Guiding a top player on the professional tour may be a dream coaching role but it’s often accompanied by some harsh realities. ROBERT DAVIS explores what it’s like – and what it takes – to be an elite touring coach.
It sounds like a dream job. Travel the world guiding players who are competing for thousands of dollars each week. Share locker rooms with some of the greatest players in the game while capitalising on the opportunity to rub shoulders and learn from legendary coaches. For the professional tour coach the world is your office and you are involved at the highest level of the tennis industry. The cities and surfaces may change, but the job description ultimately stays the same – make your player better. The job has few prerequisites or defined skill sets. Some are former players who transitioned to coaching, such as Scott McCain, Claudio Pistolesi, Magnus Norman and Marc Gorritz. Others are fathers (Pat Harrison, father of Ryan and Chris Harrison), mothers (Klaudiya Istomina, son Denis Istomin) and even brothers of players (Thanakorn Srichaphan/Paradorn and Carl Chang/Michael Chang). Then there are those coaches who never really played tennis at all (Nick Bollettieri).
How you got on tour matters little once you are there. What does matter, though, is can you do the job?
Top tour coaches understand the many qualities that help them perform their jobs well. At the same time, they also appreciate the many factors that can see some coaches falter in their development, and ultimately fade away. More…