The first week of the tennis season heats up in Brisbane with top seed Daniil Medvedev taking on Frances Tiafoe and an all-American clash between Student Tien and Alex Michelsen.
(1) Daniil Medvedev vs. Frances Tiafoe
Off-season news and 2026 outlook:
- Medvedev – Coming off a disappointing 2025 season with one win in 4 majors. The latest coaching change for 2025 saw long-time coach Gilles Cervara replaced by former player Thomas Johannson. The prospect of Russian 2026 holds promise, as the world number 13 was at the end of last season.
- Tiafoe – He also had a major coaching change, replacing David Witt with fellow American Todd Martin. Tiafoe’s outlook for 2026 is uncertain. The world No. 30 failed to win a single match after being ousted in the third round at the US Open.
Matching and forecasting:
Medvedev holds a 5-1 lead over Tiafoe. The Russian had a solid win over Marton Fucsovics in his 2026 debut, while Tiafoe beat Aleksandar Vukic, a talented Aussie. Both men played well in their opening match, which makes this second round match very promising. With Medvedev building on his 2025 push, I can’t pick against the Russian.
Cheryl pick – Medevedev at 3
(8) Student Tien vs. Alex Michelsen
Off-season news and 2026 outlook:
- Tien – The American boy won the ATP Next Gen final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a promising result like past winners including both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He sits at a career high of 26 in the world and expectations are high for this potential star
- Michelsen – Played for the World team in the Laver Cup for the first time last fall. Michelsen will look for another good performance at the Australian Open, where he will defend a round of 16 points.
Matching and forecasting:
Michelsen has won both of his matches against Tien, both of which came on hard courts in 2025. Michelsen worked hard in his second round spot, going the distance against James Duckworth in his first round earlier this week. Tien went straight sets against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Despite Michelsen’s record, Tien showed early promise.
Pick Cheryl – Tien at 2
