The tennis players will have the opportunity to get advice from their coaches during the matches from 11 July. The change receives a very divided reception.
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Tennis is one of the few sports where the players are left to themselves as soon as the match starts. It has not been allowed to have a coach present at the bench, nor have the coaches been allowed to give messages from the stands. But now the rules are changing – at least for a while.
From 11 July until the end of this year’s season, the players will have the opportunity to get advice from the coaches, confirms ATP (International Tennis Federation). That is, Wimbledon (June 27 to July 10) will be the last tournament without communication.
– I think it’s really okay, the rules are being abused already. It has been difficult to enforce the rules since so many different languages ​​are spoken, says Christian Ruud, father and coach of Casper Ruud, to VG.
Ruud gets support from former tennis player, and now analyst for ESPN’s tennis broadcasts, Pam Shriver.
– It is time, considering that they have had such great challenges in enforcing the rules around that coaching is not allowed, Shriver says to Tennis.com.
Because even if it is not allowed, words are often exchanged between player and coach in the stands during the matches.
– One had to crack down harder on today’s rules of zero dialogue. When you do not do it, I think it is a good suggestion to try this, says Ruud.
– Do you and Casper agree on this?
– We have not actually discussed it that much, but I think he likes it, he answers.
However, it is far from everyone who is equally positive about the changes.
– A sad day for tennis. Tennis does not need coaching during the match, it just thinks it needs it, writes New York Times’ tennis correspondent Christopher Clarey on Twitter.
– Tennis loses one of the only unique properties that no other sport had. The player had to figure things out on his own. That was the beauty of it, writes tennis player Nick Kyrgios Twitter.
It will only be decided after the trial period whether “coaching” will be allowed permanently.
This winter, Medvedev was not particularly pleased with how the “coaching” was punished:
Kyrgios thinks it will be unfair for the players who can not afford to bring coaches around tournaments.
– What will happen if a high-profile player meets a low-ranked player, who can not afford a coach? Writes Australians.
– I understand that argument, but those at the top will have a much larger team anyway. Those with the largest apparatus will in any case have an advantage. So that argument falls apart a bit, Ruud answers the argument from Kyrgios.
The coaches want their own coach box on the side of the court, but they are only allowed to communicate verbally when their player is on the same side of the court. However, the rules specify that non-verbal communication will be legal.
– Are you and Casper going to take a sign language course in the next few weeks?
– I have not thought much about it, but it is a good point. The question is whether we will not be allowed to attend a sign language course during the summer, Ruud answers with a twinkle in his eye.