"I perceived in Daniil Medvedev an emotional, playful side which is evident when he is with his daughter" - Russian's coach Gilles Cervara

Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara has shed light on how fatherhood has changed the Russian.

Medvedev married his longtime girlfriend Daria in 2018. The couple became parents on October 14, 2022, following the birth of their daughter Alisa Danilovna. The one-year-old has since been traveling the world frequently, accompanying her father as he competes in various tournaments.

Speaking after the birth of his daughter, the former World No. 1 had stated that the experience brought in him some emotions that were previously unknown to him.

"That's a lot of emotions I thought that I was not able to feel. I'm not able to feel at this caliber because I am quite a little bit cold person in life, and then I felt so many good emotions that 'wow, I'm a sensible person. I can be a sensible person.' Lot of calm. Lot of good feelings," Medvedev told Tennis TV.

In a recent interview, his coach Cervara, when asked how becoming a father changed Medvedev, stated that he has started to notice an emotional and playful side in him whenever he is with his daughter.

"I perceived in Daniil, as a person, an emotional, playful side, which I had not detected until then but which is evident when he is with his daughter. For the rest, in my eyes, he puts the same application and attention into his work," he told Tennis Majors.

Medvedev and Cervara have been working together since summer 2017. Under the Frenchman's guidance, the 27-year-old has won 20 ATP titles and even managed to clinch the top spot in the men's rankings.

---

Daniil Medvedev begins 2024 Australian Open campaign in 'brutal conditions', reaches 2R despite difficulties

Daniil Medvedev in action at the 2024 Australian Open.

Daniil Medvedev got his 2024 Australian Open campaign underway on Sunday, January 14, taking on Terence Atmane in the opening round.

In the 29 degrees Celsius heat, both players' fitness was tested before the French qualifier eventually retired from the contest with the score reading 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 1-0 in the Russian's favor.

After the match, Medvedev stated that the conditions were 'brutal' and that he managed to deal with the conditions a bit better than Atmane.

"When I started to feel tough physically he started cramping, so it was brutal conditions. I’ve been here for seven days and it hasn’t been hot, and now it was hot for the first match. I was getting tired but many times in these situations the other guy is getting tired too and it’s about who manages it better," he said.

He will face Finland’s unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round.