"When he is on the court, he has a little monster inside": Daniil Medvedev's Jekyll and Hyde persona unearthed by Gilles Simon

Tuesday, 25 November 2025 at 22:07

World No.13, Daniil Medvedev hasn't had the best year with only one Grand Slam match won in 2025 albeit he did have some joy at the end of it sealing the Almaty Open title where he defeated Corentin Moutet en route to the title.

But he has also disposed of two coaches over the past season who have had direct impacts in multiple ways to his success but also his implosion. Gilles Cervera was long Medvedev's coach until this year and they had their modicum of success with each other but it ended earlier in the year after close to ten years as a partnership.

French wizard and maverick Russian - more like Jekyll and Hyde

Gilles Simon also worked with Medvedev last season in what was hailed as a potential game changing partnership between the French wizard and the fractious Russian aiding the stoic Cervera but it didn't last long and he compared him almost like Jekyll and Hyde.

He said off court he couldn't be nicer but turns into a monster when he's on court and shouting at his box. Albeit he knew that prior to working with him.

"The box is the most unpleasant moment with him. He is extremely pleasant off the court, but when he is on the court in a match, he has a little monster inside to deal with that is not easy to manage. It's a shame that it comes out like that, but I knew it before working with him," said Simon to L'Equipe this past week.

Read also

He also spoke about how he had fallen behind Sinner and Alcaraz and that it was harder to change how he is in reality when he spends his time acting like he does on court and has to then try something else.

"Everything else was nothing but happiness. We have a player who has won a lot, who is 28 years old, who has very strong convictions and it's important for him to have them, but it's even harder to change in those cases, when two players like Alcaraz and Sinner have moved ahead and you have to try something else.

"We improved many things, which showed a lot in training, but in a match it's different. When we get to 4-4, 5-5, do I have the courage to apply these changes? Or do I play the way I've always won before?

He also spoke about how it ell apart and said that he knew he was going to beat smaller players by playing the way he did from returning far back but that against Sinner, he couldn't prepare like that which is an alarming disconnect in the game of the Russian.

Since then he has been involved with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke and won Almaty but in reality he is about to fall out of the top 15 and while perhaps a coaching change was needed, the 2026 season is very much make or break for Medvedev.

"We had a first disconnect at the US Open, where he spent his tournament returning from far back, which was not justified tactically. He knew he was going to beat the players he beat by returning from far back, Marozsan, Borges, etc. But my analysis was that he was not preparing for his quarterfinal against Sinner by acting like that."

Read also

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

"Was already top 15, he had made semis of his Slam": Jack Draper already broken through as Querrey, Isner and Johnson puzzled over Tien award omission

From British No.1 to potential Australian Open qualifying bid: Katie Boulter faces make or break season