Hubert Hurkacz spotted practicing with longtime Medvedev coach Gilles Cervara in Madrid

Eagle-eyed social media users broke news at the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday when they spotted a potential new high-profile player-coach partnership on the ATP Tour. Frenchman Gilles Cervara, the longtime coach of Daniil Medvedev, was seen leading a practice session for former Top 10 player Hubert Hurkacz at the Caja Mágica.

"Did I miss that announcement?" wrote X user @FadingTramlines along with two videos recorded from Madrid's practice courts.

While neither Cervara nor Hurkacz have yet to publicly comment on any working relationship, both player and coach were recently on the market.

Read more: With Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic out of Madrid, who can stop streaking Jannik Sinner?

In March, Hurkacz split with Nicolas Massu, who had been coaching him since late 2024. The Pole thanked the former Olympic champion for his "dedication, hard work and time we spent together during the most challenging times in my career" in a social media post announcing their split, in a veiled reference to the arthroscopic surgery on his right knee he had last July.

After helping Poland to a United Cup victory in January, upsetting Alexander Zverev along the way, Hurkacz had a string of seven straight losses between the second round of the Australian Open and a Round of 16 effort at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Cervara, meanwhile, linked up with 20-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy after seeing his eight-year partnership with Medvedev come to an end after the 2025 US Open, but their spell together lasted less than four months. In their first event as a team, Basavareddy reached the semifinals at the NextGen ATP Finals last fall, with the youngster saying at the time that "[he] thought that experience at the highest level could help me where I’m at in my career."

"It’s not just the tennis; he’s interested in all aspects. He’s diligent and professional in areas such as nutrition and fitness and that will help me," Basavareddy said.

But by early April, their partnership was over, with Cervara writing in a social media statement that the split came with "nothing bad or against" Basavareddy.

"I really wish you to keep growing and improving for the best of your young career and I’m sure you will," wrote the French coach in a post on Instagram.

Currently ranked No. 63, well off his career high of No. 6, Hurkacz arrives in Madrid eyeing a reset for the clay-court season, needing to defend quarterfinal points in Rome in the coming weeks.