No one has come closer to beating Jannik Sinner than Daniil Medvedev during his 29-match winning streak.
Earlier this month, Sinner beat Medvedev in a three-set classic at the Italian Open, as the world number one narrowly escaped with the win, thanks to a controversial medical timeout and a rain delay.
Which player is most likely to stop Jannik Sinner from winning the French Open? 🤔
During his pre-Roland Garros press conference, Medvedev was asked if he had any advice for other players on how to challenge Sinner.
Daniil Medvedev says every part of your game needs to be at the ‘top level’ to stand a chance of beating Jannik Sinner
“Yeah, it’s super tough,” said Medvedev.
“Any match that we saw, even this year, I think he lost only two.
Matches Jannik Sinner has lost this year
- 2026 Australian Open SF – Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
- 2026 Qatar Open QF – Jakub Mensik defeated Jannik Sinner, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3
“The only way to beat him, you need to be at your best for, I wanted to say three sets, here maybe four, five sets.
“You need to run, be strong, serve well, return well, everything needs to be at the top level.
“Because his game, everything is at the top level.
“That’s what I managed to do in Rome, especially in the second set, third set, I had one sloppy game on my serve, and I lost with one break.
“He is a very tough player, tough opponent, but I always say sport is sport. He can lose.
“There is a big chance, if he plays like he plays now, that he can win the whole thing.
“But every round, someone is going to be on the other side of the court from him, and try his best to beat him.
“If I’m there, I’m actually in a way happy because it’s only in the semis, I think, and I’m going to try as well.”
Medvedev continued, explaining what makes Sinner so difficult to beat.
“I think if we compare it to any other player, the difference is Jannik can decide at any moment, let’s call it, step up, and for example, go down the line,” he said.
“But not many players can do the backhand down the line, and do it every time, almost as a winner. He can.
“He can do it for three sets…
“If you try to wrong-foot him, he basically doesn’t wrong-foot, so he’s there.
“It’s not easy to play him, but at the same time, I have to say, I enjoy it.
Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev’s head-to-head record (10-7)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2026 Italian Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 |
| 2026 Indian Wells – F | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2024 ATP Finals – RR | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2024 Shanghai Masters – QF | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2024 US Open – QF | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2024 Wimbledon – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 |
| 2024 Miami Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2024 Australian Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2023 ATP Finals – SF | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 |
| 2023 Vienna Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2023 China Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2023 Miami Open – F | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2023 Rotterdam Open – F | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2022 Vienna Open – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2021 ATP Finals – RR | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 6-0, 6-7, 7-6 |
| 2021 Marseille – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2020 Marseille – 2R | Daniil Medvedev | Jannik Sinner | 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 |
“I had some really good matches against him, even the ones I lost.
“It’s a tough challenge, which I will always try to win.
“I know I lost many matches against him lately, but some of them were pretty close, and I’m like, okay, next time I have to do even better, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Medvedev knows he could play Sinner in the semi-finals of Roland Garros, but who stands between him and a rematch with the world number one?
Daniil Medvedev’s route to a potential rematch with Jannik Sinner
The Russian will play Adam Walton in the first round of the French Open.
A win is far from a foregone conclusion, given Medvedev lost his opening match at Roland Garros a year ago, but if he gets the job done, he can look forward to a second-round tie against Alexei Popyrin or Zachary Svajda.
Medvedev could meet his first seed of the tournament in the third round, if Francisco Cerundolo wins his opening matches.
He may then need to beat the likes of Flavio Cobolli and Felix Auger-Aliassime to secure his spot in the semi-finals.
The Sinner rematch is a long way away, though, and Medvedev will now focus on his first-round match against Walton on Monday, May 25.
