A few weeks ago, Hamad Medjedovic was hovering near the edge of the Top 100. On Thursday, he found himself in the Barcelona Open quarterfinals against Nuno Borges, riding a wave of renewed confidence and a jaw-dropping clay-court record of nine wins from ten matches in 2026.
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The 22-year-old Serb's journey in Barcelona started far from the main stage, in the qualifying rounds. A tight opening win over Gaubas was followed by a heart-stopping battle against Halys, where he saved a match point in the deciding set tiebreak. The kind of pressure that breaks lesser players only seemed to sharpen Medjedovic's focus. With his main draw ticket secured, he dispatched Trungelliti before delivering the upset of the tournament — a 6-3, 6-4 demolition of third seed Alex De Minaur.
The win over the Australian, a regular Top 10 fixture known for his speed and court coverage, was the defining moment of his week. De Minaur simply had no answers to the Serb's power game. Medjedovic attacked from the baseline with early ball-striking, refusing to let his opponent settle into rallies.
Behind this Barcelona breakthrough lies a crucial stretch on the Challenger circuit. His title in Naples weeks before Barcelona restored both confidence and rhythm. Medjedovic has spoken warmly of his coach Jorge Aguirre, whom he describes as "a second father" and credits with transforming his approach to the sport (Puntodebreak). The rebuilding work after months of struggle is finally bearing fruit.
Medjedovic's playing style is that of an aggressive baseliner armed with a booming serve and a devastating forehand. On clay, that aggression works when it's channeled properly. And that channeling is precisely what Medjedovic appears to have found in recent weeks.
His quarterfinal against Nuno Borges, the resilient Portuguese who produced an impressive run this week highlighted by an underarm ace on match point against Etcheverry, promised a clash between two players brimming with confidence. Regardless of the outcome, Medjedovic's Barcelona week marks a turning point in his young career. At 22, with a game built for clay and a competitor's mentality forged in qualifying rounds, the Serb could well become one of the names to watch this clay-court season.
