Daniil Medvedev is not the kind of player who hides behind polite answers or polished statements. When he ended his eight-year partnership with coach Gilles Cervara in early September, he spoke about it with complete honesty. But what no one expected was how hard the next step would be. The former world number one entered the search for a new coaching team, yet Medvedev has now shared that the process was far from simple.

Fans spent weeks wondering who would guide him next. Behind the scenes, Medvedev was making call after call, only to face repeated roadblocks. Some said no, some were already committed, and the whole search took much longer than anyone expected. But then, a month later, he finally introduced his new team. Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke joined him as his coaches. So the real question became what made him choose these two coaches.

Recently, he talked about this in an interview with the media outlet Bolshe. “I spoke with many people on the phone because I primarily wanted to know their opinion of me as a player, since it’s primarily tennis they see in my game. Initially, the question was naturally whether you were available and willing to participate.”

Daniil Medvedev added, “Many weren’t available or declined for various reasons. With those who agreed, we discussed their vision of my game and how they envisioned working with me. That’s basically it. And for the moment, my choice has fallen on Thomas [Johansson] and Rohan [Götzke].”

These choices make sense when you look at their backgrounds. Johansson, a former world number seven and 2002 Australian Open winner, has coached top players and brings a wealth of experience. Goetzke is known for his coaching and training background, especially in academies, and brings a fresh perspective. Together, they will bring Medvedev the mix of experience and new ideas he needed to move forward. But that still leaves one big question: why did he part ways with Gilles Cervara?

Why Daniil Medvedev called it quits with Gilles Cervara

Daniil Medvedev and Gilles Cervara ended their partnership in August 2025. It happened right after Medvedev’s first-round loss at the US Open. Fans were curious and a bit shocked, but Medvedev was honest about the split on social media: “Amazing 8‑10 years together, 20 titles, world number 1, but most importantly a lot of fun moments and memories that will stay with us forever. I am grateful to you for guiding me through all these years and let’s see what life brings us in the future.”

Cervara also responded, showing he had no hard feelings, “Daniil, our fantastic eight‑season adventure together comes to an end. Like a symbolic wink of life, it’s after this US Open tournament that we end our collaboration. I am grateful and happy for all the great things and wonderful experiences we were able to experience together on the court during these eight years. It will remain etched in my memory forever.”

“I thank you for placing your trust in me. I gave EVERYTHING, every second, for our shared goals,” Cervara added. “I loved training you, coaching you, supporting you (even when it was difficult), and finding solutions with you and the team to help you perform. I will keep in mind your unconventional magic as a player, which is your strength. It will return, I’m sure.” So why did they part ways?

For Medvedev, 2025 had been a difficult year. He had only won one match at the US Open, lost early in the majority of Grand Slam events, and hadn’t won a trophy in almost fifty tournaments since early 2023. He even lost his cool on the court, arguing with the umpire, upsetting the spectators, and breaking his racket during a match against Benjamin Bonzi.

Earlier this year, Medvedev added another coach, Gilles Simon, in an attempt to change things up. However, according to Cervara, it “caused disruptions” in their routine and made it more difficult to resume their regular activities. It was obvious that a change was required as pressure mounted and results began to decline.