Just two years ago at the China Open, Daniil Medvedev was already looking beyond his playing days. The Russian admitted he could see himself becoming a coach within the next 15 years, believing he had what it takes to help players unlock their best tennis. Fast-forward two years, however, the story looks rather different. After a frustrating season in which wins have been hard to come by, Medvedev found himself so fed up with his results that, during the Winston-Salem Open, he even joked about switching sports.

As the top seed at one of the final tune-ups before the US Open, Medvedev would have hoped Winston-Salem could provide some much-needed momentum. Instead, the former World No. 1 was knocked out in the second round by Martin Damm, leaving him visibly frustrated. And, naturally, Medvedev didn’t keep those thoughts to himself, as he launched into another courtside monologue that had fans listening in.

“Maybe I should start a career in pickleball, not too late,” said Medvedev during one of the changeovers in the second set. “With Jack Sock in doubles. Every sport on this planet is better man, even curling right now.”

Medvedev’s words subtly referenced the recent trend of tennis players transitioning to pickleball, with former Top-10 player Jack Sock among the top pickleball players right now.

On the court, Medvedev’s serve was not at its best, with the Russian making just over 40 percent of his first serves. He got broken once each on the two sets to lose the match, but could only manage two break points on his opponent’s serve, both of which he failed to convert. Both players held serve till 6-5 in the first set, with Damm getting the decisive break in the final game.

In the second set, Medvedev could not find a way past the Damm serve, getting broken in the eighth game to go down 3-5, after which the young American player served the match out. Medvedev’s monologue came while being 2-3 down in the second set. However, if Medvedev’s 2024 China Open comments are anything to go by, he may already have a promising second career waiting for him if he ever decides to swap the racket for a coaching clipboard.

During his Beijing press conference, Medvedev admitted, “I think I could do it. It depends if I want to do it, what will I be doing in my life after my tennis career. It depends on a lot of things. I think it’s very possible. Again, I like the life on tour. If I will be a coach, I probably will not travel 40 weeks on tour like I do now. A little bit less. I could do it. I’m not sure I’d be a good one, but I can try.”

For now, though, Medvedev’s coaching plans can wait. The Russian has had a frustrating season. At the same time, his on-court frustrations have continued to spill over in increasingly visible fashion.

Medvedev Still Searching for His Winning Formula

In his last event at the Cincinnati Open, the Russian showed similar signs of frustration by throwing his racket and kicking the on-court mic when he failed to convert match points against Brandon Nakashima, and then could not put up much of a fight in the third set.

Medvedev’s current form slump is a stark contrast to how strongly he started the season on hard courts. The Russian lifted titles in Brisbane and Dubai before finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells, making his recent struggles all the more surprising. However, since his semifinal run in Rome, where he lost a three-set match against Jannik Sinner, Medvedev’s form has gone down.

Medvedev’s Winston-Salem entry came after the Russian had withdrawn from the mixed doubles event at the US Open. Going to New York could have been a great payday for the Russian, but he chose to remain competitive by playing a Tour-level event, which did not give him the result he was looking for. The early exit will put pressure on both him and his new coach, Andrey Golubev, with the US Open main draw only a few days away.