From July – just after Wimbledon – ATP tennis players will have the opportunity to use their coach’s advice during matches. While acclaimed coach Patrick Mouratoglou is happy that what many players have already used on the tour is finally legalized, other tennis players disagree.
Training from the auditorium will also be permitted at the US Open or Tournament of Champions. Coaches shall sit in reserved places and advise their charges only in interrupted play. Longer conversations will not be allowed. Tennis players will continue to face penalties for breaking the rules.
“I commend the ATP for ‘legalizing’ the practice that has taken place in almost every match for decades. No more hypocrisy,” wrote Mouratoglou, former longtime coach of Serena Williams and current coach of Simona Halep. , on Twitter.
Kudos to the ATP for “legalizing” a practice that has been going on at almost every game for decades. No more hypocrisy. https://t.co/OVwgtwLLrW
– Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) June 22, 2022
He immediately drew a wave of criticism for this comment. In response, fans reminded him of his sign language towards Williams in the 2018 US Open final, for which the American received a yellow card and a penalty.
Some well-known names in world tennis also expressed themselves on the famous French coach’s tweet.
“It’s disappointing to see such a high-ranking coach shamelessly admit that he’s been breaking the rules of our sport for so long,” wrote Todd Woodbridge, Australia’s nineteen-year-old former world player. .
And Mouratoglou answered him immediately. “This is especially bad of you, Todd. Have you been on the tour for so long, denying the evidence that on-court training is a daily thing? Instead, are you deliberately trying to smear me and blame me?
The 52-year-old coach mainly works on the WTA Tour, where he now assists Romania’s Halepová. On the women’s circuit, coaching from the auditorium in some tournaments has been put to the test since the penultimate year.
“By the way, learn to read, I didn’t write anywhere what you assume I wrote,” Mouratoglou denies, cheating on his own.
However, some active players disagree with his opinion on coaching. Australian Nick Kyrgios, for example, strongly opposed it.
“Tennis will lose one of the few unique qualities that another sport didn’t have. The player has to figure things out for himself. That was the beauty. What will it be like when a player high-ranking and a tennis player who can’t even afford a tournament coach? the famous stormtrooper vomited.
The rules regarding the training of tennis players have changed several times in recent years. At the end of the year, it should be decided whether it will be authorized purely and simply from next year.
Completely disagree. Loses one of the only unique traits that no other sport had. The player had to figure things out for himself. That was the beauty of it. What if a top ranked player against a lower ranked player who doesn’t have or afford to have a coach?
– Nicolas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 22, 2022
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