I think it's stupid that coaching during the match isn't allowed in professional tennis......

Should coaching be allowed during matches in professional tennis?

  • Total voters
    49
asifallasleep

asifallasleep

Hall of Fame
Is tennis the only professional sport where coaching isn't allowed during play? Why is this even a rule? Watching the adjustments and the dueling between coaches and strategies would be fascinating. Perhaps 1-2 coaching timeouts per set? It would be awesome.
 
EllieK

EllieK

Hall of Fame
I agree with Roger’s argument against coaching. He says that some players can afford the best coaches and some can’t. It wouldn’t be equitable. I agree with the others who say that mental strength and problem solving on the court is one of the things that makes tennis special. Watching some guys work it out is part of the magic of the sport for me.
 
S

Sampras-Bruguera 1993

Legend
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Approved
 
asifallasleep

asifallasleep

Hall of Fame
So boxing is horrible because there is coaching after every round?

And honestly folks, tennis is not rocket science in regards to strategy. It's mainly mental.

Even with coaching, the player would still be the one who has to physically do it.

I think it would be great watching a player argue and disagree with his coach, lol.
 
B

BenC

Professional
asifallasleep said:
So boxing is horrible because there is coaching after every round?

And honestly folks, tennis is not rocket science in regards to strategy. It's mainly mental.

Even with coaching, the player would still be the one who has to physically do it.

I think it would be great watching a player argue and disagree with his coach, lol.
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I don't think I've seen anything particularly profound in the WTA coaching that's made it onto broadcasts. Amusingly I think I saw Ostapenko shushing her box between points at IW.

 
M

Max G.

Legend
Strategy and mental toughness is part of the game. The player has to be the only one in court making those decisions.

Coaching should be part of the team competitions like Davis Cup, Laver Cup, ATP cup, where the coach is a team member and should contribute. But in individual competition, the person playing should be responsible for their own strategy and tactics.
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
What have the WTA woman, who have had on court coaching during a match, said?
Does it help, does it make a difference....or does it make them more confused? Some of the players don't seem to be listening when they do call their coach down. Stare off into space or whine and complain about losing. Cry. Blame the coach.

On court coaching does come with some crazy drama at times. It makes for more interesting viewing than watching a player sit down and eat a banana. So, I'm sure at some point in the not to distant future, t.v networks will push for more of it...and get it.
 
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Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Mr.Lob said:
What have the WTA woman, who have had on court coaching during a match, said?
Does it help, does it make a difference....or does it make them more confused? Some of the players don't seem to be listening when they do call their coach down. Stare off into space or whine and complain about losing. Cry. Blame the coach.

On court coaching does come with some crazy drama at times. It makes for more interesting viewing than watching a player sit down and eat a banana. So, I'm sure at some point in the not to distant future, t.v networks will push for more of it...and get it.
Click to expand...
I think that allowing coaches to tell women what to do, but not allowing men is very sexist. It is as if women need on court coaching (99% of women coaches are men) or advice from wise men, because they are not capable of handling the situation by themselves, where men don’t just because they’re men and should “man up”.
 
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R

Rogerer

Rookie
Sudacafan said:
I think that allowing coaches to tell women what to do, but not allowing men is very sexist. It is as if women need on court coaching (99% of WTA women coaches are men) or advice from wise men, because they are not capable of handling the situation by themselves, where men don’t just because they’re men and should “man up”.
Click to expand...
You are right, but it is tradition. The women play 2/3 slam also
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
As per OP standards set forth in the thread title, the stupid cohort (of which I am a proud member) is winning this poll by a landslide.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
Mr.Lob said:
It makes for more interesting viewing than watching a player sit down and eat a banana.
Click to expand...
This ^

Sudacafan said:
I think that allowing coaches to tell women what to do, but not allowing men is very sexist.
Click to expand...
Yes! There are some women coaches, would like to see more of them--BTW why aren't there more women here?--There used to be more here, where did they go? Did they all get banned? Did red/green Bart run off with all of them and make them his harem?


Sudacafan said:
As per OP standards set forth in the thread title, the stupid cohort (of which I am a proud member) is winning this poll by a landslide.
Click to expand...

The results are rigged! Ex-pres. Billie Carter needs to be brought in to monitor the tallying.
 
P

Pass750

Professional
Overcoaching has ruined other sports like basketball where the last 2 minutes of game take 20 minutes because of excessive timeouts and baseball with ridiculous analytics. Why ruin tennis like that??!!
 
Jason Swerve

Jason Swerve

Hall of Fame
Kralingen said:
>implying that coaching isn’t already allowed and doesn’t happen regularly in nearly every match especially ones played by certain Mallorcan, Greek, or Compton natives lol
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Oh, now you're making stuff up (wink).

And with the original poster, I partly agree. Notice how these fans can only yell back at him, "That's not what tennis is about!" They said the same thing about graphite, way back when. Traditionalists, and they could hardly tell you why they feel that way.

