“Starting from scratch to reach the top”: Cervara sees Daniil Medvedev blueprint in Basavareddy

Gilles Cervara’s reset in 2026 has taken him away from the spotlight of Grand Slam finals and into the development phase of a 20-year-old American. Months after parting ways with Daniil Medvedev following the US Open, the French coach has aligned himself with Nishesh Basavareddy, currently ranked No. 192 in the ATP standings.

The decision was not driven by lack of offers. After eight years guiding Medvedev to a US Open title, seven Masters 1000 trophies and the world No. 1 ranking, Cervara could have attached himself to another established contender. Instead, he opted for what he described as a return to fundamentals. “I wanted to go back to basics,” he said in a recent interview with Eurosport.

Basavareddy’s profile explains part of the appeal. The American reached a career-high ranking inside the Top 100 last season after a semi-final run in Auckland, and he has already gained exposure at Grand Slam level. At the 2025 Australian Open, he took a set off Novak Djokovic in the first round, drawing attention for his composure on a major stage.

For Cervara, the attraction lies less in isolated results and more in long-term projection. “Clearly, it takes me out of my comfort zone,” he admitted, framing the partnership as a competitive risk rather than a safe continuation of past success.

Basavareddy’s trajectory has not been linear. After briefly entering the Top 100, he slipped outside the Top 150 and spent much of the following months rebuilding through Challenger events. Yet his underlying metrics — serve efficiency and baseline tolerance — have remained competitive against higher-ranked opposition.

Cervara sees in him a familiar internal mechanism, one that he once identified in Medvedev before the Russian became a Grand Slam champion and world No. 1.

"I would say there are similarities with Daniil, not in style, but in the fact that Nishesh has something in his personality that can take his game to another level. Even without playing well, he is capable of producing good tennis and winning. And that something, a bit invisible, cannot be learned. You either have it or you don’t. The great champions have it. The work is to discover it, to know how to switch it on to make it even more powerful."

Basavareddy’s ability to compete in tight scorelines has been evident in his early tour appearances, including ATP-level wins and his showing in Auckland. Cervara’s focus now is structural growth rather than short-term ranking jumps.

"I wanted to go back to basics with a young player who certainly has experience, but in whom there is still a lot to build, technically, physically, mentally and in his personal development. At that age, the work is very rewarding. This idea of starting from scratch to reach the top is what I experienced with Daniil, and I really want to relive it."

The Frenchman acknowledges the uncertainty that comes with mentoring a player outside the established elite. The challenge is not merely tactical but existential for a coach whose résumé includes the sport’s highest achievements.

"Every day I ask myself whether I will be good enough to help a player of that age improve again, and I have no certainty about it. But feeling threatened is also what I enjoy. When Nadal believed he could lose even against the world No. 300, that resonates with me. It was that sense of threat that allowed him to play at his best level. That’s a bit what I feel too. It’s part of my personality and my energy."

Cervara’s partnership with Medvedev was marked by visible tension and sustained excellence. Together they navigated volatile exchanges and built one of the most successful coach-player relationships of the past decade. Now, he speaks of that era without regret.

"In a way, yes, Nishesh is more relaxing. With him, I don’t have to look for subterfuges or counter-arguments to contain a player who tries to contradict me or frustrate me. In the end, no player is relaxing. This job is not. The question is not whether it’s better or worse than before. It’s simply different. And when I think about Daniil’s excesses, today I smile."

The competitive environment may have shifted from Grand Slam finals to Challenger qualifying rounds, but Cervara rejects any suggestion of hierarchy in coaching relevance. "I love being here! Whether it’s a Grand Slam final or Challenger qualifying, the coach’s job remains the same,” commented the 45-year-old coach With Daniil, it’s over. We get along well, we greet each other when we meet, but that’s it.”

“I would say quite well. The emotions come back, a kind of nostalgia. But it’s not nostalgia for the relationship itself. It’s more nostalgia for the passage of time. Because all that represented ten years of my life."