The ATP, the body that oversees the men's tennis circuit, announced on Tuesday that it would authorize this season, and on a trial basis, communications between players and their coach in the stands from July 11, at the day after Wimbledon where Rafael Nadal will line up.
The US Open (August 29-September 11) will be the only Grand Slam tournament to be part of the experience.
These “verbal and non-verbal” exchanges will only be authorized from certain seats in the stands and on condition that play is not interrupted and the opponent is not disturbed.
Verbal exchanges between the player and his coach will only be possible when they are on the same side of the court and must be limited to words or short sentences, without dialogue, said the ATP.
Gestures will still be allowed.
Coaches, on the other hand, will not be authorized to communicate with their player if he leaves the court during the match, for whatever reason.
Penalties and fines are foreseen in case of abuse.
The ATP is following, for once, the movement already initiated by the WTA, the governing body of the women's circuit, which opened coaching assistance two years ago, influenced in particular by the incident in the final of the US Open 2018 between Serena Williams and referee Carlos Ramos.
The question of communication between players and their coach has often been raised in professional tennis, with some players accusing their opponents of having received instructions when it is theoretically prohibited.
The ATP borders the field and gives itself until the end of the season, Turin Masters included, before precisely evaluating the benefits and harms of such a measure.