Daniil Medvedev, one of the top tennis players in the world, has had a challenging start to his 2025 season, losing four of his 11 matches. The Russian star, who is known for his powerful groundstrokes and strategic play, has faced a series of setbacks that have left him struggling to find his form.

Medvedev arrived in Melbourne later than expected due to the birth of his second child. This delay may have contributed to his shock defeat in the second round of the Australian Open. Despite his best efforts, he fell to a surprising loss against an up-and-coming American qualifier, Learner Tien, in a grueling five-set match.

Following his loss in Melbourne, Medvedev traveled to the Netherlands for the Rotterdam Open, where he once again came unstuck in his second-round match. This time, he lost to Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6. The defeat left Medvedev stunned, as he struggled to find his rhythm on Centre Court.

Medvedev’s struggles continued in Marseille, where he was beaten by Hamad Medjedovic. He then headed to the Middle East for the ATP 500 events in Doha and Dubai. In Qatar, Medvedev shockingly retired mid-way through his quarter-final match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, later revealing that he was suffering from food poisoning.

Now, Medvedev is looking to bounce back at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Reflecting on his first loss of the season in Melbourne, Medvedev expressed his surprise at Learner Tien’s performance. Speaking after his first-round victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in Dubai, Medvedev said,

“I was surprised in a good way that he won the next match, because it is tough when you are 19 years old and you beat a top player. The next match is usually tough. That shows that he has huge potential to be able to pull this off.”

Tien, who beat Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6, embarked on an impressive run to the Australian Open last 16. His victory over Medvedev was a significant milestone, as it was one of the biggest wins of his career to date.

Medvedev then explained how he felt after experiencing such a tough defeat. He said,

“Mentally you are destroyed, you lose second-round and you are not used to it. Tough match served for the match. What else? A lot of negative things but you come back to your beautiful family and have a good time and then you come back to the practice court.”

Medvedev’s struggles against lower-ranked opponents in 2025 have been particularly notable. Just two months into the season, he has already handed out three ATP youngsters their first top-ten wins. Of his four defeats this year, just one has come against a player ranked inside the world’s top 90.

His defeat to Canada’s Auger-Aliassime was arguably his ‘best’ of 2025, retiring after one set against the world number 23. Medvedev’s struggles have raised questions about his form and fitness, as well as his ability to bounce back from such setbacks.

Learner Tien’s performances since beating Medvedev at the 2025 Australian Open have been impressive. Tien waited a few weeks to return to action, next competing at the Delray Beach Open in Florida. He won his opener against Australia’s Adam Walton, 6-4, 6-3, before falling to defeat against top 40 star Matteo Arnaldi in three sets.

Advancing through the qualifying tournament just as he did in Melbourne, Tien has looked impressive during the early stages of the Mexican Open in Acapulco. His win over Cameron Norrie was one of the biggest of his career to date, as he advanced to the second round without dropping a set. Tien will face a much tougher test there, as he faces off against world number two Alexander Zverev, who reached the final in Melbourne last month.

Tien will take on Zverev for a place in the Mexican Open quarter-finals on Thursday, February 27. The match promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both players showcasing their skills and determination.