By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Photo credit: US Open/USTA
Changeovers provide players a moment to reset and recharge.
Daniil Medvedev turned changeoever into career counseling session in Winston-Salem.
During the top-seeded Russian’s 7-5, 6-3 opening-round loss to American Martin Damm watch the mercurial Medvedev first consider a career shift to pickleball then summon the spirit of former US Open Mixed Doubles champion Jack Sock into mix.
“Maybe I should start a career in pickleball,” Medvedev muses out loud. “Not too late. With Jack Sock in doubles.”
Never change, Meddy 🤣@WSOpen pic.twitter.com/kpQy1Omyv2
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 26, 2026
Baring his inner frustration, Medvedev summed up feelings of futility putting even curling ahead of tennis in his wounded heart.
“Every sport on this planet is better, man,” Medvedev said. “Even curling right now.”
The 2021 US Open champion has cause to vent ahead of his Flushing Meadows return. Medvedev suffered his second opening-round defeat in his last three North American hard-court events, including a first-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in Montreal.
In fact, since his run to the Rome semifinals where he fell to Jannik Sinner on red clay, Medveved has posted a 7-7 record and split with coach Thomas Johansson after his Wimbledon third-round exit.
Despite his struggles, and his musing for a Sock pickleball partnership, former world No. 1 Medvedev can still look forward to self improvement in Flushing Meadows.
A year ago, Medvedev fell to Benjamin Bonzi in a wild US Open first-rounder that saw a photographer bounced after he walked onto the court. Prior to his 2025 Flushing Meadows first-round exit, Medvedev had reached quarterfinals or better in five of his last six US Open appearances.
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