zverev has reached three Grand Slam finals without a win, including a loss to Sinner at this year’s Australian Open. You can find more information about the ATP Tour here.

Kyrgios also highlighted rising stars Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Joao Fonseca, predicting Perricard will break into the top 10 and Fonseca will reach the quarterfinals or semifinals of a Grand Slam. Interestingly, Perricard and Fonseca are scheduled to face each other in their opening match at the Swiss Indoors Basel this week. This influx of new talent suggests a changing landscape in professional tennis, as reported by The Tennis Gazette.

Officials have not yet commented on Kyrgios’ predictions, but the Almaty Open victory will likely boost Medvedev’s confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.