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Daniil Medvedev Shakes Up Coaching Staff Before Rotterdam Open

Daniil Medvedev and Gilles Simon have parted ways before the Rotterdam Open.
Pat Benson|
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) during his second match at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, on January 16, 2025.
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) during his second match at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, on January 16, 2025. | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Daniil Medvedev became a fan-favorite player for his exciting play and charming personality. However, Medvedev has not been able to contain his angry outbursts on the court over the past few months.

The 28-year-old has gotten himself in trouble with the ATP and various tournament organizers for tantrums that include throwing his racquet and destroying net cameras. His actions at the Australian Open resulted in a $76,000 fine.

Some sort of change needed to be made, and Medvedev just shook up his coaching staff before the Rotterdam Open (called the ABN AMRO Open for sponsorship purposes).

When speaking with the press at his pre-tournament press conference, Medvedev confirmed that he officially parted ways with one of his coaches - former World No. 6 Gilles Simon after a year together.

"It honestly was a good experience. There were a lot of good things me and Gilles Cervara can take going forward. It just didn't work out exactly the way we wanted in terms of results."

Medvedev continued, "We didn't win a title or Grand Slam or something like this. But I learned a lot of new things about tennis, and it gave me a new perspective on tennis, and I'm sure it's going to help me in the future."

Medvedev concluded on a positive note, "We will see how it will work out for both of us. We remain with good feelings, but we're not working together anymore."

Gilles Cervara remains the head coach of Medvedev's staff. Cervara was with Medvedev when the Russian tennis star won his first and only Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open.

Entering the Rotterdam Open, Medvedev is the World No. 7 with a singles record of 1-1. After Sinner dropped out of the ATP 500 tournament, Medvedev was elevated to the two-seed in Rotterdam.

Unfortunately for Medvedev, the field at the Rotterdam Open is stacked. The former World No. 1 will face former world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in the first round at 1:30 p.m. EST today, February 3.

The ABN AMRO Open runs from February 3-9, 2025. It will be played on the indoor hard courts in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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