The Tennis Coaching Merry Go Round

[Suliso]

As you know very well there have been some very toxic parent-daughter relationships in women's tennis. Hopefully that's not the case for either Fernandez or Raducanu.

[ponchi101]

I don't think it will get to that. Both Fernandez and Raducanu smile on court, and not only when they win a big point.
I remember how even when they were winning, players like Dokic, Capriatti (her first time around), Lucic or Pierce never seemed to be enjoying themselves on court. Pierce broke through that late in her career but it was telling. And another case of burnout, Vaidisova, was also very dour on court.
I also would say that the fact that Fernandez' dad and Raducanu's parents were not there for the final (Fernandez' mother and friends were) means they can accept certain distance. I don't see them as Yuri Sharapov, obviously trying to control everything. Or Kenin's dad, living his life vicariously through his daughter.
There is no doubt their parents are demanding, but I don't think in a toxic way.

[Suliso]

I don't claim that either. I'm just reminding everyone that it used to be very common and still happens sometimes.

I think here Federer is a top example. None of his close relatives have anything to do with tennis.

[Deuce]

A little more about Leylah’s coaching situation, for those interested...
Romain Deridder was brought in as her co-coach at about the end of 2019, soon after Dave Rineberg (ex of Venus and Serena) had a try-out for that position which lasted less than 2 months. While Romain was the one who was travelling with Leylah, her dad remained essentially her primary coach. The main reason that Deridder was brought in to travel with Leylah at that time was because dad was off travelling with Leylah’s younger sister Bianca (also a tennis player).
Leylah did well in 2019 at the ITF level with her dad as her primary coach. In 2020, Leylah did well as a newcomer at the WTA level with both her dad and Deridder as co-coaches. This year, in 2021, while she did win her first WTA tournament, the rest of her year leading up to the U.S. Open was a struggle. And so, between the Olympics and the Montreal 1000 WTA tournament, Deridder was let go, and her dad took over as her sole coach.

Some of you may recall Leylah’s service toss problems in the first half of 2021, where she was catching the ball sometimes up to 8 times in a single service game. Even I was calling for her to be penalized for this, hoping some kind of penalty would help her to correct the problem. I believe the service toss problems started because Deridder tried to get her to lower her toss - although I can’t confirm that. In the end, her dad was the one who corrected the service toss problems (that, I can confirm) - very likely because the problem had become mostly psychological.

Leylah’s dad has also stopped reserving her practice courts, stopped getting the balls for practice, and stopped finding other players for her to practice with - telling her to do these things on her own. And Leylah likes the added responsibility.
Her dad was not in N.Y. mainly because he recognizes that she plays more relaxed when he’s not there. This does not mean that theirs is an unhealthy relationship - on the contrary. He recognized that the time had come for him to take a step back - and so he did. He still spoke with her on the phone several times every day during the U.S. Open, where the people in Leylah’s ‘box’ were her mom (who very rarely travels to tournaments), her 2 sisters, her fitness trainer, her agent, and a few other family members (cousins, etc.). Her dad is not planning to travel with her to most tournaments in the future - because he feels that there is no more need for him to be always with her, and that the best formula for her now is for him to be more physically distant, but to always be available on the phone.

I've seen Leylah and her dad 'up close' at tournaments, and have communicated with them, several times - and I must say that theirs is definitely one of the most unique, healthy, and mutually trusting parent-child relationships I've ever witnessed.

[ti-amie]

Emma Raducanu’s coach Andrew Richardson will not have been shocked by star’s decision to part ways
Stuart Fraser, Tennis Correspondent
Saturday September 25 2021, 1.00pm BST, The Sunday Times

Even in the moments after Emma Raducanu’s astonishing US Open triumph this month, her coach Andrew Richardson did not seem at all confident that their partnership would last much longer.

Sitting in a dining room at Flushing Meadows with a small group of British reporters two weeks ago, Richardson was asked about the arrangement he had with Raducanu moving forward. Normally the coach of a player who had just won a grand-slam title would be waxing lyrical about the coming months. Instead, the softly spoken 47-year-old Englishman merely replied that discussions would be had when they returned to London.

Richardson will not have been completely taken aback, then, when Raducanu told him this week that she no longer required his services. While there will no doubt be some disappointment that he does not have the opportunity to build on that remarkable run in New York, the initial agreement he had with Raducanu was only to cover the duration of her trip to the United States.

Some may wonder if Raducanu could have given Richardson a reward of sorts by extending their partnership until the end of this season at least, but the tennis world is cut-throat. It was deemed by Raducanu, no doubt with the input of her diligent father Ian, that Richardson had served his purpose as a familiar and reassuring face to accompany her across the pond for what was the longest period the 18-year-old had spent away from home.

It has become clear this summer that Raducanu has a ruthless streak behind the warm personality that we see on and off the court. Eyebrows were raised in July when she disposed of the respected Nigel Sears after he guided her to the last 16 on her Wimbledon debut. In came Richardson, who had worked with her for two years from the age of 11 at the Bromley Tennis Centre.

There is often no room for sentiment in tennis, and Raducanu has now made the decision that she needs someone with more tour-level experience as she prepares for her return to competition in the coming weeks. Ironically, someone of Sears’s experience would have fitted the bill perfectly given that he has mentored Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova.

