Daniil Medvedev has edged closer to Ben Shelton in the ATP Rankings after successfully defending his Almaty Open crown with victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili in the final.

Playing in his 45th ATP Tour final, Medvedev won the 25th singles title of his career as he overcame a first-set setback to beat Basilashvili, but bizarrely it was the first time he has won the same event twice.

Last year, the Russian defeated Corentin Moutet in three sets in the final and he again had to go the distance in 2026 to as he lost a tight opening set via the tie-breaker as there were breaks in serve, but then dominated the rest of the match as he won 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-3 in under two hours.

It is a fourth title in 2026 for the former world No 1 as he also won the Brisbane International, Dubai Tennis Championships and Hangzhou Open this year with all of his titles coming on hard courts.

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“It is just a matter of time, luck, a moment,” Medvedev said. “I was feeling fresh, physically good. Sascha [Bublik] being injured in the semis gave me an extra push in the final and I am happy to finally do it.”

He added: “It was not easy but I had my chances in the first set. I got a bit unlucky. I knew I would probably have my chances to turn the match around and it was not easy. But I am happy to win.”

Basilashvili was looking to win his sixth title and first since May 2021, but the Georgian’s wait continues.

ATP Ranking Points Earned In Kazakhstan

Former world No 1 Medvedev started the ATP 250 event at No 5 in the ATP Rankings and he will remain there, but he has closed the gap to fourth-placed Shelton.

Medvedev dropped 50 points from 2025 at the start of the Almaty Open and then earned 250 points so he goes home with 200 ranking points, which puts him 860 points behind Shelton with will be in action next week as the Russian has signed up for the Vienna Open while the American will play in Basel.

Of course, the ATP Finals is more important for Medvedev and he is now also fifth in the Race To Turin as he sits on 3,660 points for a 780-point lead over Alex de Minaur, who is currently just outside the top eight.

Basilashvili, who peaked at No 16 in the rankings, started the tournament at No 128, but he has returned to the top 100 in the Live ATP Rankings as he is up 30 places to No 98 with his run to the final.

Prize Money Earned

Medvedev, who had earned $53,521,048 over the course of his career, with $4,071,436 of that coming in 2026, will add another $163,570 to those earnings.

Basilashvili had earned only $506,528 so far in 2026 and he will go home with a cheque of $95,400, which will take his career earnings past the $10m mark, as he was on $9,951,896 before the tournament.