Key Takeaways
- Daniil Medvedev defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round of the US Open without dropping a set in the tournament.
- Medvedev overcame a 4-2 first-set deficit, saying: “I have to stay in there, fight, and then starting from this moment from the 4-2, I feel like I was all over the place.”
- Addressing the demands of family life compared to tennis, Medvedev joked that both are “impossible”, but noted that being with family is always a better experience than losing a five-set match.
Daniil Medvedev overcomes windy conditions and early deficit in New York
Daniil Medvedev maintained his flawless record at Flushing Meadows by reaching the fourth round of the US Open without dropping a single set. The former champion delivered a commanding display to defeat France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, navigating tricky conditions and an early test on the Grandstand court.
Entering the clash with an even 1-1 head-to-head record against Rinderknech, Medvedev had to dig deep during the opening stages after falling behind early in the first set. He quickly found his rhythm from the baseline, utilizing his trademark defensive coverage and relentless baseline depth to seize complete control of the match.
“That was a great match,” Medvedev stated in his post-match on-court interview. “Rough start because Arthur has a great serve and I was 4-2 down. So, many matches you’re going to find yourself one set down, but I knew you know the match is long. I have to stay in there, fight, and then starting from this moment from the 4-2, I feel like I was all over the place.”
Reflecting on his turnaround from that early break, he added: “I was running well. I was returning well. I was good in important moments. Great to close out the match. So, really happy with my level and I’m looking forward.”
Mastering the elements and contrasting tennis with family life
Both competitors had to adjust to blustery weather that challenged timing and ball strike throughout the afternoon. Medvedev assessed that the weather favored his style slightly more than his opponent’s aggressive approach, allowing him to absorb pace and force errors.
“Today was windy, but I think at the end of the day I could feel that we were both struggling in some shots,” Medvedev explained. “But I could feel that maybe he was struggling a bit more because of also his game of how powerful it is. Sometimes with the wind, you know, sometimes it can help. Sometimes it can be tricky, so that was probably today the toughest part was the wind, but I managed to do it a bit better than him, so I’m happy about it.”
When questioned about what demanded more mental endurance—a grueling five-set battle at a Grand Slam or managing life at home with his young daughter—Medvedev responded with humor: “God, they are both tough. They are impossible. Impossible.”
He conceded that coming home is far sweeter than the agony of a marathon defeat on the court. “I have to say the day at home with the family, even if sometimes, you know, with the daughter mentally can be tough and some days are amazing. It’s at the end of the day, it’s always a nice experience,” Medvedev said. “I have to be honest, when you lose a five-set, at the end of the day, it’s a very bad experience. Your body hurts, your mind hurts, you lost a match, you have to go home, you have to, I don’t know, book your tickets, think about how you practice the days, what you do. So, definitely better to be at home with the family.”
Medvedev also amused the crowd by recounting a trip to a clay court where his daughter showed signs of his passionate demeanor: “I took her to the practice once. It’s on clay. And she comes and she’s happy to play tennis. And so just she doesn’t really watch my matches yet. And you know, even if sometimes I break a racket, it’s not like every match I throw the racket 65 times. And then she’s happy, so she did it not out of frustration, but she throws the racket through the whole court. And the coach, the lady, yeah, the lady looks at me and says, ‘I don’t know where she got this from.’ So yeah, that’s you know, that’s how she is. So probably, you know, if she plays tennis, you guys going to have a lot of fun.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrlZuz4_Ke4
ATP U.S. Open - Daniil Medvedev's projected path
Medvedev at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently the world no.8, Medvedev has achieved a composed 34-15 win-loss record in 2026. The Russian is playing at the U.S. Open where he bested the world no.91 Hugo Gaston 6-4 6-2 6-4, the world no.731 Sebastian Gorzny 6-1 6-3 7-5 and the world no.29 Arthur Rinderknech 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Daniil Medvedev will fight against the world no.12 Frances Tiafoe in the 4th round. The head to head is 6-2 for Medvedev.
The Russian has won 2 titles in 2026 in Brisbane and Dubai.
Daniil won 23 titles in his career: 12 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 9 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Arthur Rinderknech in 2026
Now the world no.29, Rinderknech played his last match on the 4th of September when he lost to world no.8 Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open (draw).
This season the French player achieved an overall 18-21 record.
Daniil Medvedev and Arthur Rinderknech fought against each other 3 times. Their actual record is 2-1 for Medvedev.