Raducanu’s profile is such now that she will attract interest from coaches around the world. The Australian Darren Cahill has just become available after ending his successful partnership with Simona Halep, who won two grand-slam titles during their six years together. Another potential candidate is the Dutchman Sven Groeneveld, the former coach of Maria Sharapova who has close links with Raducanu’s management company IMG.

There is understandably already chatter in the locker room about the Raducanu coaching roundabout, but this is an approach she has used throughout her teenage years. Coaches have quickly come and gone, with her intelligent and analytical brain picking out the best advice from each one to prevent a “too many cooks spoil the broth” situation.

Raducanu’s father has a strong hand in this. Insiders say that he is a strong-minded individual who is not afraid to advise what he sees as best for his daughter, no matter who it may upset. While some are concerned about the “pushy parent” effect, there can be no arguing with his approach so fae.

Raducanu has basked in the aftermath of her US Open victory, attending the Met Gala and doing rounds of interviews with American television programmes, but she is clearly now at the stage where she wishes to focus fully on her tennis again. On Thursday she returned to training at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre, in Roehampton, southwest London.

“All these opportunities and events I’ve been invited to have been very cool and exciting experiences but being on court is where I want to be,” Raducanu said. “That’s where my head is at. Going on court on Thursday I felt like this is exactly where I belong, and it was just so nice to be out there doing what I love again. Even if the other things are cool, tennis is where it’s at.”

Raducanu has still not determined where she will return to the tour in the coming weeks. She has the option of taking up a main draw wild card for the prestigious Indian Wells Open, starting on October 6, or could remain in Europe for the indoor hard-court swing, starting in Moscow on October 18. Wherever the location, the next box to tick off is a match against a top-ten player for the first time.

“I want to beat anyone who’s in front of me,” Raducanu said. “I’m hungry to play anyone and I think that would be a really cool challenge. I like to challenge myself and obviously it’s going to be extremely difficult to beat a top-ten player or a player of that quality but I’m up for it. Even if I lose I think it’d be a great learning to see where I’m at compared to where the best in the world are.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/emma ... -nbsd9zpv5

[Deuce]

All this nonsense about being 'ruthless' and 'cut throat' is just sensationalistic media BS.
I very much doubt that the coaches who have come and gone feel that they were done wrong, or that Emma and her family are 'ruthless'.

Trying to turn this into a trashy reality show is just trashy, opportunistic journalism.

[JazzNU]

I thought I misunderstood the relationship between Emma and Nigel Sears since he had come and gone so quickly, thought he was being used as a consultant or something, not a real coach. Strange to ditch someone like that in the manner she did.

Confused about the Groeneveld reference here. The mistake of thinking he's available makes me call into question the accuracy of the rest of what he's saying.


And FWIW, I don't see Darren coaching Emma and I'd hold that view even if there was no meddling dad present. I'll be in the shocked camp if that happens.

[ashkor87]

I would bet on Cahill.. why would he end his tenure with Halep otherwise?

[Deuce]

I would bet on Cahill.. why would he end his tenure with Halep otherwise?

This isn't the first time that Cahill and Halep have split - and the other time(s) had nothing to do with Raducanu.

I think Halep will realize that she can't duplicate what she got from Cahill, and will want him back - but whether they get back together or not will likely depend on whether Cahill wants to return and/or whether he engages with another player.

All that said, I still think far to much is made of coaches at the pro level.

[ti-amie]

All this nonsense about being 'ruthless' and 'cut throat' is just sensationalistic media BS.
I very much doubt that the coaches who have come and gone feel that they were done wrong, or that Emma and her family are 'ruthless'.

Trying to turn this into a trashy reality show is just trashy, opportunistic journalism.

This is the British press. It's what they do.

[ti-amie]

Romanian sources are saying Adrian Marcu is now Halep's coach with Dobre also on the team.

[ti-amie]

Treizecizero
@treizecizero
Simona Halep: „Nu știu de ce toată lumea vorbește despre finalul carierei mele. Nu este aproape. Îmi doresc mult să mai joc. Din cauza accidentărilor am avut mici dubii că mai pot, dar acum sunt foarte fit, sunt sănătoasă, și îmi doresc să mai joc, doi-trei ani, patru ani."
Translated from Romanian by Google
Simona Halep: “I don't know why everyone is talking about the end of my career. It's not close. I really want to play more. Due to injuries I had little doubts that I could still, but now I am very fit, I am healthy, and I want to play for another two or three years, four years. "

[ponchi101]

Two or three more years IS the end your career. Nobody is kicking her out and even us fans know that, well, two or three more years is approaching the end of your career.

[ashkor87]

I would bet on Cahill.. why would he end his tenure with Halep otherwise?

This isn't the first time that Cahill and Halep have split - and the other time(s) had nothing to do with Raducanu.

I think Halep will realize that she can't duplicate what she got from Cahill, and will want him back - but whether they get back together or not will likely depend on whether Cahill wants to return and/or whether he engages with another player.

All that said, I still think far to much is made of coaches at the pro level.

it is just the timing I find so suspicious..but then, coaching changes do happen towards the end of the season, of course...

[ashkor87]

Romanian sources are saying Adrian Marcu is now Halep's coach with Dobre also on the team.

would not surprise me.. I assume he is Rumanian? She is comfortable only with Rumanians...