- Coaches are much closer to players at the Australian Open
- Not everyone is a fan of the new innovation in sports.
Tennis fans have been left divided over the new on-court training units introduced at this year’s Australian Open.
Tournament boss Craig Tiley is excited about the new innovation that allows coaches to talk to players during a match from a pod on the pitch.
The pods, which have been installed in the corners of the court, have seating for four people and have been equipped with screens where coaches can access statistics and data in real time.
“We tried it this week and some coaches were a little skeptical at first, but then they sat back and said, ‘This is great,'” Tiley said. The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I think we’re going to find a lot more than most will actually sit on the court. You have an excellent line of sight to your player after each point.
“When they come and pick up their towel, you can talk to them, so you can actually almost coach your player after every point, if you want to.”
Pictured: Alexander Zerev’s brother gestures to him from the controversial group of coaches introduced for the Australian Open.
After his victory over Lucas Pouille, Zverev joked that he “hates” capsules, but fans weren’t trying to be funny when they criticized the new Grand Slam addition.
The new pods not only offer a privileged view of the game from the seats, but also allow coaches to interact with their players.
The introduction of pods into the Grand Slam coincides with the fact that coaches are now allowed to communicate with players except during live points.
Alexander Zverev joked that he “hates” the new addition after beating Lucas Pouille in their first-round match on Sunday, but tennis fans weren’t trying to be funny when they criticized the pods on social media.
‘Awful. It’s not tennis anymore. “This is a completely different sport,” one X user posted.
‘They are ruining this sport. “Making everything so easy for the new generation, next they will reduce the best of three of the Slam and that will be the end,” said another.
“This is terrible and is a huge advantage for the best players who can afford the best coaches,” responded a third.
Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas wasn’t sure how he felt about coaching groups.
“I actually laughed when I saw them yesterday,” he said before the tournament began.
‘I was playing with Jannik (Sinner). I don’t know. It was a little strange. It’s strange.
‘Do you know why it’s weird? Because I see my coaches and some other members of the team in a particular box and the rest upstairs, which, I don’t know, I’m not used to.
“I guess I’ll get acclimated at some point, but I want to see those things applied to tennis and see matches change because of what a coach has to say.
‘It’s definitely something that will be great for tennis. I think it will offer something new and innovative.’
Tiley is proud of the new on-court modules and hopes the coaches will gain a higher profile and more recognition in the sport.
“As a former coach, I think coaches should have a broader profile in the history of the event and the history of the relationship with the players,” Tiley said.
“We think (the groups) are going to create bigger stories with the coaches, a more interesting narrative, give the coaches more profile, and there’s a good chance we’ll see some things happen there that are pretty interesting.”