Daniil Medvedev crashed out of Wimbledon in the third round on Friday after losing in straight sets to Jan Lennard Struff.
The Russian managed to earn a break of serve in each set against Struff, and was 5-2 up in the third, but ultimately fell 7-6, 7-6, 7-5.
Medvedev was on a quarterfinal collision course with defending champion Jannik Sinner, but now the Italian will take on either Struff or Hubert Hurkacz in the last eight should he get there.
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Despite the loss, Medvedev improved on his first-round exit from last year at the Wimbledon Championships and will gain ATP points.
But it was still a disappointing campaign for the former world number one, who gave an honest review of his performance when facing the media.
Daniil Medvedev reacts after exiting Wimbledon 2026
“I should do better,” admitted Medvedev in his post-match press conference.
“I didn’t manage to serve exactly the way I wanted. I didn’t manage to play the way I wanted in the tiebreaks, because even if you’re, like, serving for the set or whatever, you can still win the set after.
“He was better in the important points today. Yeah, really disappointed.”
Asked if his mentality changed when going a break up in each set against Struff, Medvedev replied: “No, I don’t think so.
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“I mean, because if we took, for example, the first two matches, it didn’t happen. So there are some matches where it happens; there are some matches where it doesn’t.
“So again, if it would be like fifth set and you’re serving for the match and then maybe it can be mental.
“Here it’s a third round, break up, just finish the set. Next match I’m probably going to do it.
“So it’s not about mentality. It’s just about being better in that moment and serving couple of good serves and doing couple of right shots and finishing the set.”
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It wasn’t just Medvedev’s loss that made Sinner’s route to a second consecutive Wimbledon title slightly more favourable.
Spanish teenage star Rafael Jodar also bowed out in the third round of the Championships on Friday, losing to Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, who Sinner will take on next.
Jodar, 19, enjoyed his breakthrough during the clay swing, making the semifinals at the Barcelona Open, and the quarterfinals in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.
But it was not to be for the young talent at Wimbledon, which was the first tour-level grass-court tournament he had ever played before.
If Sinner beats Mochizuki and one of Struff or Hurkacz, he will likely be faced with Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Djokovic beat Sinner in their last meeting at the Australian Open, but lost in their last meeting on grass at Wimbledon 2025.
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