Daniil Medvedev 🇷🇺 vs. Reilly Opelka 🇺🇸

🎾 ATP Washington 2025 – Round of 32 Preview

Daniil Medvedev 🇷🇺 vs. Reilly Opelka 🇺🇸

📍 Washington, D.C. | 🗓️ July 24 | 🎾 Hard (Outdoor)

🧠 Form & Context

Daniil Medvedev
🧊 Hard-court revival: Back on his preferred surface after a shaky 2025 marked by Slam setbacks (R1 at Roland Garros and Australian Open) and inconsistent clay form.
🇺🇸 Washington flashback: Finalist here in 2019, but hasn’t returned since. As the No. 2 seed in 2025, the Russian is looking to regain momentum after a QF loss to Opelka in Hertogenbosch.
⚠️ Mixed H2H: Leads Opelka 4–2 but has dropped two of their last four meetings, including that tight grass-court defeat in June.

Reilly Opelka
🧱 Comeback campaign: Slowly regaining top form after two injury-plagued years. Already 10–6 on hard courts this season with solid runs in Miami, Eastbourne, and Hertogenbosch.
🔥 Home soil threat: When the serve is on, Opelka is a handful for anyone—and playing in the U.S. always brings an extra edge.
🔋 Building rhythm: Gritty R1 win over Cassone shows he’s battle-tested and fit enough for deep runs again.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This matchup centers around serve-return dynamics. Medvedev typically thrives against big servers thanks to his ultra-deep return position, consistency, and point construction. But when Opelka is locked in, especially on faster courts, his serve can be nearly unplayable—and the match can turn into a tiebreak lottery.

Opelka’s recent win over Medvedev came on grass, where movement and rhythm are harder to control. On hard courts, Medvedev has the edge in both categories. If he can get enough returns in play and challenge Opelka’s rally tolerance, he should create more opportunities as the match wears on.

Expect few break points, quick service games, and a handful of razor-thin moments that could decide the outcome. The longer the rallies, the more it favors Medvedev—who will aim to frustrate Opelka with depth, spins, and angles.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Medvedev in 3 sets — Opelka will keep it close with his serve and confidence, but Medvedev’s movement and court IQ give him the slight edge on this surface.