The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has approved an important change to the rules as of January 1, 2025. From this date, off-court coaching will be permitted, meaning coaches will be able to advise their players. from the stands.
This organization defends that the initiative is implemented after having carried out several tests since 2017 and that these have materialized in some tournaments starting in 2023. Specifically, the new rule enables trainers to give verbal instructions to their tennis players if they are on the same side of the court and non-verbal when they are on the opposite side. Of course, they must be “brief and discreet”, and with the sole exception that they are not done during the dispute of a point.
Coaches may give verbal and non-verbal instructions to tennis players except when a point is being disputed.
These tips and gestures were only allowed, to date, in team competitions. In this case it will be maintained and, in addition, it should be remembered that these occur within the track. At the same time, this regulatory modification also includes the possibility that players can access tennis player analysis technology when this measure has been implemented.
For the ITF, this new rule will allow tennis to be “fairer and more entertaining” and will take pressure off chair umpires when sanctioning coaching. Now, each organization will have the final say on the use of coaching in its competitions.
Some tennis players such as Taylor Fritz or Denis Shapovalov have criticized this change. The first, number 6 in the ATP ranking, complained with this message: “Can we stop ruining the mental and strategic 1vs1 aspect of the sport, please?” As for the Canadian, number 95 in the ATP ranking, he has maintained that this measure is “sad to see” as a sports fan: “Tennis is special because you are there alone. Why are you trying to change the beauty of this sport?”
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