A former two-time Grand Slam champion has created a new tennis term for the lexicon…
Why don’t “mules” win any horse races? My take as it relates to tennis.
I find it quite fascinating over the past decades to see how a handful of coaches have become “super coaches” on TV and it perpetuates itself from one “tennis horse” to another. Fascinating…..I can assure you none have done anything remotely what Lennard Bergelin did with Bjorn Borg or uncle Tony did with Rafael Nadal. This type of coach put in the very long and hard yards for decades to get their “mule” to believe he can win anything and had transitioned from just a “mule” to a full blooded “Arabian.”
So…. I salute all those amazing “foundational coaches” all over the world we will never see on TV with their “Arabian” player who runs and shines with a “TV coach” who now looks like a genius. Point is…. Once the “Ferrari” is built it is easy to “shine with it”…..
I see so many “tv coaches” jump from one “Arabian” to the next. A very closed in society. Very small….
Steve · February 27, 2024 at 11:25 am
I agree. People taking bows for recent successes is awkward and strange. I guess one case where the right coach was brought in for the finishing work to get them over the hump was Lendl/ Murray. Murray was 0-2, if I remember correctly, in slam finals. He needed help. The Brit tennis association had paid Brad Gilbert a ton of money to help Murray but no luck. With Lendl things clicked and it was great to see Murray straighten up, stop feigning injuries, using gamesmanship and just play a focused game.
Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2024 at 7:17 pm
Steve, Imagine how Gasquet would have done if he had a Lendl or Johansson as coach, someone who won a GS. Three majors for Gasquet at least ) True, Lendl clearly was the missing link for Murray, whatever he did or said. I remember he said Roche helped him beat Edberg at US Open one year he was underdog, Lendl said all Roche said was if you fall behind, play more aggressive. That was it. Lendl said that little gem helped him so much.
Steve · February 28, 2024 at 8:23 am
…maybe 30 majors with the right coach. 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · February 28, 2024 at 11:49 am
minimum five grand slams with Mouratoglou since age 16 )
Steve · March 1, 2024 at 7:46 am
I’m liking what Medvedev just did. Getting advice from a player he hated playing, Gilles Simon. Apparently Meddie sent Simon a secret list of 16 players he hates playing asking for tactical ideas.
Scoop Malinowski · March 1, 2024 at 4:28 pm
Brilliant move by Med. Simon was an underrated great player. Simon beat Federer the first two times they played in 2008 in Toronto and Shanghai both in three sets, then Federer won the third match at AO 2011 in five sets 63 in the fifth. Federer never lost to Simon after that, finishing the h2h at 7-2. It’s an interesting storyline there, now let’s see how Simon helped Med solve those 16 puzzle players.