Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's 21 titles have been earned on hard courts
A comeback Medvedev secured his maiden title for nearly 30 months with victory over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
Medvedev, a former top-ranked player, has experienced a torrid season, winning just one win at the big events and experiencing a meltdown at the US Open.
His inconsistency on the tennis tour - and difficulties with his serving in especial - led to him dropping out of the top ten and ultimately splitting with long-term mentor Gilles Cervara.
Currently training with Thomas Johansson and his other coach, Medvedev has steadily progressed in the last few weeks - climaxing in a hard-fought competitive victory over opponent Moutet.
This marks Medvedev's initial title following the 2023 Rome Masters and first on a hard surface from spring of that year.
Victory also indicates Medvedev has achieved twenty-one titles at twenty-one different tournaments.
"This marks the first occasion I have attended a competition with my children at once, so to win a championship is particularly special," stated tennis professional the champion.
"This title is in dedication of my younger daughter her name, because the first title I achieved when my child my daughter was delivered was for her."
Medvedev, the former major winner, had lost his last six championship matches, including in Halle previously this season.
His defensive play style and frequent emotional displays on the tennis court had prompted observers to question if his ability to perform at the highest level was over.
Yet the 29-year-old has altered his approach in the past month, making an effort to approach the net and play positively, reinforced by an improved serve.
He fought back from a deficit in the first set against the tricky opponent, securing four of the final five games to gain the advantage.
The competitors exchanged breaks in the following set before the challenger, attempting for his maiden tour victory, seized the initiative to force a third set.
He defended 4 early break points in a tight third set before the Russian broke to that score to close out the victory.
Fittingly, Medvedev earned the title with a rally at the net area, with the Frenchman failing to handle a shot after a lengthy match.
