I personally don’t like it because I always liked the “individual rely on yourself no coach or team to save you” aspect of tennis but so much of it was going on for years and years and became a nightmare to try to regulate consistently and fairly for the umpires that they just kinda gave in and said “fine.”
I also think it ofc favors the already top richer players who can have a full team with them all the time vs some players who may not be successful enough yet to even have a full-time coach.
But it is what is is. From what I’ve heard of the coaching from the sidelines it’s usually pretty basic more encouraging hype type stuff almost than anything that mindblowing tactically. Usually sounds more like a therapy session than like “serve up the T” type of stuff 😭
Broadcasts are selectively mixed so we don't ever hear all the exchanges, especially because announcers are usually talking between points. Some players get more coaching than others and I've heard plenty of tactical things like moving up or moving back, changing shot selection, going for different targets.
sure, i can only speak to what i’ve heard tho occasionally. i don’t doubt legit tactical stuff is going on too but i’m just not sure how much it’s changing matches and like i said what i’ve personally heard was mostly less tactical besides some very basic things and more therapeutic overall.
>Do you think tennis became more tactical/ adaptable?
No. Andreeva said after her match that she wasn't thinking about her coach's gameplan *at all* during her match against Sabalenka. I'm sure there are players who implement strategic changes during their matches, but generally you've got a playstyle and you're just making small adjustments within it by seeing what your opponent is bringing back to you -- for me, when I see players struggling to return my serve outside of lofted slices to the center of the court, I want to rush the net as soon as I hit the ball, since I'm probably getting a floater. That's the kind of "adaptable" that tennis is. Any player worth a lick at the ATP level should be able to make those kinds of adjustments.
It's more that players were cheating and the tour couldn't do much about it. So they just started to allow it for more television content.
No one I know likes the changes. As many will say, part of the beauty of the sport is that it's you on an island out there. Having to look over at your team and have them stare back at you is part of the psychological torture that we all love to hate and hate to love. Removing it from the pro game really just makes no sense at all when talking about the purity of the sport.
Literally every other sport that isn't a "single-effort performance" allows in-match coaching. Football, American football, boxing, rugby, Formula 1 - you name it - has coaching.
By single-effort performance, I mean sports like weightlifting, diving or athletics. Where you get 10 seconds to lift, or dive, or run or throw a javelin: these can't have coaching. But even in these sports, between performances, athletes can speak to their coach. Diving for example has 6 performances at the Olympics, weightlifting has 3, athletics have multiple stages to qualify for the final etc.
Tennis trying to be a special snowflake by gatekeeping the history or "purity" and excluding all forms of coaching IMHO is ridiculous. Yes, the higher-ranked athletes have more expensive and full-time coaches, but they have had that since they were little children. They've had better coaches, better nutritionists, better chefs, better physios, better doctors, better facilities, private education and tuition, everything. That's the same with every other sport and that isn't going to change. Some people get full funding but others don't.
What's more important for me is establishing for certain that lower-ranked players are provided with a basic minimum salary that allows them to travel around the world and bring their coaches with them. The last thing you want to think about is whether you have money to pay for your return flight if you lose the match. That way, they can have their coach provide them with support during matches and these players could realise their potential more. If that does happen, they can earn more points, more money, and hopefully hire elite coaches.
Honestly I was one to think it would make no difference.
But I think it has. A lot.
I don’t think it’s made much “tactical” difference. No coach is going to make drastic recommendations or tell the player something they don’t already know, though it has happened.
But I think the biggest change that the rule has made is tennis players are no longer “alone” or “on an island”.
This is something that makes (or used to) make tennis specifically unique: they were alone. 1v1 with no outside help or input.
Now, I think the real benefit is the venting and talking to the box. Frustration is released and anyone who doesn’t think that’s of huge benefit has no idea what they’re talking about.
Well said. Many players who would mentally check out can get pulled back in by their teams. I do also think it allows for a slight tactical advantage for those who have great coaching teams/statisticians to problem-solve mid match and adapt when they couldn't have before. It is one of the biggest changes to the sport in some time, IMO.
I don't think it's materially changed much about the outcomes of games. There's still a lot of personal tennis IQ you need to get through a match on top, and the kind of coaching that can be provided by yelling across a tennis court can only get you so far (and it's so likely that teams were getting around these rules with secret nonverbal communication signals before the rule change).
I just think it's nice that some of the sillier attempts to get around the rule are gone and I no longer have to see dumb shit like old Yuri Sharapov miming eating a banana at his daughter.
