"I'm happy to try with them for the remainder of the season" - Daniil Medvedev hoping for positive results after coaching change

Friday, 19 September 2025 at 06:30

Former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev is scheduled to compete at the 2025 Hangzhou Open, his first tournament after a disappointing US Open. However, this will also be the first tournament the Russian plays without longtime coach Gilles Cervara, as the duo parted ways after Flushing Meadows.

The 2021 US Open champion has had a subpar ATP season this year, suffering several shock losses that have seen his ranking fall to World No.18. Medvedev lost in the first round at the US Open to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, which subsequently led to him parting ways with Cervera a few days later.

The Russian is the second seed in Hangzhou, and will face qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy in his opening match. The American scored a surprise win over 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round, and will be full of confidence ahead of Friday's encounter.

During his pre-tournament press conference, Medvedev spoke on his form following his sudden coaching change. The 2020 ATP Finals champion stated he has been working with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke in a coaching capacity.

Medvedev excited to see how the rest of the season plays out

"It’s not been an easy decision, but I'm happy to try with them for the remainder of the season and then for the [next] season, I'm going to see how it goes," said the Russian. "I love the way they work. I love what they say, and it's an interesting new project in my career."

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Furthermore, Medvedev revealed he took some time off after the US Open, heading back to Monte-Carlo to recharge. The former Grand Slam champion disclosed he had been training during this period, and was excited at the progress made over the past few days.

"I [did] not play tennis for like two weeks after the US Open because I knew that even next tournament is going to be in some time," said the 29-year old. "I had a very good week of practice last week. I played some of my best tennis this year, maybe my best tennis.
"And the goal would be to try to recreate this on the court, because if I'm going to be able to do it, I'm going to be able to win tournaments or play good tennis and that's most important for me."

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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