Daniil Medvedev is entering the Shanghai Masters 2025 with a clear mission — to rediscover the fire that once made him a dominant force on the ATP Tour. The 20-time tour-level champion, now 29, has reshuffled his coaching team to spark a resurgence in his game.
The former World No. 1 has not claimed a trophy in 50 tournaments since his strong 2023 season. To reset his path, Medvedev recently ended his long-standing partnership with Gilles Cervara and brought in 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.”
A Major Coaching Shift for Medvedev
Cervara had been a constant presence throughout Medvedev’s rise, but 2025 brought a turning point. After early struggles at the majors, the Russian took a short break from tennis before deciding on a new direction.
“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 emphasized the importance of building a team dynamic based on trust and honest communication.
“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.”
A Player Eager for a Reset
Medvedev’s passion has often surfaced in emotional moments, and his frustration at the US Open was a clear sign of his struggle to find rhythm.
“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.”
This moment served as the catalyst for his fresh approach heading into one of his favorite stops on the calendar.
Returning to His Happy Place — Shanghai
Fresh off a semifinal run in Beijing, Medvedev is ready to embrace a new chapter at the Shanghai Masters. “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.”
The 16th seed will face Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina in his opening match on Grandstand 2, under a new retractable roof. With renewed energy and a refreshed coaching team, Medvedev is looking to reignite the form that once made him one of the most feared players on tour.
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