The Russian reached a final for the 10th consecutive season—this time after just his first week back in competition—and will be aiming for his 22nd ATP-level title. He has also gained a good boost of ranking points, slowly bringing him closer to the top 10 (currently positioned at No. 12 in the live rankings).
The showdown will take place in the second match of the Australian night session, following the WTA 500 Brisbane final between Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk.
Top seed Medvedev back in form
Medvedev made significant changes to his team at the end of last year after a couple of seasons marked by ranking drops and disappointing results. Since losing the 2023 US Open final to Novak Djokovic, Medvedev endured six consecutive final losses and went 29 months without a title.
Medvedev decided to part ways with his coach Giles Cervara—who is currently working with young star Nishesh Basavareddy—and added Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke to his team in September of last year. A few weeks later, he ended his title drought by winning the Almaty Open.
This week, Medvedev entered Brisbane as the top seed and lived up to expectations. He defeated Marton Fucsovics (6-2, 6-3) and Frances Tiafoe (6-4, 6-2) in straight sets, then dropped a set for the first time in the quarterfinals against Kamil Majchrzak (6-7, 6-3, 6-2). In the semifinals, he dominated the young Alex Michelsen (6-4, 6-2), securing the 41st final of his career, currently holding a 21-19 record in finals.
The Russian is seeking personal revenge in Brisbane, a tournament where he previously reached the final in 2019 but lost to Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Nakashima undefeated in Brisbane: Can he capture his second career title?
Nakashima reached the fourth final of his career, though it is his first since winning the San Diego Open in 2022. Several seasons of consistent results at Grand Slams and Masters events had passed without deep runs or new finals in smaller tournaments.
The former Next Gen ATP Finals champion saw this as a chance after delivering high-level performance from the very first round, defeating second seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets. The 24-year-old American has not dropped a set on his path, also eliminating Quentin Halys, Raphael Collignon, and Aleksander Kovacevic.
‘Naka’s’ strong campaign guarantees him entry into the top 30 for the first time and gives him the opportunity to go after his second career title. In his previous finals, his losses came precisely against more experienced players (Norrie and Isner in 2021). However, his reality now is that of a consolidated player, with several seasons at the top level, who will not be easily intimidated by a former world No. 1.
Medvedev dominates their head-to-head 2-0, with wins in Indian Wells 2023 (6-4, 6-3) and on the Madrid clay courts in 2025 (3-6, 6-1, 6-4).