Medvedev rallies past Basilashvili to retain Almaty Open title

Daniil Medvedev successfully defended an ATP Tour title for the first time in his career on Sunday, recovering from a set down to beat Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3 in the 2026 Almaty Open final, reported Xinhua.

The top-seeded Russian overcame a strong start from Basilashvili, who matched Medvedev from the baseline in a closely contested opening set before fading as the match wore on.

Medvedev, who remained unbroken throughout the contest, gradually asserted his authority to secure his fourth title of the season and the 25th of his career after one hour and 53 minutes.

Basilashvili began confidently, using his powerful groundstrokes to put Medvedev under pressure and force a first-set tiebreak. The Russian held a set point but was unable to convert as the Georgian edged ahead.

However, Basilashvili struggled to maintain his early intensity, with Medvedev's consistency and defensive skills increasingly frustrating the 34-year-old.

The defending champion dominated the second set 6-1 before carrying that momentum into the decider, where he continued to dictate play and landed 78% of his first serves to complete the comeback.

"It was not easy but I had my chances in the first set. I got a bit unlucky," Medvedev said. "I knew I would probably have my chances to turn the match around. But I am happy to win."

Despite having won titles at several tournaments on multiple occasions, Medvedev had never previously managed to defend an ATP Tour crown.

"It is just a matter of time, luck, a moment," he said. "I was feeling fresh, physically good. Sascha [Bublik] being injured in the semis gave me an extra push in the final and I am happy to finally do it."

Medvedev reached Sunday's final after home favorite Alexander Bublik retired injured during their semifinal on Saturday, having lost the opening set 6-3. The Russian had earlier beaten Japan's Sho Shimabukuro and France's Terence Atmane.

The victory adds to Medvedev's titles in Brisbane, Dubai and Chengdu this season, with only Italy's Jannik Sinner, who has won six tournaments, claiming more ATP Tour titles in 2026.

The triumph also strengthened Medvedev's hopes of qualifying for November's season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

The former world No. 1, who won the event in 2020, sits fifth in the live qualification race with 2,670 points, 790 clear of 10th-placed Alex de Minaur, the first player outside the qualification places.

Medvedev, who competed at the ATP Finals for six consecutive years from 2019 to 2024 before missing out last season, will next compete at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna.

Despite the defeat, Basilashvili enjoyed an encouraging week in Almaty, reaching his first tour-level final since losing to Roberto Bautista Agut in Doha in 2022.

The five-time ATP Tour champion is set to climb 30 places to world No. 98 when the rankings are updated Monday, returning to the top 100 for the first time since February 2023.