Battling egos and stereotypes - the rise of female tennis coaches
Summary
Female tennis coaches are still rare, especially at the highest levels of the sport. Recently, Mirra Andreeva won a major tournament with her coach Conchita Martinez, highlighting some progress, but women make up less than 20% of coaches on the women's tennis tour.Key Facts
- Only four of the top 50 women tennis players have a female coach.
- Mirra Andreeva won the French Open with Conchita Martinez as her coach.
- In 2017, just 6% of registered WTA coaches were women; by 2026, this rose to 19%.
- Female coaches face challenges like balancing family life with constant travel.
- Male hitting partners, who practice shots with players, are common and thought to boost confidence.
- Andy Murray faced sexist reactions when hiring a female coach, Amelie Mauresmo, in 2014.
- Some female coaches believe the tennis coaching landscape is slowly improving but expect the gender split will not be equal.
- Confidence and self-belief are seen as important traits female coaches bring to their players.
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