Three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev has made a direct plea to tournament organisers, urging them to bring forward the start time of night matches at Melbourne Park. The Russian star's call comes after his own brutal experiences with matches concluding in the early hours of the morning, highlighting growing concerns over player welfare at the season's first Grand Slam.
A Personal Plea From a Midnight Marathon Man
Medvedev has become somewhat of an unwitting expert on late-night tennis in Melbourne. His request is born from painful personal experience. In 2023, he suffered a shock second-round defeat to American teenager Learner Tien in a match that finally concluded at 2:55am. The epic four-hour and forty-nine-minute battle saw Medvedev lose a heartbreaking fifth-set tiebreak.
The situation was even more extreme in 2024. On his way to the final, Medvedev battled Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori in a second-round five-set classic that did not finish until 3:39am. The world number thirteen later posted a photo of his watch showing 4:30am on social media with the simple caption: "It's late!" He revealed he didn't get to bed until 7am that morning.
"I am OK playing at night, but it is just that the first match starts at 7pm," Medvedev explained ahead of the Brisbane International. "When you have one match of five sets, and both of them went for five for me, it is a bit too late to start at 7pm. They should be starting at 6pm."
A Recurring Problem at Melbourne Park
Medvedev's late finishes are not isolated incidents but part of a notorious pattern at the Australian Open. The tournament has seen several matches stretch into the wee hours over the years:
- In 2023, Thanasi Kokkinakis lost to Andy Murray in a second-round thriller ending at 4:05am.
- In a legendary 2008 clash, Lleyton Hewitt beat Marcos Baghdatis in a third-round epic concluding at 4:34am. Hewitt went to bed at 6am and was then forced to face Novak Djokovic the next day, a match he lost.
Medvedev acknowledged he generally prefers playing night tennis but proposed a practical solution. Moving the first night match to a 6pm start could require adjusting the day session schedule slightly, a change organisers could feasibly make as show-court matches already begin later than those on outside courts.
Medvedev's Melbourne Journey and Hopes for 2025
The 29-year-old has a deep but complicated history at the Australian Open. He is desperate for a breakthrough victory after coming agonisingly close on multiple occasions.
He reached his first final in 2021, losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Later that year, he gained revenge on Djokovic to win his maiden and only Grand Slam title at the US Open. In the 2022 Melbourne final, he was two sets up against Rafael Nadal before succumbing in a five-set classic. Most recently, in the 2024 final, he again won the first two sets against Jannik Sinner before falling in another five-set marathon.
His 2024 campaign was historically gruelling. Medvedev set an Open-era record by playing for 24 hours and 17 minutes across the tournament, also establishing a new mark for the most sets played in a singles major with an incredible 31 sets.
"I like playing in the Australian Open, I feel like I can play good tennis there," Medvedev said. "I've played some great matches. I know when I play my best tennis I am able to beat anyone. I like generally to play on hard courts. The courts are pretty fast, so it suits me well."
Ahead of the upcoming summer, Medvedev is competing at the Brisbane International, a tournament where he reached the final in 2019. "Great memories from Brisbane. I like the city. I'm happy to be back," he said. "Last time I played here I made the final, so I am going to try and do better." His campaign in Brisbane will be the first test of his form as he builds towards another attempt at conquering Melbourne – hopefully, with a little more sleep.
