Daniil Medvedev had yet another Grand Slam to forget at the US Open, as he was rather unceremoniously dumped out in the first round.
Losing to Benjamin Bonzi, just months after that same Frenchman had knocked him out of Wimbledon too, his continued fall from grace seems to be getting worse.
No matter what he tries, nothing seems to halt his descent.
Following this latest major, the Russian will drop to 18th in the world rankings. He started the year in the top five.
With that in mind, Medvedev has made the crucial call to overhaul his entire coaching staff. It was the only option he really had left.
Now, former doubles world number one Todd Woodbridge has implored him and his new coaches to work on one key area as a matter of priority.
Daniil Medvedev handed crucial advice after hiring new coaching team
Speaking on Australian Open TV after the men’s US Open final, attention finally turned from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to the rest of the field.
And, touching on Medvedev and his dreadful form, Woodbridge first admitted: “I think there is more to come. Changing the coaching staff was probably inevitable because he has to freshen up somehow.
“He is funny to watch. He loses the plot, and that can be like watching a train crash, and we all do that.
“He is important for the game because he is an intellectual player and a thinker out on court, and he finds ways to break things down. I think he is really important, so I hope he does get back.
“But he has got to make some changes to the pressure that he seems to be putting on himself and the intensity of that.
“He is not making it easy on himself. I used to really try too hard, and he looks like he is trying too hard. He has to find a different way, I think, to enjoy the competition.
“At the moment when it is getting tight, he is not enjoying it.”
With that in mind, Woodbridge suggested: “There is also one other part, and that is probably the technical part of transitioning to the net and coming forward and volleying.
“If he’s going to get better again, that is where he is getting beaten a lot. You can look at him from the back of the court and the way he serves, but in the forecourt, he is probably a 5/10 and for as good as he is, he should be a seven or an eight.”
Medvedev was criticised for his reaction to losing at the US Open, having exploded afterwards, demolishing a racket.
Daniil Medvedev’s Grand Slam performance throughout 2025
This year marked Medvedev’s worst-ever Grand Slam performance, tied with the very first year he ever played in main draw matches on tour.
It has been that bad for the 29-year-old.
He kick-started his year with a second-round exit in Australia, losing to the promising young American Learner Tien in five sets.
Next up came the French Open, which has historically been his least successful major.
That still did not excuse his defeat to Cameron Norrie, losing in another five-set slog.
Next up came Bonzi, who halted his Wimbledon progress at the first hurdle before repeating that feat in New York later that summer.
The only possible positive from this year is that he will have almost no points to defend in 2026.
