June 23, (THEWILL) – Nick Kyrgios has criticised the ATP’s choice to test off-court coaching and feels that it diminishes the game’s aesthetic value.
Players will be permitted to receive coaching during qualifying and main draw matches in tournaments, including the US Open, as part of the ATP’s test of off-court coaching, which will begin the week of July 11 and end with the ATP Tour Finals in November.
As long as it does not obstruct the opponent or disrupt a player, coaching, both verbal and nonverbal, is permitted. Only when the athlete and his coach are on the same side of the court is verbal coaching permitted. Off-court coaching has been taking place “at almost every match for decades” according to Patrick Mouratoglou, who previously coached Serena Williams and is now working with Simona Halep.
Kyrgios has publicly criticised the rule change and feels that tennis is losing a “unique trait” by doing so. He replied Mouratoglou’s tweet, saying: “Completely disagree. Loses one of the only unique traits that no other sport had. The player had to figure out things on his own. That was the beauty of it. What happens if a high-profile player versus a low-ranked player who doesn’t have or [cannot] afford a coach?”
Todd Woodbridge, a legendary tennis player and broadcaster from Australia, responded to Mouratoglou’s position on Twitter: “This is so disappointing to see that such a high-profile coach blatantly admits that he has broken the rules of our sport for so long.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
