Brisbane Semifinalist Medvedev on Secret to Early-Season Success

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, January 9, 2026
Photo credit: Brisbane International Facebook

Billie Jean King famously observed “pressure is a privilege.”

Daniil Medvedev views pressure as propulsion Down Under.

The top-seeded Medvedev rallied past Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2.

The 2019 Brisbane finalist Medvedev reached his 52nd career hard-court semifinal—second only to Novak Djokovic (127) among active players.

Medvedev will meet Alex Michelsen for a spot in the final.

In an all-American quarterfinal, Michelsen won 70 percent of his second-serve points in a 6-3, 7-6(7) in a match that offered just one break of serve. Medvedev has won both prior meetings vs. the 21-year-old Michelsen.

Three-time Australian Open finalist Medvedev says the secret to his success Down Under is simple: Stress.

Each new season feels stressful, Medvedev says, so there’s often more urgency to apply the work he’s done in preseason to Australian match play.

“Never talked about this, but I think the fact that it’s after preseason. It’s a bit stressful, because you haven’t played for like one month and a half, you’re probably trying few new things,” Medvedev said. “And when I say “new things,” not like and serve and volley on every point, but you kind of try to put the things you worked on, maybe forehand a bit faster or stuff like this, in the match.

“So a tiny bit stress. Is it going to work, maybe I’m gonna miss, maybe I’m gonna be scared or something.”

World No. 13 Medvedev, who has won his 21 singles titles in 21 different cities, is seeking his first title on Australian soil since the 2018 Sydney championship. Medvedev said he’s eager to enact tactics he’s worked on with his coaches—Aussie Rohan Goetzke and former AO champion Thomas Johansson—in match play.

“I love this preseason work,” Medvedev said. “I usually work hard physically. I work hard tennis-wise, mentally, and I usually come out better after the preseason. 

“When you play [ATP Finals in]  Turin, you have a shorter preseason, so this is the first time in probably six, seven years I had a longer preseason, and working great.”

Former world No. 1 Medvedev is playing to spoil the prospect of an all-American final in Brisbane.

The winner of the Medvedev-Michelsen semifinal will play either world No. 58 Aleksandar Kovacevic, who defused Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, or Brandon Nakashima, who defeated Raphael Collignon, 6-3, 6-3.

Both Americans have reaped the rewards of coaching partnerships with veteran U.S. coaches. David Witt, who previously coached Venus Williams, Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe, has been working with Kovacevic. Former Wimbledon doubles and mixed doubles champion Rick Leach has been coaching Nakashima.