Medvedev Turns Almaty Final Around to Win First Successful Title Defence

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — October 25, 2026. Daniil Medvedev has finally broken an unusual pattern in his decorated career: for the first time, he has successfully defended an ATP Tour singles title. The world No. 5 recovered from losing a tight first-set tiebreak to defeat Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6–7(6), 6–1, 6–3 in Sunday’s completed Almaty Open final.

The result delivered Medvedev his 25th tour-level singles trophy and fourth title of the 2026 season. More importantly for the final weeks of the calendar, it strengthened his position in the race for the eight-player ATP Finals in Turin. The score and championship status were independently checked against Reuters’ October 25 report and Tennis Majors’ final report.

Watch: Medvedev versus Basilashvili, Almaty final highlights

Watch the October 25 final highlights on Sky Sport Germany →

Video credit: Sky Sport Germany, “Daniil Medvedev – Nikoloz Basilashvili – die Highlights | ATP Almaty,” dated October 25, 2026 at 13:53 local site time. This is a direct broadcaster watch link, not a rehosted clip. No YouTube iframe is shown because an exact-event, official, independently verified embeddable YouTube upload could not be established. Playback or access may depend on region and broadcaster availability.

How the match turned

Basilashvili arrived with the momentum of an improbable qualifying run. Ranked No. 128 before the tournament, he had navigated a demanding route to the championship match and edged the opener in a tiebreak. At that point, the upset was plausible: the underdog had taken the only set decided by a handful of points.

But Medvedev’s response was emphatic. Winning the second set 6–1 reset the contest, and his 6–3 third set prevented Basilashvili from turning one narrow set into a championship. The decisive contrast was not simply experience versus inexperience: it was Medvedev’s ability to keep a match within his preferred baseline rhythm after the early disappointment, while Basilashvili struggled to maintain the first-set resistance across three sets.

The final also illustrates a familiar tennis distinction. A close opening set can suggest an even contest, but the later scorelines reveal whether that level is sustainable. Medvedev took 12 of the last 16 games after the tiebreak. That is the clearest numerical measure of how thoroughly he reversed the match’s direction.

Why this title matters beyond Almaty

Medvedev had previously collected titles at numerous different tournaments without successfully retaining one the following year. Winning in the same city for a second straight season closes that gap in his résumé and adds pressure to rivals chasing the remaining ATP Finals places. It is a meaningful momentum signal, though not a guarantee of qualification or future form.

For Basilashvili, defeat does not erase the week’s achievement. Reaching an ATP 250 final from qualifying, and taking a set from a top-five opponent, offers a strong platform for a return up the rankings. The final result, however, belongs unambiguously to Medvedev; this was a completed championship match, not live or provisional scoring.

Event context: The ATP Tour’s official tournament page lists the 2026 Almaty Open as an October 19–25 hard-court event in Kazakhstan. Tennis TV is the ATP Tour’s authorized streaming platform; do not mistake its older Almaty clips for footage of this final.

Image: Illustrative archival tennis photograph by Moises Alex / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. It does not depict Medvedev, Basilashvili or the October 25 Almaty final.

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