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THE
SUPER
COACHES
by Jaymon Crabb
COURT
TALK -
WINTER 2016
PAGE 13
T
he latest trend amongst the top
players in the World has been to hire
a ‘super coach’. I define a super coach
as a tycoon of the game. Multiple Grand
Slam title winner and someone with the
aura and presence that if they walk into
a room everyone takes notice. The three
at the top of this list are John McEnroe,
Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl. All three will
be court side at this years Wimbledon and
each has a player who will contend for the
title. Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic and
Andy Murray.
Andy Murray started the trend in hiring
Ivan Lendl for the 2012/2013 seasons
and found a purple patch of form going
on a tear winning a US OPEN, Olympic
Gold Medal and Wimbledon titles. They
split for the 2014 season with Lendl citing
an unwillingness to travel but they have
rekindled their partnership from the start
of the 2016 grass season with the goal
of winning The Championships that are
Wimbledon. The partnership has had
immediate success with Andy winning
The Queens Club lead in tournament.
The other big signing was John McEnroe
to the Milos Raonic camp. The big serving
Canadian has the perfect grass court
game and with Johnny Mac in his corner
maybe he can add the belief positive court
presence he has been lacking. He already
showed signs in a more deliberate plan
and positive body language where he
went all the way to the final and led Andy
Murray a set and break before eventually
losing. It will be interesting to see
what further tricks McEnroe can add
to Milos’ game on the hallowed turf of
Wimbledon.
Then we have Boris Becker who has
been leading camp Djokovic for a few
years now. Like Johnny Mac, Boris is a
Wimbledon specialist and we have already
seen the fruits of his work with Novak with
mental belief and some added finesse
around the net. Novak held all four Grand
Slams and was attempting to join Rod
Laver as the only people to achieve this
in the open era. Add the other dynamic of
this being an Olympic year and we had
the possibility of a calendar year Golden
Slam (consisting of winning the Australian
Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US
Open and the Olympic Gold Medal) that
would be quite a feat!
There are other notable super coaches
and former Wimbledon Champions.
Goran Ivanisevic is coaching Marin Cilic,
Richard Krajicek is helping Stan Wawrinka
and as part of his Davis Cup role Lleyton
Hewitt will be on hand to assist the Aussie
contingent, most notabley Bernard Tomic
and Nick Kyrgios.
So what does a super coach bring to
the table? The game of tennis at the top
tier of the game is so mental and players
are looking for that tiny edge over their
competition. When you have a tycoon of
thegame, someone reveredand respected
by virtually every current player, someone
who today’s players are attempting to
follow the footsteps of, it adds an edge.
As a coach I can give advice to a player
but when a Lendl, a Becker, McEnroe or a
Hewitt says exactly the same thing it holds
that much more weight. The player stops
and listens, digests the words and thinks
about it. These
are players that
have achieved
at the highest
level of our
game. It isn’t
about how to hit
a forehand or a
backhand for the
likes of Djokovic
and Murray. It is
about controlling
emotions when
serving at 4-5 in
a 5th set with a
Wimbledon title
on the line. The
slight
tactical
k n o w l e d g e
passed on from
someone who
has been there
and done it all.
To me that is the
reason for these
hires. To gain
the mental edge
and the mental
confidence to
finish tight matches. Conversely it also
puts doubt in your opponents mind. It is
intimidating enough seeing Andy Murray
down the other end of the court but to also
have Ivan Lendl court side urging him on!!
Any little advantage can swing a match.
So I’m really looking forward to
watching Wimbledon, the Olympics and
US Open unfold both on the court and in
the coaches box!!
We are extremely grateful to Jaymon
for taking time to provide us with this
enlightening articles, in the midst of
a busy schedule working with the
Australian players in preparation
for Wimbledon, the Olympics and
the US Open
Jaymon Crabb
and Boris Becker