Daniil Medvedev Finally Opens Up on the Major Changes He Made in His Coaching Team Following His US Open Loss

Daniil Medvedev is set to kick off his Asian swing campaign at the Hangzhou Open as the third seed.

Daniil Medvedev Finally Opens Up on the Major Changes He Made in His Coaching Team Following His US Open Loss

Daniil Medvedev (imagev via Getty)

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Daniil Medvedev has revealed the reason behind his recent split with his coaches after the US Open. The 29-year-old parted ways with his coach of eight years Gilles Cervara and later fitness coach Eric Hernandez after his recent slump in form, which has seen him drop outside the Top 15 of the ATP rankings.

Medvedev has been one of the most successful players in the past decade. He claimed his only Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open and has reached the final of five major tournaments since then. He also spent 16 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings in 2022. But he has significantly dropped levels in his game and performance on the court.

In fact, the last time the Russian star reached the final of a Grand Slam was at the 2024 Australian Open. This season, he won only one major tournament match, losing in three consecutive opening rounds. Also, he has not won a singles title since lifting the 2023 Italian Open.

Medvedev’s last match ended in a controversial defeat at the US Open as the World No.18 led a dramatic scene at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. He eventually failed to win the match, falling to French star Benjamin Bonzi in five sets, before smashing his racket so hard that it broke, and then walked off the court dejectedly.

That forced him to make some changes in his team, parting ways with Cervara and Hernandez. He’s currently at the Hangzhou Open in China as he kicks off his Asian swing campaign. He revealed via Championat that it was the first time he was without a coach on tour and has decided to work with new coaches:

For the first time in my adult career, I found myself without a coach. I spoke to many people, asking how they saw my tennis and my progress. Some of the people I called weren’t available. I didn’t like someone’s vision. Thomas and Rohan presented theirs, and I liked it. So I decided to give it a try and work with them. It’s a trial period until the end of the season. We’ll see what happens.

Medvedev now seems to be reviving his career under the guidance of new coach Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke for a trial period. The former World No.1 will hope to get better on the court before the season ends, and he will also look forward to ending his title-less run at the Asian swing.

Former World No.1 criticizes Daniil Medvedev for his poor form on tour this season

Daniil Medvedev is set to compete mainly in ATP 500 and 1000 events, but this season he has featured in 250-level tournaments. He is set to feature at the Hangzhou Open, an ATP 250 event, after deciding not to return to the Laver Cup, which kicks off in San Francisco on September 18 through to 21.

Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/TENNISCentel)

However, a former World No.1 and fellow compatriot, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, has criticized Medvedev for his recent poor form on tour. The Russian legend revealed to the aforementioned site that he doesn’t know what Medvedev wants to achieve on tour, while also pointing out that he’s growing old:

Medvedev already has a huge number of titles. I don’t know what he wants to achieve, what motivation he still has left. To win a Grand Slam tournament? To return to No. 1 in the rankings? I don’t know. Unfortunately, everything isn’t as bright as many would like to think. Next year he’ll already be 30 years old — that’s the age when any radical changes won’t bring much benefit.

Medvedev is one of the top seeds at the Hangzhou Open. He will compete alongside other top 20 stars like Andrey Rublev and Alexander Bublik. The 29-year-old received a bye in the opening round of the tournament, but could likely face defending champion Marin Cilic in the second round.

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