ITF's 2025 Coaching Rule Faces Mixed Reactions

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that starting January 2025, off-court coaching will be allowed during professional tennis matches, sparking mixed reactions within the tennis community. While the ITF argues it will make the sport fairer and more entertaining, players like World No. 6 Taylor Fritz and former World No. 10 Denis Shapovalov have criticized the change, claiming it undermines the individual strategic and mental elements of tennis. The decision follows successful trials since 2017 and some support from players and coaches, including former doubles champion Paul McNamee, who believes it will benefit lower-level players on the ITF Futures circuit. However, prominent players such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams have previously opposed these changes, emphasizing the traditional individual nature of tennis. Ultimately, the implementation of the rule will be at the discretion of each tournament's sanctioning body.