Fasten your seatbelts! It’s time for the clash of the two former champions in Rotterdam. Daniil Medvedev is all set to start his campaign at the ABN AMRO Open against the three-time Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka. Both these players have been struggling a bit with their form recently.

However, speaking about his chances at this tournament, Medvedev said, “I am confident I can find my level and play my best in Rotterdam.” Can Daniil Medvedev really outshine Stan Wawrinka in this epic encounter in Rotterdam?

Daniil Medvedev vs Stan Wawrinka: Preview

Daniil Medvedev had an outstanding start to his season in 2024. He reached the final of the AO and then made it to the SF of the Dubai Tennis Championships before making it to another final at the Indian Wells Masters. Apart from that, Medvedev also reached the SF at the Wimbledon Championships last year, but he was defeated by the eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz in that match. Even in the US Open, he managed to reach the QF but failed to make it count when it mattered the most. Daniil Medvedev will be entering this tournament following his 3-6,6(4)-7,7-6(8),6-1,6(7)-7 loss to the young American, Learner Tien in the second round of the 2025 AO.

On the other hand, Stan Wawrinka will be entering this battle following his two-set defeat to Arthur Cazaux in the R32 of the Open Occitanie. If we take a look back at Wawrinka’s 2024 season, his best result came at the Stockholm Open where he reached the SF. Apart from that, the Swiss failed to put up a noteworthy performance in the last season. So, both players will be keen to bring out their A-game in this epic battle and make a winning start in Rotterdam.

Medvedev vs. Wawrinka: Head-to-Head

Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka have met each other four times in their careers so far. Currently, their H2H record is 2-2! So, there is nothing much to separate between the two considering this stat, but who has the edge in this epic content, though?

• 2022 Metz R16: Wawrinka 6-4,6(7)-7,6-3.
• 2020 Australian Open R16: Wawrinka 6-2,2-6,4-6,7-6(2),6-2.
• 2019 US Open QF: Medvedev 7-6(6),6-3,3-6,6-1.
• 2017 Wimbledon R128: Medvedev 6-4,3-6,6-4,6-1.

Prediction: Medvedev to win in three sets

Daniil Medvedev won this tournament in 2023, while Stan Wawrinka won it in 2015. The Swiss had even reached the final in Rotterdam in 2019. However, despite having a little edge over Medvedev in the previous record at this tournament, we’re still keeping Wawrinka slightly behind in this contest. Reason? Well, Daniil Medvedev has been in a better form comparatively in the last twelve months. Medvedev (7) had a win-loss of 44-20 last season, while Wawrinka (155) had a win-loss record of just 9-16 in 2024.

If we take a look at their playing styles, Stan Wawrinka has a powerful offensive baseline game. He has one of the strongest backhands on the Tour. Wawrinka is also known for his fast serves, but his majestic one-handed backhand shot is what separates him from all the other players on the Tour. However, his inconsistency has been the biggest hindrance in his career over the years. It’ll be very crucial for him to get the grip of the match right from the start, or else Daniil Medvedev surely has the potential to end this match within the blink of an eye.

On the other hand, Daniil Medvedev is more like a counterpunch with a powerful first serve in his armory. He loves hitting long, flat groundstrokes and often tends to wear down his opponents with lengthy baseline rallies. His biggest strength is his ability to play consistently and Medvedev has one of the best backhands on the Tour. However, his forehands are comparatively on the weaker side. Since both the players have achieved success in this tournament, we expect this match to go a little deeper but at the moment it seems a bit tough to put the Swiss over Medvedev in this epic battle!