Following his second round win at US Open, Novak Djokovic spoke honestly about recent changes in tennis coaching rules, giving insight into the dynamics of player-coach communication on the court. The Serbian superstar is in support of on-court communication between players and coach, and further admitted that players have been doing it secretly and hiding it from the umpires over the years. It is now officially allowed for the players to talk with their coach during the match but Djokovic wants more.
Discussing the coaching in tennis, Novak Djokovic even drew comparisons to basketball, highlighting the unique challenges faced by players in team and individual sports. The 23 time Grand Slam winner admitted that he would like coaching to go one step further.
Djokovic supports open communication on court
Speaking to the press, Djokovic was talking about the coaching rule changes that have allowed players and coaches to openly communicate on court without resorting to covert signals or hidden exchanges. Djokovic expressed his approval of the new rule and showed his support for it. In this candid admission, Djokovic tacitly acknowledged that players, including himself, would previously break the rule and conceal it from officials for many years.
“But yeah, I’m actually happy that we are able now to freely communicate rather than hiding from a chair umpire or supervisor like we did for many years. So it’s good. I’m supportive of that.”
The Serb feels tennis should do more progress to enable player-coach communications and is supportive of on-court coaching and head-set communication. Addressing potential concerns about maintaining the individual aspect of tennis, Djokovic said that even after coaching, the players have to perform on their own and can’t use any substitutes anyway.
“I’m actually supportive of the on-court coaching or headset communication, whatever ways of getting more coaching. I understand that there are some, you know, opponents of this, you know, coaching rule that are saying, Yeah, you’re a tennis player, individual athlete, so you have to figure things out by yourself. Well, you have to figure them out anyway, even if the coach comes in, say, in a set break or whatever, and you talk, you still have to have to play yourself, right? There is no substitution.”
Novak Djokovic even compared tennis coaching to basketball coaching and explained the difference between both scenarios. The Serb feels that even with on-court coaching, the ultimate responsibility on the court remains with the individual player when it comes to tennis.
Tennis and Basketball coaching dynamics
Djokovic offered intriguing insights by comparing coaching in tennis to that in basketball. The ability for basketball players to interact directly with their coaches during games is a unique aspect that differentiates the two sports. Djokovic feels that players can go and talk to their coach anytime in basketball and tennis doesn’t allow that. The 36 year old, feels that two sports are not comparable with the coaching style.
“Well, it’s different in basketball because you can basically go to your coach or bench any time you want. We are not able to do that. So we have to sometimes raise our voice in order for our team to hear us or for us to hear them, because otherwise, you know, we have to communicate with the signs or signals. So it’s quite different, you know, than basketball. It’s really not comparable.”
As the conversation around coaching in tennis evolves, opinions will undoubtedly vary. While allowing on-court coaching could potentially offer viewers greater insight and players more immediate guidance, it raises questions about preserving the solitary essence of individual sports. Whether on-court coaching truly enhances the sport, or if it shifts the focus away from the players’ individual skills, remains an open question.
