Google News Coach Gilles Cervara: Daniil Medvedev's confidence was gone after Australian Open
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 4192
Coach Gilles Cervara told Tennis Majors that Daniil Medvedev's "confidence was gone after the 2023 Australian Open." In 2022, Medvedev won Los Cabos and Vienna but he never looked the same player after blowing a two-set lead in the 2022 Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal.
Then at the start of the 2023 season, Medvedev's struggles at the Grand Slam level continued as he suffered a shock straight-set defeat to Sebastian Korda in the Australian Open third round. After the Korda defeat and another disappointing result on the big stage, Medvedev was left without any confidence in his game.
Just a couple of days before returning to action in Rotterdam, Medvedev was looking like a lost player - the Russian was telling himself his game was bad, all while Cervara was trying to convince the former world No 1 that his level was not that bad.
In the Rotterdam first round, Medvedev was down by a set before coming back to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. From that moment, something clicked in Medvedev's mind and he won three consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.
Coach Cervara: Medvedev had no confidence after the Australian Open
"When he comes back from Australia, the two weeks of training are very complicated because he has no confidence. He’s not winning, he doesn’t feel good, he doesn’t feel anything and you have to deal with that.
That’s the beauty of the job, especially when it works at the back, but for a fortnight you have to navigate in a very uncertain space. A player like Daniil has his beliefs, his way of analysing and managing situations.
Back from Australia, we are not at our best and we have to deal with it. The three days before Rotterdam are very special. Daniil has doubts and everything is a source of explanation as to why he plays tennis badly. I try to accompany him, to react, to coach him as well as possible to show him that what he says is not the reality.
Because I think he plays well," Cervara told Tennis Majors.
