Overview
- Daniil Medvedev called for the first evening match in Melbourne to move from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., citing the risk of excessively late conclusions when contests go five sets.
- His own Australian Open finishes have stretched into the early hours, including about 2:54 a.m. in 2025 against Learner Tien and roughly 3:39–3:40 a.m. in 2024 against Emil Ruusuvuori.
- The event’s late-night pattern is well established, with Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Andy Murray ending at 4:05 a.m. in 2023 and Lleyton Hewitt vs Marcos Baghdatis at 4:34 a.m. in 2008.
- No response or scheduling change from Tennis Australia has been announced following the player’s request.
- The three-time Australian Open runner-up opens his 2026 season as the top seed at the Brisbane International under new coach Thomas Johansson, who replaced Gilles Cervara.