"We will probably never say negative things about each other" - No hard feelings between Daniil Medvedev and former coach Gilles Cervera

The tennis community received some unexpected news when Daniil Medvedev announced he had split from longtime coach Gilles Cervera after the US Open. The former World No.1 expressed his gratitude to Cervera afterwards, and eventually broke his silence on the nature of their relationship.

Medvedev had suffered a dip in form during the 2025 season, which culminated with a shocking loss to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the first round in New York last month. Following his sudden exit, the Russian fired Cervera, who guided him to his only Grand Slam win at the 2021 US Open.

Medvedev began a trial collaboration with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke ahead of the Asian swing. Their first tournament together was the Hangzhou Open, which saw the Russian lose in the quarterfinals to hometown star Yibing Wu.

The former World No.1 is now set to compete at the China Open. Medvedev will face British veteran Cameron Norrie in the opening round, and looks to build off his performance in Hangzhou as he and his coaches become more familiar with one another.

"Things will change a little bit, it's different people, a new dynamic," said Medvedev of his new coaching arrangement. "It's a different atmosphere. At the end of the season, I'll take stock and decide what to do next."

The 29-year old was quick to state he and Cervera had parted on amicable terms. After working together for so long, the Russian decided it was finally time for a change.

"Gilles and I have experienced great things and that is why we will probably never say negative things about each other," admitted the World No.18. "I think of the titles, the great matches, the moments on the court. We part on very good terms.
"It was a pleasure to experience all these moments with him, whether in the box or on the court during training, or even during dinners, all these things. We had been together for so long that in a way, the choice became: do we stay together until the end of my career? I thought if we didn’t break up now, then we would go all the way together. And sometimes you just want to try something new."