Jimmy Connors is very skeptical about the new ATP rules on coaching that will come into force starting in 2025. This is a rule that provides for a sort of liberalization of the dialogue between player and coach, and also between one point and another on the court. In one of the latest episodes of his podcast Advantage Connors, the former American tennis player analyzed this novelty that will affect players starting next season, explaining:
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"You should do all your work and listen to your coaches before the matches and then you should go on the court during the matches, walk alone and practice the plan that was agreed upon with the coaches. My thought was that if you didn't do it before, when you step on the court, you won't do it."
Connors revealed what he thought the purpose of coaches was during matches when he was a professional: "I liked knowing that I had support there, whether it was your mom or the coach or whoever, it didn't matter, I wasn't looking for someone to help me win the match. I liked knowing that they were on your side, rooting for you."
Talking about tennis today, many players look at their coach and box at almost every point: "I watch tennis and I see that almost everyone looks at the box every time, some look up after every point. Are they looking for coaching, help or divine intervention? I always thought that I had too much to do on the court than to have someone tell me something. All that would confuse me."
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Also during an episode of Advantage Connors, the former American tennis legend focused on Novak Djokovic. At a time when Rafael Nadal is in his last professional appearances, the 24-time Grand Slam champion remains the only player of the Big 3 who seems far from retiring. And Connors has offered his own theory about Nole's exit from professional tennis.
"It's hard for me to say that he has had a drop in motivation because he does everything throughout his days to always be at his best. With his training and his very careful diet everything in his day is focused on tennis and being in the best shape possible on the court. I would like to say it in the right way but getting older is getting older. There are many young guys who see him a little more vulnerable. He is not playing up to the standards we are used to. But he has the type of game that I like. He has a good response, an aggressive response. You can never exclude him from the favorites. He has courage, game, intensity. He had important defeats against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it's true but the only situation in which he will think about saying goodbye to everyone and leaving is if some of those other young up-and-coming players also start to come forward, to grow, to cause him problems and to beat him. Otherwise he will still stay, he will continue to play, and, I add, what's wrong with that?" he explained.
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Connors also explained that he doubts that tennis will survive at that level if Jannik Sinner is banned for the well-known doping scandal. As is known, the Italian tested positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, on March 10 and 18 during and after the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. ITIA accepted Sinner's explanation that the substance had entered his body while he was receiving a massage from his now-former physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his finger. WADA instead stated that the finding of no fault or negligence was not correct according to the applicable rules and asked the CAS - which will have to express its opinion - for a ban of 1 to 2 years.
"The court is his escape. Once he's on the court, Jannik Sinner has too much to think about. His game, his opponent, what to do to win. But what does he do in the other 20 hours of the rest of the day? I'm not close enough to him to know what's going on in his head. Listen, what I know is that tennis at that level, I don't think it can survive if you hit a top player. They've shown in the past that they're not afraid to hit lower-level players. But I don't know if tennis at that level could survive," said Connors.
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