A new practice has been introduced at the Australian Open where coaches can sit at court level in the corner of the court area.
The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, has been played for three days now. In addition to the games, the new seats arranged for the coaches, which are located at the level of the field, have spoken in Melbourne. In the past, the coaches have sat in the stands in the players’ box.
In the new arrangement, the player has the opportunity to bring up to four people to the corners located at the level of the field. The other player has the corresponding positions in the opposite corner.
The players also still have the enclosures in the stands, which can accommodate more family members and friends, for example. The coaches can also sit there if the player doesn’t want them on the field level.
In the seats in the corner of the field, the coaches have screens and the opportunity to follow real-time statistics from the match. Coaching – i.e. giving advice – during a match has been allowed since the 2022 US Open. In the past, it was strictly adhered to that the players themselves had to cope with the tactical challenges that came their way during the match.
In the first days, many players have used the opportunity to bring the coach to the level of the field. For example, a ten-time winner of the Australian Open Novak Djokovic new coach Andy Murray was in the corner of the court during Djokovic’s opening match.
Instead, the women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenkan the whole team sat in the stands. Sabalenka didn’t want some of his team sitting in the corner and some in the stands.
Tournament director Craig Tiley said some coaches were skeptical about it, but expected most players to jump at the chance.
– When the player comes to the towel, the coach can talk to him. He can practically coach after every possession, Tiley said.