Medvedev at a crossroads: Navigating his 'adult career'

Shanghai

Medvedev at a crossroads: Navigating his 'adult career'

The 20-time tour-level titlist opens up about coaching change & more

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Daniil Medvedev enters Shanghai with a 30-20 season record. By ATP Staff

Daniil Medvedev has not lost his fire. He is just looking for another spark.

At age 29, the 20-time tour-level titlist is at a crossroads in his career, seeking to regain the confidence and consistency that helped him reach World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, among other accomplishments. Medvedev is doing so with new voices in his corner.

Having gone 50 tournaments without lifting a trophy since winning five titles in the first five months of 2023 through Rome, Medvedev recently split with longtime coach Gilles Cervara. He is now working with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke.

“It was not an easy decision,” the 2021 US Open champion told ATP Media at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he won the title in 2019. “But at the same time, I'm 29 years old, almost 30 soon, and [I wanted] to try something new in my adult career. Because even when we started with Gilles, I was too young, so it was with my parents a bit. The academy where I was going was designing [my team]... To do it by myself was something nice because it was something new in my life.”

Cervara had been a steady presence in Medvedev’s player’s box since he first broke onto the ATP Tour. But after winning just one match across the four majors this year, the 2022 US Open champion did not touch his racquet for two weeks and in that time, announced his split with Cervara. Medvedev embraced a fresh mindset during his coaching search.

“You look for different things when you're 20 and when you're 30,” Medvedev added, speaking exclusively with ATPTour.com. “Because when you're 20, you’re still a young tennis player so you probably need someone to show you the way. When you are 30, you need someone not to show you the way, but to help you find the way again.”

Medvedev is clear about what he wants from his team.

“It needs to be someone that can listen to you. I think it's very important in a coaching job,” he said. “Someone we need to get along with for sure. Right now what I found in Thomas and Rohan, it's great. We have fun on the court, we have fun off the court at the same time. If they need to tell you something, they're not scared to tell me.”

That blend of serious intensity and playful wit has long defined the unpredictable Medvedev. After his first-round loss at the US Open, Medvedev tossed six racquets to courtside fans after moments earlier destroying another from his courtside chair. It was a chaotic scene that was equally telling. Medvedev had reached a boiling point.

“It was just a little bit of desperation,” Medvedev recalled. “And at the same time I was like, ‘The fans are probably going to love it’. There was actually one racquet left in the bag and I didn't know it. I was for sure disappointed with the result, disappointed with the way I felt on the court, with the way I acted on the court.

“I wanted to let out the frustration, probably not on the court, but I was cramping so I couldn't stand up. It was for sure an act of desperation and a sign I needed a new start.”

Medvedev arrives in Shanghai following a semi-final run in China’s capital city, Beijing. He suffered cramps that forced him to retire against Learner Tien at the ATP 500, but Medvedev is excited to begin his campaign at his favourite tour-level event.

"Beijing was actually a big step and I need to take another step here in Shanghai. I absolutely love China as a country and I love coming here.

“It's always been — since the first time I came here — the best tournament we have on Tour if we take out the Grand Slams,” said the 16th seed. “Of course it's just my opinion, but it’s my favorite tournament on Tour. I love coming back here so you can ask me whatever. I'm going to tell you a lot of good things and I love the facilities, I love the courts, I love everything around this place.”

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