Daniil Medvedev has parted ways with his coach Gilles Cervara after his first-round exit at the US Open. The hot-headed Russian was dumped out by French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi and stunned fans with his explosive behaviour on the court. He was involved in a lengthy standoff with the umpire after being left furious at a crucial point of the match.
In the third set, a photographer walked onto the court as Bonzi was preparing to serve on match point. He was awarded a new first serve due to ‘outside interference’, a decision which sent Medvedev into a fit of rage. He angrily confronted the umpire and whipped the crowd into a frenzy, delaying the match for around seven minutes.
When his opponent finally got to serve, he double-faulted and Medvedev claimed the next two sets to force a decider. Bonzi, however, battled back to win the match and progress to the second round, prompting Medvedev to obliterate his racket.
He was later fined almost £31,500 by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), meaning he had to forfeit about 40 per cent of the prize money he received.
Now, it has been confirmed that Medvedev has brought an end to his eight-year coaching partnership with Cervara. The latter revealed the news on Instagram, thanking the 29-year-old for trusting him and wishing him all the best.
“Our fantastic eight-season adventure together comes to an end,” wrote Cervara. “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. 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. I wish you all the success you aspire to as a player in the future and a happy life as a man.”
It comes after Medvedev suffered a huge rankings blow following his early exit at the US Open. He has slipped to 16th in the live table, putting him behind the likes of Jakub Mensik, Tommy Paul and Karen Khachanov.
Medvedev was recently urged to ‘get his act together’ by John McEnroe, who was left disappointed by his meltdown against Bonzi.
“This [meltdown] sort of cemented it, like how little confidence he has in anything,” said the American. “Bonzi showed a lot of balls at the end in the fifth set. I was sort of hoping Medvedev would win.
“He’s got to get his act together. I’m not sure he can. I think he’s so lost right now. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with him in the future. I always liked Daniil. There’s something about the US Open that brings out the best and worst of him.”
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