Daniil Medvedev ended his two-year title drought on Sunday, defeating France’s Corentin Moutet 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 to claim the ATP 250 title in Almaty.
Since his last triumph in Rome in May 2023, the world No. 14 had lost six finals, including the US Open that same year and the Australian Open the following January.
This season has been challenging for the Russian, who exited early in all four Grand Slams — the second round in Melbourne and the first rounds at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Following his disappointing showing in New York, Medvedev teamed up with new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke. The partnership has quickly paid off, as he reached the semi-finals in both Beijing and Shanghai before sealing his 21st career title in Kazakhstan.
The victory also strengthens his bid to qualify for the year-ending ATP Finals, lifting him three places to 12th in the race standings — just 875 points behind Lorenzo Musetti, who currently holds the eighth and final qualification spot.
“It feels great,” Medvedev said after the win. “I wasn’t entirely happy with some parts of my performance, but winning again feels amazing. In the key moments, I played well.”
Medvedev will now head to Vienna for the ATP 500 tournament as he continues his push up the rankings.
After splitting the first two sets, Medvedev took control in the decider. Although Moutet saved four break points at 2–1, the former world No. 1 finally broke the Frenchman’s serve at 4–3 before closing out the match confidently.
“The final game was incredible, and I’m thrilled to take the title,” Medvedev added. “It continues my funny streak — 21 titles in 21 different cities.”
Moutet, 26, is still waiting for his first career title, having now lost three finals — in Doha (2020), Mallorca (2024), and Almaty (2025).