The USTA player development program will get a helping hand from a Hall of Famer.
Former world No. 1 Ivan Lendl will work with about six 15 and 16-year-old boys in the USTA's player development program for 50 days over the next year.
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Lendl, who previously coached Andy Murray and spent some time in Florida at a Grigor Dimitrov training session earlier this summer, began his new post late last month working with the USTA juniors.
"I enjoy working with younger players. You can form them and help them the most," Lendl told The Associated Press. "It's just fun watching how they try to learn. They ask a lot of questions. They try different things. They're just eager to get better."
The eight-time Grand Slam champion, recently-retired American Mardy Fish and Jill Craybas are all working on coaching retainer for the USTA, the AP reports.
Lendl has reunited with fitness trainer Jez Green, Murray's former trainer when Lendl was head coach.
The man who won 94 ATP titles says he asks juniors their ideal style of play and the pros they aspire to emulate before designing a specific program.
"You ask them how they think they will be playing in the future, what kind of style, and who their heroes are. You evaluate and establish what the weaknesses are. And then you design a program to work on those weaknesses," Lendl told The Associated Press. "I really enjoy helping them conform to the way they think they should be playing. Unless, of course, we totally disagree about how they should play.
"If a guy who is going to be 6-foot-8 tells me wants to play like Rafa (Nadal), we will have more discussions."
Since parting with Murray, primarily because he did not want to travel extensively, Lendl declined an opportunity to work with Tomas Berdych and did not pursue a full-time role with Dimitrov. But Lendl says he hasn't completely ruled out a return to coaching on the pro circuit.
"I don't know if it will happen, when it will happen, on what level it will happen," Lendl told the AP. "But if something comes along which makes a lot of sense, I am always willing to consider it."
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