But then if you have a more perceptive coach, or that coach has a conflict of interest, there could be some genuine unfairness going on.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
I was SHOCKED when my coach suggested surreptitious coaching from the sidelines!--I was green and naive--I'm much wiser now--you don't go to hell for illegal coaching in tennis. No coaching is a relic from the historic game of tennis when it was played on lawns by gents and damsels on manors attired in all white and wearing long pants and dresses. The game is no longer a sport for amateurs, it's a big money sport now--with big money will come refinements and sophistications--I bet Wimbledon will be the first slam to allow on court coaching. Mouratoglou was refreshingly honest about it :

www.espn.com

Mouratoglou on coaching violation: I'd do it again

Patrick Mouratoglou defended his signaling from the stands that led to an "unfair" code violation being issued to Serena Williams during the 2018 US Open women's final. "I would do the same tomorrow," he said of on-court coaching.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
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Jason Swerve

Jason Swerve

Hall of Fame
tennis tom said:
I was SHOCKED when my coach suggested surreptitious coaching from the sidelines!--I was green and naive--I'm much wiser now--you don't go to hell for illegal coaching in tennis. It's a relic from the historic game of tennis when it was played on lawns by gents and damsels on manors attired in all white and wearing long pants and dresses. The game is no longer a sport for amateurs, it's a big money sport now--with big money will come refinements and sophistications--I bet Wimbledon will be the first slam to allow on court coaching. Mouratoglou was refreshingly honest about it :

www.espn.com

Mouratoglou on coaching violation: I'd do it again

Patrick Mouratoglou defended his signaling from the stands that led to an "unfair" code violation being issued to Serena Williams during the 2018 US Open women's final. "I would do the same tomorrow," he said of on-court coaching.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Referencing Mouratoglou worries me, but you're right in any case. Little do most of these posters know the players/coaches are sending elaborate, changing signals all the time. Both would be stupid not to have that sorted out before their matches when their careers are riding on these couple of hours. You won't quell it by making it illegal.
 
Terenigma

Terenigma

G.O.A.T.
The fact anyone thinks coaching should be allowed in tennis is absolutely absurd to me. You've got PLENTY of time to talk to your team but you need to be hand-held during a 2-3 hour match because you are that garbage mentally that you can't adapt on your own? It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Coaching during matches basically means the player is nothing but a meat puppet or robot who is being controlled by the coach and that whole idea is hilarious to me.

If a player can't win a match without coaching then he is a trash player. The sport requires both the fitness and mental fortitude to compete and if a player lacks either then he will lose important matches but that's the whole idea of the sport! We've seen matches between top players be decided by who has adapted better because physically they are both in top form. If we allow coaching during matches then we remove that aspect and it literally becomes about which player is fitter. Noone wants that.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
One of the chief reasons I watch tennis is to learn--having on court coaching would be free lessons-- and the exchanges between players and coaches can be entertaining. This is another loss due to the covid social distancing regs, curtailing on court coaching for the women--it's back to banana eating time.
 
RaulRamirez

RaulRamirez

Legend
I don't have a strong opinion on this.

The part of me that is in favor of it is partly due to the trouble with enforcing coaching from the stands.
If limited coaching was allowed -- perhaps, one (or two) short visit(s) between sets - I don't think that would be bad.
I don't care about that from the TV viewer's perspective, although that may not be a bad thing.
...
On the other hand, as Fed apparently pointed out, I don't like that this may additionally favor the more established players who can afford top-flight coaches to travel with them.
I don't care as much as some about the "gladiatorial" aspect of it -- I think that's overrated. There's never an awards ceremony when both winner and runner-up don't mention their teams. One or two conversations during the course of the match would not diminish that for me. They're not calling plays -- as in football, or to a lesser extent, basketball.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
RaulRamirez said:
I don't have a strong opinion on this.

The part of me that is in favor of it is partly due to the trouble with enforcing coaching from the stands.
If limited coaching was allowed -- perhaps, one (or two) short visit(s) between sets - I don't think that would be bad.
I don't care about that from the TV viewer's perspective, although that may not be a bad thing.
...
On the other hand, as Fed apparently pointed out, I don't like that this may additionally favor the more established players who can afford top-flight coaches to travel with them.
I don't care as much as some about the "gladiatorial" aspect of it -- I think that's overrated. There's never an awards ceremony when both winner and runner-up don't mention their teams. One or two conversations during the course of the match would not diminish that for me. They're not calling plays -- as in football, or to a lesser extent, basketball.
Click to expand...
You should always strengthen your opinions.
:cool:
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
RaulRamirez said:
I hear you, and I sometimes have (very) strong opinions. Per coaching, I readily see both sides of it.
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Just teasing you. I adhere to this, from Charles Bukowski:
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
 
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