Daniil Medvedev says he and Gilles Cervara sat down for a man-to-man conversation after the US Open, and mutually agreed that the moment camefor them to call time on their partnership.
Medvedev didn't have a great 2024 season, but he fully supported Cervara and multiple times shut down the possibility of firing the French coach. After things got rougher for the Russian in 2025, he still firmly stood by his coach. But then, after picking up back-to-back first-round Grand Slam exits at this year's Wimbledon and the US Open, the former world No. 1 probably came to terms that he needed something different and decided to ditch his coach of eight years.
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The end of their partnership may not have been the best, but that doesn't change the fact that they enjoyed major success during their eight-year partnership - the Russian made six Grand Slam finals and won one Major, as well as reached the world No. 1 ranking.
Medvedev: I had an excellent conversation with Cervara and we split on great terms
"We talked. It was an excellent conversation between two adults who understand everything perfectly and are very happy about what they achieved together. I think we will always remain on great terms," the 2021 US Open champion told Sofya Tartakova during their conversation for Bolshe!
Medvedev, who also split with long-time physio Eric Hernandez, hired 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in September. The Russian has since won the ATP 250 tournament in Almaty, as well as reached the Shanghai Masters and Beijing semifinals.
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Heading into 2026, the 29-year-old believes he still has what it takes to compete on the biggest stage.
"My game is fine. I was the world No. 1 with it, it's fine. There are just small details that we can correct or polish. This has not changed, and will not change my tennis life," the current world No. 13 stated.
Medvedev will start his 2026 season at the Brisbane International, where he finished as runner-up in 2019.
