Daniil Medvedev looked down and out during his semi-final clash against rival Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open as he slumped to two successive set losses.
The world No.3 had employed an incredibly deep return of serve position at Rod Laver Arena to try and counteract the German’s power but his results were poor as he trudged back to his chair knowing he needed to summon an incredible comeback to progress into his third Aus Open final.
Yet that is exactly what the Russian managed to do, as he adjusted his positioning to apply pressure onto Zverev’s service game and edge two consecutive tiebreaks to drag the game into a fifth set decider.
With all of the momentum now well and truly on his side, Medvedev romped home against the out-of-sorts sixth seed 5-7, 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 to book a meeting with Jannik Sinner in Melbourne.
So, who is the team behind Medvedev who has helped the 27-year-old continually bounce back against the odds and sit on the verge of claiming his second Grand Slam title?
The Sporting News takes a look at the coaching team behind Danill Medvedev.
Who is Daniil Medvedev’s coach? The team behind the Russian tennis star
It’s been three years since Medvedev crushed Novak Djokovic in the US Open to capture his first Grand Slam.
It was a slice of revenge after being beaten by the Serbian in the Aus Open earlier on in 2021 and a breakthrough achievement after losing to Rafael Nadal in five sets at Flushing Meadows only two years prior.
In total, Medvedev has reached six Grand Slam finals to date with two defeats at the US Open (2019, 2023) and two back-to-back losses at the Australian Open (2021, 2022).
During this entire time, Frenchman Gilles Cervara has been in Medvedev’s corner coaching him.
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Cervara and the Russian have been working together since 2017, which coincided with Medvedev winning the first ATP Tour title of his career.
“I know Daniil, I know how it works with him,” Cervara said when speaking of the sometimes-volatile relationship the pair share.
“I try to adapt with the situation and what he says is very important.
“He’s an amazing fighter. He really wants to win all the time, so he doesn’t give anything to the opponent.”
An infamous flashpoint between the duo occurred at Melbourne Park in 2021, when Cervara left the box and didn’t return after Medvedev continually yelled up at him during a match against Filip Krajinovic.
The Russian found himself two sets down during the third round but came back to win a five-setter in the absence of his coach.
"He said just before leaving that he's sure I'm going to win the match, but he's going to leave to let me be more calm," Medvedev said at the time.
"Sometimes maybe I will disagree but this time for sure it was a good thing to do.”
Medvedev relocated to France where he trains under Cervara in Cannes, with a team which has consisted in the past of the likes of physical trainer Eric Hernandez and sports scientist Yann Le Meur.
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“We have a very good connection, it’s not about talking, it’s sometimes just a look to convey energy and emotion,” Cervara said.
“Things that worry me, don’t worry him and vice versa. I work on my coaching to develop my skills, as Daniil does with his tennis. Both are different approaches to the sport, but we have a good bond and one goal. I want him to realize his potential and have the best career he can.”
Daniil Medvedev ranking
Medvedev is currently ranked world No. 3 and is seeded third for Australian Open 2024.
He has reached world No.1 before, in February 2022, although this ranking only lasted three weeks until Djokovic reclaimed it.