Tennis fans were largely deprived of one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities in 2025 as Daniil Medvedev endured a shockingly poor season. But the enigmatic Russian heads into the Australian Open in promising form.

Medvedev ended an 882-day title drought in October with a victory in Almaty and followed it up by lifting the Brisbane International trophy on Sunday, providing a timely boost ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam.

The resurgence has been credited to a revamped coaching setup, led by 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson and part-time Australian coach Rohan Goetzke. Medvedev turned to the duo after a third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, a low point that also prompted a split with long-time coach Gilles Cervara, the Frenchman who had guided him to world number one and his 2021 U.S. Open title.

“It was, of course, a big decision in my life with Gilles,” Medvedev said at Melbourne Park on Friday. “Depending on how we count, it was 11 or eight years fully together. In the end, after the U.S. Open, it felt like the right moment, the turning point. It helped me a lot. I’ve loved working with Thomas and Rohan.

“We started on a kind of trial period until the end of the season, but I love working with them, I think they love working with me, so we decided to continue. Hopefully it can be a long and great partnership.”

A motivated and fit Medvedev is welcome news for a men’s tour that was dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2025. At his peak, Medvedev regularly challenged the sport’s greats, defeating Novak Djokovic to claim his first—and only—Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows while delighting and frustrating fans with his on-court antics.

Tennis enthusiasts will be hoping he can recapture those glory days in Melbourne, where he has reached three finals, including a heartbreaking defeat to Sinner two years ago after leading by two sets.

Now 29, Medvedev’s career could be entering a revival phase, though he remains measured about expectations. He has set himself a singular, somewhat quirky goal: to win a title for a second time. All 22 of his career trophies to date have come at different tournaments.

“My goal now is to win a second title somewhere I’ve already won,” he said. “It’s a clear goal. I’m saying it out loud. I don’t know if I’ll achieve it, but I’ll do my best to try. Here we’re in Melbourne, so hopefully I can get to 23 before claiming a second somewhere else.”