‘Weird’: Australian Open change divides tennis world

Tennis viewers going to see a big change at the Australian Open this year — and not everyone is a fan of the world-first project.

The tennis world has been left divided as the Australian Open prepares to be the guinea pig for coaching pods at grand slam level.

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has proudly spruiked the new innovation that will allow coaching staff to speak directly to players during their matches from a mini players’ box that is located on the court.

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The coaching “pods” have been established at two corners of each court.

The mini boxes will have seats for four members of players’ support staff and have been set up with a screen for live statistical analysis, The Age reports.

The pod will also be equipped with a cooling mechanism for coaches that decide to sit courtside when the Melbourne Heat can see temperatures on court reach up to 50C.

The concept has been a feature of recent team events and similar pods were also in operation during the United Cup in Sydney and Perth.

The introduction of coaching pods comes after the ITA (International Tennis Federation) in October announced more relaxed rules surrounding the coaching players are allowed to receive during matches.

Under the new rules, coaches are allowed to communicate with players verbally or via hand signals at any time — except during live points.

Jannik Sinner’s team, including Aussie coach Darren Cahill, sit inside the world number one’s coaches pod on Rod Laver Arena. Picture: Michael Klein.

Under the new rules, players are able to access the same player analysis technology that coaches have access to inside their pod.

Coaches still have the option of sitting up in the players’ box.

Tiley said he expects coaches to make the change to sit courtside.

“We tested it this week, and some coaches were a bit sceptical at first, but then they sat down and said, ‘This is great’,” Tiley told The Age.

“I think we’re going to find much more than the majority will actually sit on the court. You have a great sight line of your player after every point.

“When they come and get their towel, you can talk to them, so you’re almost, in effect, able to coach your player after each point, if you want to.”

Tiley conceded there are “very different views in our sport on whether the coach should be allowed on the court or not”.

Lleyton Hewitt inside one of the new pods. Photo: 9Now and Twitter, @AustralianOpen.

The introduction of live coaching continues to irk tennis traditionalists with many still longing for the days when players needed to come up with tactical answers by themselves.

This year’s Australian Open will be the first slam to take it to the next level with the designated courtside coaching area.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, who reached the Australian Open final in 2023, said he was not fully comfortable with the change yet.

“I actually laughed when I saw them yesterday,” he said during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I was playing with Jannik (Sinner). I don’t know. It was kind of weird. It’s weird.

“You know why it’s weird? Because I see my coaches and some other team members in a particular box and the rest of them upstairs, which, I don’t know – I’m not used to it.

“I guess I will acclimatise at some point, but I wish to see those things applied into tennis and see matches change because of what a coach has to say.

Lleyton Hewitt in Alex de Minaur’s courtside players box. Picture: Michael Klein.

“It’s definitely something that will be cool for tennis. I think it will offer something new and innovative.”

Tsitsipas is one of countless players to have had controversial moments surrounding coaching.

The No. 11 seed in 2022 fell into a war of words with Daniil Medvedev when the Russian complained about what he believed was illegal coaching Tsitsipas was receiving from his father Apostolos.

Now that same courtside advice is allowed — even actively encouraged by Tiley.

Not everyone is happy with the 2025 coaching rules.

Former world No. 10 Denis Shapovalov previously criticised the shift.

“Not just as a tennis player but as a fan of this sport it’s sad to see this new off-court coaching rule,” he posted on X.

Lleyton Hewitt coaching from the United Cup team box at Ken Rosewall Arena. Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images.

“Tennis is special because you are out there alone. Why are you trying to change the beauty of this game?”

Tennis fans on X were even more critical of the changes.

“There is a reason coaching was outlawed in the sport for so long. No one wants to see a player being given an unfair advantage via a third party. Either a player wins on his own or it clearly becomes a who has the better coach type of scenario”.

One posted: “This is terrible and a huge advantage to the best players who can afford the best coaches.

“Darren Cahill handles data like this like no other, and so when Sinner is playing a low ranked player who can’t afford a Cahill, it’s no longer a fair match.”

Another wrote: “This is awful. Such a direct advantage to hour ranked players who can afford to bring their teams with them. And can afford a full-time coach who can afford to travel with them. Yuck.”

One tennis fan posted on Reddit: “Tennis is losing its essence imo. It had something unique in that even between sets coaches could not communicate woth players. Now it’s letting go of the facets that used to make it a unique sport”.

Originally published as ‘Weird’: Australian Open change divides tennis world