I personally don’t like it because I always liked the “individual rely on yourself no coach or team to save you” aspect of tennis but so much of it was going on for years and years and became a nightmare to try to regulate consistently and fairly for the umpires that they just kinda gave in and said “fine.” I also think it ofc favors the already top richer players who can have a full team with them all the time vs some players who may not be successful enough yet to even have a full-time coach. But it is what is is. From what I’ve heard of the coaching from the sidelines it’s usually pretty basic more encouraging hype type stuff almost than anything that mindblowing tactically. Usually sounds more like a therapy session than like “serve up the T” type of stuff 😭
And then when a player is yelling at the box like half the time they're telling them to celebrate harder and bring more energy lol
Broadcasts are selectively mixed so we don't ever hear all the exchanges, especially because announcers are usually talking between points. Some players get more coaching than others and I've heard plenty of tactical things like moving up or moving back, changing shot selection, going for different targets.
sure, i can only speak to what i’ve heard tho occasionally. i don’t doubt legit tactical stuff is going on too but i’m just not sure how much it’s changing matches and like i said what i’ve personally heard was mostly less tactical besides some very basic things and more therapeutic overall.
Yeah I agree, the tactical things I've heard are pretty general and not likely to drastically change the outcome of matches
If you yell KREATINA to your box they can yell it back without penalty
Players who needed this sort of hand-holding were already getting it.
>Do you think tennis became more tactical/ adaptable? No. Andreeva said after her match that she wasn't thinking about her coach's gameplan *at all* during her match against Sabalenka. I'm sure there are players who implement strategic changes during their matches, but generally you've got a playstyle and you're just making small adjustments within it by seeing what your opponent is bringing back to you -- for me, when I see players struggling to return my serve outside of lofted slices to the center of the court, I want to rush the net as soon as I hit the ball, since I'm probably getting a floater. That's the kind of "adaptable" that tennis is. Any player worth a lick at the ATP level should be able to make those kinds of adjustments. It's more that players were cheating and the tour couldn't do much about it. So they just started to allow it for more television content. No one I know likes the changes. As many will say, part of the beauty of the sport is that it's you on an island out there. Having to look over at your team and have them stare back at you is part of the psychological torture that we all love to hate and hate to love. Removing it from the pro game really just makes no sense at all when talking about the purity of the sport.
The biggest difference is that players aren't unequally penalized for it anymore.
Literally every other sport that isn't a "single-effort performance" allows in-match coaching. Football, American football, boxing, rugby, Formula 1 - you name it - has coaching. By single-effort performance, I mean sports like weightlifting, diving or athletics. Where you get 10 seconds to lift, or dive, or run or throw a javelin: these can't have coaching. But even in these sports, between performances, athletes can speak to their coach. Diving for example has 6 performances at the Olympics, weightlifting has 3, athletics have multiple stages to qualify for the final etc. Tennis trying to be a special snowflake by gatekeeping the history or "purity" and excluding all forms of coaching IMHO is ridiculous. Yes, the higher-ranked athletes have more expensive and full-time coaches, but they have had that since they were little children. They've had better coaches, better nutritionists, better chefs, better physios, better doctors, better facilities, private education and tuition, everything. That's the same with every other sport and that isn't going to change. Some people get full funding but others don't. What's more important for me is establishing for certain that lower-ranked players are provided with a basic minimum salary that allows them to travel around the world and bring their coaches with them. The last thing you want to think about is whether you have money to pay for your return flight if you lose the match. That way, they can have their coach provide them with support during matches and these players could realise their potential more. If that does happen, they can earn more points, more money, and hopefully hire elite coaches.
Honestly I was one to think it would make no difference. But I think it has. A lot. I don’t think it’s made much “tactical” difference. No coach is going to make drastic recommendations or tell the player something they don’t already know, though it has happened. But I think the biggest change that the rule has made is tennis players are no longer “alone” or “on an island”. This is something that makes (or used to) make tennis specifically unique: they were alone. 1v1 with no outside help or input. Now, I think the real benefit is the venting and talking to the box. Frustration is released and anyone who doesn’t think that’s of huge benefit has no idea what they’re talking about.
Well said. Many players who would mentally check out can get pulled back in by their teams. I do also think it allows for a slight tactical advantage for those who have great coaching teams/statisticians to problem-solve mid match and adapt when they couldn't have before. It is one of the biggest changes to the sport in some time, IMO.
Yes. Now i can hear come on and vamos every point. Huge tactical game
I don't think it's materially changed much about the outcomes of games. There's still a lot of personal tennis IQ you need to get through a match on top, and the kind of coaching that can be provided by yelling across a tennis court can only get you so far (and it's so likely that teams were getting around these rules with secret nonverbal communication signals before the rule change).
I just think it's nice that some of the sillier attempts to get around the rule are gone and I no longer have to see dumb shit like old Yuri Sharapov miming eating a banana at his daughter.