ATP Tour
Rivalry in 2025: Medvedev VS Zverev
Medvedev tightens control over exciting rivalry in three high-stakes games
November 28, 2025
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Daniil Medvedev holds a 14-8 lead over Alexander Zverev in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series.
Jerome Coombe
To mark the end of another exciting season, ATPTour.com presents our annual “Best of” series, which will reflect the most interesting rivalries, games, comebacks, upsets and more. This week, we’re taking a look back at the best games of the year.
After meeting just once in 2024, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev reignited their longstanding rivalry with three fascinating chapters in 2025. In three high-stakes encounters – one of which featured match point saves – Medvedev tightened his grip on the Lexus ATP Head2Head series, extending his advantage to 14-8. Here, ATPTour.com looks back at their 2025 clash.
Harley SFs, Medvedev d. Zverev 7-6(3), 6-7(1), 6-4
To reach his first tour final in 15 months, Medvedev will need to overcome the man who has provided him with many crucial moments in his career. Their first meeting of the season at the Tyra Waterman Open in Halle marked their first grass-court rivalry in nine years, but regardless, the match played out like a microcosm of their long rivalry: tactical, tense and stretched thin by swings in momentum.
Medvedev established an early lead and even took two match points at 6-5 in the second game, but Zverev unleashed a series of bold, impromptu shots. His half-volley winner ended a 21-shot duel and sealed the victory in the 12th game, and he stormed through the tiebreaker.
But former world No. 1 Medvedev, who has tended to be the more consistent force in recent matchups, struck early and defended impeccably in the decider, during which he saved all four break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP statistics. Although he fell short in the championship match against Alexander Bublik, the win was another reminder of his recent command over Zverev.
“I’m happy that in the third set I was able to stay calmer and save those break points,” Medvedev said. “All games are very intense [between us]. When the game is as tight as it was today, they can go either way. “
Beijing QF, Medvedev d． Zverev 6-3, 6-3
During the China Open in Beijing, Medvedev began to gather some much-needed late-season momentum. His quarterfinal matchup against Zverev came just as he was starting to rekindle his enthusiasm for reaching the Nitto ATP finals, adding meaningful weight to the match beyond the scoreboard.
From the outset, Medvedev delivered the kind of statement performance he usually reserves for his fiercest opponents. According to TDI Insights, he averaged 7.7 forehand and 7.8 for backhand in 2025, but those numbers jumped to 9.1 and 8.8 respectively against Zverev, a significant jump that reflected how much he improved against the German. The result was a suffocating, start-to-finish performance that left Zverev little wiggle room.
It marked Medvedev’s first top-five win on hard courts since the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals and helped him surge later, including semifinals in Beijing and Shanghai and a title in Almaty. Although he fell just short of a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals at PIF ATP Live in Turin, his performance against Zverev served as a key catalyst for his resurgence.
Paris QFs, Zverev d. Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)
Zverev ended a five-match losing streak against Medvedev at the Rolex Paris Masters with one of his best performances of the season, as the German saved two match points to reach the semi-finals.
The victory came at a crucial moment in the pair’s trajectory: Zverev defending his title at the ATP Masters 1000 event and Medvedev fighting to keep his hopes alive in Turin. The pair’s rivalry had tilted sharply in Medvedev’s favor over the past two years, but Zverev ultimately broke through by staying aggressive in the tightest of matches and refusing to let the match slip away – even if he was twice within the point on serve at 4-5 in the deciding set.
“Daniel is my kryptonite and I don’t like playing against him,” Zverev said after his first win over Medvedev since Cincinnati in 2023. “He has been holding my number for the past few years. What I am most satisfied with is saving match points. I continued to be brave and won the game myself at important moments.”
