Medvedev cruises to Brisbane crown in confident Australian Open tune-up

Daniil Medvedev has launched his 2026 campaign in convincing fashion, defeating Brandon Nakashima in straight sets to claim the men's title at the Brisbane International.

The world No. 3 prevailed 6-2, 7-6 (1) in one hour and 34 minutes, banking a composed performance that underlined his readiness for the Australian Open. It marked Medvedev's first season-opening tournament win since Sydney in 2018 and the 22nd title of his career-each earned at a different event.

"I came here to win, not just to prepare," Medvedev said. "Starting strong after a good preparation is important for confidence. I'm happy with how it went and I'm looking forward to Melbourne."

Medvedev set the tone early, racing to a 3-0 lead with his first serve humming as Nakashima struggled to settle. The American briefly threatened, carving out a break point, but a handful of unforced errors allowed Medvedev to maintain control. Despite a relaxed demeanour-occasionally punctuated by flashes of irritation after double faults-the Russian closed the opening set with authority.

The second set offered more resistance. Medvedev experimented tactically, including a few undercooked drop shots, while Nakashima's athletic defence kept him in contention. A decisive break at 4-2 put Medvedev on course, yet Nakashima fought back late, earning chances as Medvedev served for the match and drawing the crowd into the contest.

Those hopes were short-lived. Medvedev dominated the tiebreak 7-1, unleashing a run of aces and clean groundstrokes to seal his maiden Brisbane title and cap a polished start to the year.

"I know when I'm playing well there aren't many players who beat me easily," Medvedev said. "In Australia, you never know-you can face someone like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner-but I'm happy with where my game is right now."