By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 22, 2024
Remember back in 2022 when the ATP Tour announced that off-court coaching would be permitted on a trial basis? Since then, coaching during matches, from player’s boxes, has become the norm on tour.
On Monday the ITF announced that the changes have become official.
Here’s how Stuart Miller, the ITF’s Senior Executive Director, explained the decision.
“This has been going on in trial form since 2017. People who have been watching the sport, particularly over the last two years, will have seen trials going on across the whole of the professional game including the ITF World Tennis Tour, ATP and WTA Tours and all Grand Slams.
“We’ve gathered feedback from all key stakeholders including players, coaches and Chair Umpires. Players felt it was a positive development and makes tournaments more interesting for them. Coaches have said it helps player development and helps to improve the standing of their profession. Chair Umpires have said it improves their ability to focus on monitoring the game and making the right decisions, rather than whether or not a coach is coaching against the rules. So all parties have welcomed this and it’s good to see the AGM support what we think is going to be a positive change for the game of tennis.”
The decision was instantly met with some pushback from players on the ATP Tour.
“Off-court coaching sucks,” stated Aussie John Millman, with impressive brevity.
Taylor Fritz gave his take, asking that the powers that be stop ruining the mental and strategic aspect of the sport, while Denis Shapovalov also gave a nuanced take, saying “Tennis is special because you are out there alone, why are you trying to change the beauty of the game?”
For the record, Magnus Norman, in a rare case of defiance from a coach, agrees with Shapovalov.
What it means is that not much is going to change from what has already been occurring on tour for the last couple of seasons. The trial is over. The coaches are permitted to coach, provided that they follow some basic rules:
Coaching is allowed between points and at change of ends and set breaks, and at any other time (except during the playing of a point) permitted by the sanctioning body.
For off-court coaching and on-court coaching between points, communication may be verbal (when the coach(es) and player(s) are at the same end of the court) or by hand signals (at any time when coaching is permitted) only.
Off-court coaching, and on-court coaching between points, must be brief (except during breaks in play) and discreet.