SerpApi.Org
Daniil Medvedev suffered a bizarre and shocking defeat against Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round of Wimbledon in July 2026 by a score of 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 7-5, although he held the lead in every set.
This match was declared one of the biggest collapses of his career because, in the decisive moments, he inexplicably let winning positions slip away.
The match was marked by incredible twists and turns and one major controversy.
The Russian tennis player broke early in the first set and controlled the match, but allowed Struff to come back and win the set in a tie-break. In the second set, Medvedev once again made a strong start and took a 5-2 lead. When he should have calmly closed out the set, there was a huge drop in concentration, a lot of unforced errors and another lost tie-break.
The most incredible part of the match came in the third set when Medvedev built a double-break lead at the very start. However, even a 5-2 lead was not enough for him. The German won five games in a row and finished the match in three sets.
Medvedev committed 10 double faults during the match. This allowed Struff to break his serve five times, which is unacceptable on grass. The Russian earned 12 break points but converted only four.
During the match, there was also a controversial moment when Wimbledon's new video review system (VAR) overturned a decision in favor of Struff. That completely threw Medvedev out of rhythm and became the turning point of the match.
Steve Flink reacts
Steve Flink, a well-known tennis journalist, commented on Medvedev’s defeat at the latest Wimbledon. He noticed that the Russian tennis player reacted completely differently compared to before, emphasizing that he did not seem overly affected by the loss.
Flink notes that the Russian player was extremely calm, believing that he should approach this kind of result differently.
In the end, Flink pointed out that Medvedev’s results a few years ago were incredible, with very few people expecting his career to go in such a direction. Although Medvedev has had several good moments in recent years, it seems that he is still far from the level he was at several years ago.
“I was at his press conference and he seemed very calm; he didn’t appear particularly affected by the defeat, while I have seen Medvedev upset, frustrated, and somewhat confused after some losses. This time, he reacted with great composure, as has often been the case recently, but perhaps he is accepting these results a little too easily. It’s a shame.
It is a shame when you think about the period between 2019 and 2024: he experienced all those highs, those two five-set defeats against Rafa Nadal, one at the US Open and the other in Australia, and his victory over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final.
But this kind of performance, what happened to him against Struff, disappoints me greatly. He should be better than that.” he said, as translated.
Medvedev explains his views
The 30-year-old spoke to the media after his loss to Struff and shared his frustration, saying that he was clearly disappointed with his performance. The Russian has accustomed fans to top-level performances, so he is aware that he must do much better.
Medvedev showed a high level of motivation throughout the tournament, but it seemed that he lacked focus and motivation in the match against Struff. He believes that his opponent was better in the key moments of the match, which ultimately proved decisive.
"I should do better. I didn't manage to serve exactly the way I wanted. I didn't manage to play the way I wanted in the tie-breaks, because even if you're serving for the set or whatever, you can still win the set after."
He was better in the important points today. Yeah, really disappointed. I am truly disappointed because I felt I could do well at Wimbledon." he said.
What's next?
After an early elimination at Wimbledon, Daniil Medvedev turns to the North American hard-court swing, which represents his favorite and most successful surface of the year.
His focus in the coming period includes key Masters tournaments and preparation for the last Grand Slam of the season.
The National Bank Open in Montreal starts at the very beginning of August and is the first big test for Medvedev on hard courts after switching from grass, where he will try to improve his form.
At the Cincinnati Open, which will be played from August 12 to 23, Medvedev has already been officially confirmed among the participants. As a former champion of this Masters, having won it in 2019, he will be looking for a return to the latter stages of the tournament.
The main goal of the summer part of the season is the US Open in New York, which is played from August 24 to September 13. Despite his disappointing Wimbledon campaign, analysts still rank him among the favorites who could challenge Sinner and Alcaraz on hard courts as a dark horse.
Like our content? Follow Tennis World USA on MSN.
The Post Steve Flink questions Medvedev’s mindset after Wimbledon defeat: It’s a shame appeared first on Tennis World USA
