Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of American tennis player Serena Williams, has stated that on-court coaching should be allowed in all events of the game.
The coach suggested that there is a need to amend the status of coaching as it was initiated in 2008 by Women's Tennis Association (WTA) by allowing on-court coaching in all events except for the Grand Slams.
"Coaching is a vital component of any sporting performance. Yet banning it almost makes it look as if it had to be hidden or as if it was shameful," Mouratoglou wrote on Twitter.
"It is the time tennis leaders amend the status of coaching. It is time to authorize and structure-something that WTA has initiated in 2008 when it allowed on-court coaching for all tournaments apart from the Grand Slams- practices that have been tolerated all over the world for decades. This, I believe, would ensure that tennis sustains its development," he added.
Citing examples of football and basketball, Mouratoglou said that players do get instruction from their coaches while playing the game. In tennis also, many players take suggestions from their coaches despite the existence of rule against the same, he continued.
"I have never understood why tennis is just about the only sport in which coaching during matches is not allowed. You see it all the time in team sports: Football coaches instruct their players from the sidelines, and they take advantage from half-time to adjust their team or systems; basketball coaches can call timeouts several times during a game," he said.
"Authorising coaching in competition and actually staging it so that the viewers can enjoy it as a show would ensure that it remains pivotal in the sport," he added.
In September, Williams was charged with a code violation for receiving on-court coaching from Mouratoglou during the final match of the 2018 US Open. The chair umpire had warned the tennis player when her coach was spotted showing hand signals to the American.
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