Daniil Medvedev explains why he was 'proud' despite losing to Alexei Popyrin in Toronto

Daniil Medvedev continues to struggle in 2025, as he heads out of the Canadian Open.

The Russian star began his North American hard-court season at the Washington Open, where he lost to Corentin Moutet in the quarterfinals.

Returning to action in Toronto, Medvedev defeated Czech youngster Dalibor Svrcina in his opening match to set up a third-round clash with defending champion Alexei Popyrin.

Winning the first set, things were looking good for the world number 14 in Toronto before Popyrin battled back to secure the win in three, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

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After the match, Medvedev explained why he was ‘proud’ despite suffering an early exit at the Canadian Open.

Daniil Medvedev was ‘proud’ of his behavior during Canadian Open defeat

Speaking to Russian media outlet ‘Bolshe!’ after the match, Medvedev highlighted the positives he’s taking from his Canadian Open experience.

“To be honest, the way I fought in this match, I think I behaved correctly,” he said.

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“I’m proud of myself for this, not for the result but because of what I did on the court.

“Because of this, I believe that whether it’s in Cincinnati, the US Open, or even further in the future, at some point [the level] will return.”

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Reflecting on the match itself, Medvedev claimed his serve let him down at times, as Popyrin secured breaks at the crucial moments.

“I played a few service games badly,” he said.

“It’s a shame because I tried, it’s not working out the way I want it to yet, but if I continue to do everything right, then at some point it will work out.”

Player Aces Double faults 1st Serve % Win % on 1st Serve Win % on 2nd Serve Break points Daniil Medvedev 12 8 53% 76% 57% 2/11 Alexei Popyrin 7 7 61% 84% 48% 3/12 Serving stats from Daniil Medvedev v Alexei Popyrin

The Russian then shared whether he believed he played better against Popyrin than he did during his second-round win over Svrcina.

“I played terribly in my last match; it was one of my worst matches this year, which is not the best. Nothing worked,” said Medvedev.

“But, as I said after that match, that doesn’t really matter; all that matters is that you win.

“Otherwise, you can walk around all year saying ‘But at least I played well’, the main thing is to win, and so far it hasn’t worked out.”

Medvedev will now switch his focus to the Cincinnati Open, an event he won back in 2019.

Daniil Medvedev won his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati six years ago

During his breakout 2019 season, Medvedev qualified for four ‘big’ hard-court finals on tour.

After losing the Canadian Open final to Rafael Nadal, Medvedev travelled to Cincinnati full of confidence, in search of a maiden Masters 1000 title.

Medvedev was far from the favorite, entering the event as the number nine seed, although he quickly made his presence felt in Ohio.

Making his way through to the semifinals without too much trouble, Medvedev took on Serbian legend Novak Djokovic.

Round Opponent Result Score 1R Kyle Edmund Win 6-2, 7-5 2R Benoit Paire Win 7-6, 6-1 3R Jan-Lennard Struff Win 6-2, 6-1 QF Andrey Rublev Win 6-2, 6-3 Daniil Medvedev at the 2019 Cincinnati Open

In three sets, Medvedev defeated Djokovic to advance to the final, securing his second career victory over the now 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Standing between Medvedev and his first Masters 1000 title was Belgium’s David Goffin, who was appearing in his first Masters final.

Goffin gave it his all but was no match for the towering Russian, who secured the win in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.

For the first time in his career, Medvedev was a Masters 1000 champion, but there was still work to be done in 2019.

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Heading over to New York for the US Open, Medvedev qualified for his third ‘big’ final in a row, as he met Nadal once more.

Losing in five sets, Medvedev came up short in his first Grand Slam final, but bounced back to win the Shanghai Masters a month later.

Finishing the year ranked number five in the world, Medvedev had established himself as one of the best hard-court players in the men’s game.

The 29-year-old would no doubt love to rediscover that form now, as he looks to find some momentum leading into the US Open.

Medvedev will return to action when the 2025 Cincinnati Open begins on Saturday, August 9.

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