Daniil Medvedev’s dismal string of Grand Slam performances continued with a first-round loss to Adam Walton at the French Open on Tuesday afternoon. Walton was a point away from going down a double-break in the fifth set, but the Australian stormed back for a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory.
For Medvedev, this marks the sixth consecutive slam at which he has failed to reach the quarterfinals. During this stretch, he has lost in the first round four times and has been past the second round only once.
“I do feel like I was — and I do think I am still — usually good in Grand Slams,” the 2021 U.S. Open champion said afterward. “Meaning, yes, I can lose even now (in the) first round, but I don’t think I lost the ability to perform in Grand Slams. “I do think it can come back (at) any moment — meaning at Wimbledon, for example. But, again, if we talk in general about all four Grand Slams compared to all four Grand Slams five years ago, the game is different in these Grand Slams — and I don’t think it suits me well.
“It’s very tough for me to get the rhythm going. (The) first round is the toughest one.”
Speaking of firsts, it was Walton’s first-ever win over a top-10 opponent. The 27-year-old had defeated Medvedev once before at last summer’s Cincinnati Masters, but that was when the Russian was ranked 15th. Until Tuesday, that had been Walton’s lone victory over a top-20 opponent.
“I had the belief that I could definitely go out there and beat him,” the world No. 97 commented. “Obviously having done it in Cincinnati was a huge confidence booster. Yeah, to get a first top-10 win at a slam is pretty epic.”
Walton is joined in the second round by Jan-Lennard Struff, who ousted 2025 Roland Garros quarterfinalist Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-5.
In addition to Medvedev and Bublik, other seeds who crashed out on Tuesday were Cameron Norrie, Tallon Griekspoor, and Corentin Moutet.