3 Reasons Daniil Medvedev can topple the World Number One

Daniil Medvedev has shown several times he has what it takes to topple Novak Djokovic, but can he do it on the big stage? These 3 reasons say yes he can.

Reason #1 – Superior AO 2021 Performance

Daniil Medvedev has had an outstanding run at the Australian Open 2021 so far, making it to the final relatively unscathed. Dropping only 2 sets so far, the Russian has been relatively dominant in each of his matches, no matter how formidable his opponent was.

In his last two matches, Daniil Medvedev took down the 7th and 5th seeds in straight sets, besting Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals followed by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis. Tsitsipas, who had just defeated world no.2 Rafael Nadal, was in top form throughout the tournament, but not even the young talent from Greece could stop the Russian bulldozer seizing the win.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic has also had a fairly solid run at the Australian Open thus far, though not quite as graceful as Medvedev. The world number 1 has dropped a total of 5 sets, with a whopping total of 6 tie-breaks on his journey to the finals.

While this may not be a major issue for the Serb at first glance, considering that Daniil Medvedev has not had a single tie-break in the tournament is testimony to the lack of challenge his opponents have been able to provide. In addition, Medvedev has shown no signs of potential injury or over-exhaustion, while Djokovic revealed he may be more injury-prone through his medical timeouts, possibly resulting from his relatively tighter matches.

Reason #2 – 20-Match Win Streak

Perhaps even more impressive still, is that Daniil Medvedev is currently on a 20-match win streak, and his momentum is only increasing in the Australian Open. This incredible stat is only amplified by the additional fact that among these 20 wins, Medvedev has defeated a top 10 player on 12 occasions, covering each member of the top 10 with the exception of Roger Federer who has been absent during this time.

It is remarkable to think that one could go a full 5 months without losing a match, but Medvedev has denied all odds to do exactly that, and in great fashion too. Among his incredible streak, the world number four managed to take down Djokovic, Nadal, Thiem, Rublev, Berrettini and Tsitsipas for an awesome record and an arsenal of confidence going into the Australian Open final.

Reason #3 – Head-to-Head Record

Most importantly of all, and perhaps the biggest factor as to why Daniil Medvedev may topple the World Number One this year, is their recent head-to-head statistics. Having met a total of 7 times on court, Medvedev has bested the Joker on 3 occasions, more notably however, is that these 3 wins make up their last four matches.

While the Russian is well aware of what he is up against, he has shown confidence in his abilities and experience battling with Novak Djokovic, stating the following in the lead up to the final:

"“I think the H2H doesn’t matter that much. I lost versus him in tight matches and I didn’t have my current level. When you play the Big Three for the 1st time, it’s tough. 7 times, it gives experience,” Medvedev noted."

Coming off the back of an incredible straight-set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev will be facing Novak Djokovic with two things: the uplifting stat of having beaten him in their last encounter, and the crushing stat of Novak’s 8-0 Australian Open finals record. This year’s Grand Slam final at Melbourne Park will be one to remember.