ACADEMY
Two’s company Gilles Cervara (left), Daniil Medvedev’s coach, is often the only member of the Russian’s travelling entourage
that it will usually be the player who decides whether he or she needs to be putting more emphasis on their tennis or on physical work. Until recently, the tendency had been for the top players to have large entourages around them. These players are generally so confident in themselves that they are happy to have top-quality people around them and to have the opportunity to tap into their knowledge and experience. However, I think surrounding younger and more immature players with a large entourage can be a mistake. Interestingly, I think we are entering an era where smaller entourages might become the norm. Daniil Medvedev, for example, usually travels with just one person, his coach, and sometimes with his wife. He uses ATP physios and doesn’t take a trainer with him to most tournaments. I see a similar trend with some other players, including Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Maybe this started with the restrictions that were placed on the number of people players could bring
with them to tournaments because of the pandemic. That experience has certainly shown them that they don’t need a big entourage with them every week. For one thing, taking five or six people around the world with you is hugely expensive. In future I think the trend will be to use people like fitness trainers during specific periods of the year, rather than taking them to almost every tournament you play. At most events, players need only a coach and a physio with them. Indeed, I’m not even convinced that a player needs a coach with them at every single tournament they play. Nevertheless, I think we will continue to see players surrounded by their full teams at the Grand Slam tournaments. These events are so tough to win that you need every bit of help you can get.
Jez Green's fitness app, Built4Tennis, is available on the App Store
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