Weeks after his third opening-round exit at a Grand Slam this year, Daniil Medvedev will play his first match with a brand new coach in his corner.
Following a shock defeat to Benjamin Bonzi in round one at the US Open, Medvedev parted ways with Gilles Cervara, his coach of eight years, who helped guide him to a maiden major title.
The Russian has since appointed Thomas Johansson, who has previously worked with several ATP and WTA stars, including Caroline Wozniacki, David Goffin, and Kei Nishikori.
Medvedev‘s first tour-level clash with Johansson in his corner will be played at the Hangzhou Open, an ATP 250 event in China.
Daniil Medvedev’s tough first draw under Thomas Johansson
The first chapter in his player-coach relationship with the Swede may prove to be a tricky one, however, after being handed a tougher draw than he would have preferred.
Entering Hangzhou as the second seed, Medvedev will receive a bye in the first round, but his opening opponent at the tournament could potentially be a former Grand Slam champion.
He will face either a qualifier or 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic, who has enjoyed some promising results on the ATP tour in 2025.
Should he emerge victorious against Cilic, Medvedev will likely meet Adrian Mannarino in the quarterfinals, on the back of the Frenchman’s joint-best major campaign at Flushing Meadows.
The 29-year-old’s route to the final does not get easier from there, when in the semifinals, he could be pitted against a red-hot Alexander Bublik or even former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
It is certainly not the smooth start to life that Medvedev would have hoped for under the wing of Johansson, who will have his work cut out for him in China.
Daniil Medvedev’s disappointing North American hard-court season
As a hard-court specialist, the former US Open champion’s North American swing was a big disappointment.
Medvedev managed to make the quarterfinals of the Washington Open, but crashed out in the early stages in both Toronto and Cincinnati.
His loss to Bonzi at the US Open meant his record during the swing finished at three wins to four losses.
A switch-up in his player box will hopefully see him return to the level that saw him dominate on the surface.
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