Off court coaching now allowed on trial basis
IN the post 100th Championships equation, it was Novak Djokovic who came out best and the AELTC, who came out second best.
The World No 1 deservedly picked up that elusive 21st Slam title while Wimbledon’s ban on Russians came back to bite them.
Rank outsider, Elena Rybakina, became the first Uzbekistan, to lift a Major trophy. She was born and raised in Moscow and has that distinctive Maria Sharapova factor about her.
She is a marketing director’s dream, except she serves 100% better than Sharapova did in her wildest dreams.
Sharapova at one stage had the Tour record for serving 17 double faults in one match at Roland Garros. Rybakina instead specialises in acing her opponents off the court.
Rybakina moreover eclipsed Wimbledon pin-up, Emma Raducanu, for whom more British tabloid space has been devoted, than tea in China.
Raducanu has now elected to play the Canadian Open in preparation to defend her US Open title.
Serena Williams will use her protective ranking to enter the same main draw in Toronto, where both World No 1, Iga Swiatek and former US Open champion, Naomi Osaka, are also listed to play.
On the subject of Williams and Osaka and on account of one of Williams’ most controversial on court meltdowns, in which she was accused by umpire Carlos Ramos, of receiving coaching from her father, during her 2018 US Open Final against Osaka and ultimately lost the match, the rules have now been changed on a trial basis.
Said Djokovic: “Let’s face it, on court coaching is nothing new, it’s been happening since the beginning of the professional era and if a coach really wants to convey a message to their player mid match, they just use sign language.
“There have been many incidents of late. Russian No 1 — Daniil Medvedev went on a mid match rampage accusing the Greek No 1, Stefanos Tsitsipas of receiving coaching from his father during their Australian Open face off), one has to find a solution without compromising your opponent or bringing the game into disrepute.”
Thus off court coaching will be officially on trial at both the US Open and ATP finals and other men’s events for the remainder of the season.
The WTA is already experimenting with this, no doubt much to Williams’ satisfaction.
It will also only be allowed from designated seating court-side and must not in any way interrupt either play or one’s opponent.
A player must also be on the same side of the court as his or her coach, in order to receive verbal coaching, whereas non-verbal coaching is allowed any time.
Former Romanian No 1, Ion Tiriac, will be chuckling up his sleeve having been the pioneer of proverbial signals to ones on court protégées, namely two-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker.
In terms of Men’s preparations for the US Open, there are two key tournaments taking place on two different continents on two different surfaces.
2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem is back in action on clay at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, where he backed up his first Tour level win, after a lengthy 14 months absence, with an impressive victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.
Clay court specialist and World No 5, Casper Ruud, didn’t fare as well. He was again trounced by feisty Argentinian, Francisco Cerundolo, who had never before beaten a top 10 player.
Meanwhile, American Maxime Cressy, Wimbledon giant slayer, serve volleyed his way into the Newport Quarters on hard courts, beating former champion, Steve Johnson and catapulting himself to No 38 in the World rankings.
Winning streaks build confidence, something both Raducanu and Canadian star Felix Auger Aliassime will be lacking on the brink of this last Major of the year.