Off-court coaching to be allowed from next season

The International Tennis Federation have announced that off-court coaching during matches will be allowed in tennis from January 2025.

Following recent trials of the rule change on both the ATP and WTA tours, the governing body came to the decision at their annual general meeting, with the rule set to come into effect at the start of next season.

The new change means that players can provide detailed coaching to their players anytime active play is not underway. This includes at the change of ends, in between sets and during medical timeouts.

Full coaching will not be permitted during points or during active play, with coaches only being allowed “brief and discreet” guidance. Coaches can issue advice either verbally or via hand signals at any time except during the playing of a point. But players can access approved “player analysis technology” at times when extensive coaching is permitted.

This is another significant departure from tennis’ traditional rule that, once the player steps out on court, they must problem solve for themselves without any external coaching or analysis of the match or their opponent.

Why are you trying to change the beauty of this game?”

Denis Shapovalov

New rules allowing on-court coaching with restrictions have been in place since 2022, something that caused controversy at the time. This now goes a step further, apparently allowing players access to stats and data they’ve not previously been privy to during matches.

However, the decision to implement the new rule will remain the jurisdiction of the sanctioning body of each individual tournament or event.

The ITF says the move will make tennis “fairer and, potentially, more entertaining”. But there has already been some consternation among players, with Denis Shapovalov criticising the change on social media, writing, “Not just as a tennis player but as a fan of this sport it’s sad to see this new off-court coaching rule. Tennis is special because you are out there alone. Why are you trying to change the beauty of this game?”

 “We’ve gathered feedback from all key stakeholders including players, coaches and chair umpires,” a spokesperson for the ITF said.

“Players felt it was a positive development and makes tournaments more interesting for them.”

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