It was far from a straightforward afternoon for Daniil Medvedev. The eighth seed dropped the opening set on Court 2 against Spaniard Daniel Mérida Aguilar, going down 3-6, and found himself staring at the same scenario that had sent him tumbling out of Wimbledon in the previous year. This time, however, Medvedev left no room for doubt: he turned the match around and ultimately won with authority, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
Mérida Aguilar's Explosive Start
The 21-year-old Mérida Aguilar, who had never previously reached the main draw of a Grand Slam, showed his very best in the opening set. Aggressive baseline play and a near-flawless serve — his first-serve percentage sat at 69 percent across the match — put Medvedev under early pressure. The Spaniard was clinical when the chances came: with a break conversion rate of 33 percent, he kept Medvedev's return game largely in check. Taking the set 6-3 was a remarkable feat for a player who had climbed from world No. 235 to No. 84 in the preceding twelve months — a rise built on two ATP Challenger titles in Pozoblanco and Tenerife.
Medvedev Takes Control
From the second set onwards, the picture changed fundamentally. Medvedev steadied his serve, lifted the tempo, and began wielding his return game as a weapon. Converting 83 percent of his break points, he was overwhelming in that department, while Mérida Aguilar saved only 17 percent of the break points Medvedev created against his serve. The second set went comfortably to Medvedev, 6-3.
The third set became the emotional heart of the match. Mérida Aguilar dug in against the mounting pressure, kept things level for long stretches, and forced Medvedev to maintain his highest level of concentration. But in the end, experience prevailed: 7-5 to Medvedev — and with it, the definitive turning point. The fourth set was one-sided. Medvedev, now fully in his groove, gave the Spaniard next to nothing in a 6-2 dismissal. He finished with 13 aces and 38 winners, backed by a first-serve percentage of 78 percent.
Context and What Comes Next
The result also serves as a statement after Medvedev's mixed grass-court season in 2026, which had included defeats to players ranked well outside the top tier ahead of Wimbledon. On the sport's most prestigious lawn, however, he demonstrated once again that he belongs among the elite on this surface — he has reached the semifinal here twice already, in 2023 and 2024. Last year's early exit remains the exception, not the rule.
For Daniel Mérida Aguilar, who brought his Grand Slam main-draw debut to a close with a commendable display, the tournament is over. The Spaniard, who had beaten Ugo Carabelli in the first round, nonetheless showed on Court 2 that his rapid rise is no coincidence. Medvedev advances to the third round — the first meeting between the two on the ATP Tour ends with a clear message.
