Daniil Medvedev calls for change to the Australian Open schedule that every player would want

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Daniil Medvedev certainly knows a thing or two about the Australian Open…

The Russian star is a three-time Australian Open runner-up, having lost to Novak Djokovic in 2021, Rafael Nadal in 2022, and Jannik Sinner in 2024.

However, thanks to a poor 2025 season, Medvedev won’t enter this year’s tournament as one of the favorites.

That’s not to say he’s not planning to make a splash in Melbourne, though, as the 29-year-old continues his Australian Open prep at the Brisbane International.

With one eye on the first Grand Slam of the year, Medvedev shared his thoughts on the scheduling of the Australian Open during his latest press conference.

Daniil Medvedev says players want the Australian Open night session to start earlier

Earlier this week, Medvedev suggested that he’d like to see the Australian Open night sessions brought forward from 7pm to 6pm.

During his pre-tournament press conference in Brisbane, Medvedev was asked if other players had spoken to him about the schedule in reaction to his comments.

“We don’t really talk too much about what other players said in the press,” he said.

“But I do think that if you ask other players, I don’t think anyone would be, like, No, let’s start at 8:00.

“Probably everyone would be happy to start at 6:00.”

Medvedev understands it’s not a simple fix, but doesn’t want to deal with the late finishes he’s experienced over the years.

“I know that then it can be a problem for the day matches, but I’m pretty sure that it’s better to put it at 6:00, and if we need to start at 7:00 because of the day match, okay, but then there is a chance you can still start at 6:00 which would be better to not finish at 3:00 in the morning,” he said.

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“But I always said that even by saying this, I prefer to play at night.

“So whenever. 7:00, 6:00, second, I’m happy to play at night.”

En route to the 2024 Australian Open final, Medvedev beat Emil Ruusuvuori in a match that finished at 3.39 AM.

Late finishes like that undoubtedly affect a player’s ability to recover in time for their next match.

Moving the schedule forward, as Medvedev has suggested, could reduce the risk of players finishing matches so late.

Medvedev won’t want to put too much of his energy into worrying about the Australian Open just yet, though, as he has a job to do in Brisbane first.

Daniil Medvedev’s route to the Brisbane International title

The former world number one is the top seed in Brisbane, and would love nothing more than to kick off his year with a big win.

He won’t have it easy, though, competing in a strong field.

Daniil Medvedev’s projected route to the title (By ranking)

• 2026 Brisbane International 1R – Marton Fucsovics
• 2026 Brisbane International 2R – Frances Tiafoe
• 2026 Brisbane International QF – Joao Fonseca
• 2026 Brisbane International SF – Jiri Lehecka
• 2026 Brisbane International F – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Marton Fucsovics and Frances Tiafoe are no pushovers, but fans would undoubtedly love to see Medvedev face off against Brazilian wonderkid Joao Fonseca.

Fonseca won two ATP titles in 2025, more than Medvedev, and would relish the chance to test himself against a former Grand Slam champion.

However, he himself has work to do before he can dream of a quarterfinal matchup with Medvedev, having been drawn against last year’s finalist, Reilly Opelka, in the first round.

If Medvedev were to beat Fonseca, he could then play the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on his way to a potential title.

A title win for Medvedev in Brisbane could see him edge closer to a top 10 return.

With 250 points up for grabs, Medvedev could close to within 30 points of Jack Draper.

Only time will tell how the Russian will perform in Brisbane, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Medvedev will begin his Brisbane International campaign on Monday, January 5, when he takes on Hungary’s Fucsovics.