DURING HER FINAL months as knowledgeable tennis participant, Sandra Zaniewska did not know what her subsequent chapter could be following retirement, however she knew one factor for certain: She wished nothing to do with tennis.
For a lot of her enjoying profession, folks had requested her if she was thinking about teaching, however she at all times mentioned merely, “No likelihood.” It did not curiosity her, and the thought of experiencing the globetrotting drudge of the tour for another person’s profession sounded torturous.
However when her profession got here to an finish in 2017 on the age of 25, she was requested by her pal Petra Martic if she may briefly assist her as she returned to the tour following an damage. Zaniewska did not have every other plans, or a lot cash, so she figured she would assist for just a few weeks earlier than formally transferring on from tennis. However earlier than lengthy, weeks become months, and months become years, and Martic rose from a rating simply inside the highest 100 to No. 14 on the planet.
And Zaniewska, the as soon as reluctant, anything-but-tennis coach, was hooked. She knew she had discovered her true calling.
“I beloved it, and I bear in mind considering, ‘Wow, I used to be meant to do that job,'” Zaniewska instructed ESPN. “From that second on, I simply stayed and I did not even need to discover the rest, to be sincere. However it actually hit me after [Petra and I] stopped working collectively about two years later as a result of then I used to be in a position to look again on the time and I used to be like, ‘This actually was the very best journey that I had in my whole life.”
Since then, Zaniewska has gone on to work with Alize Cornet, and she or he’s been teaching Marta Kostyuk, at present ranked No. 25, since 2023. However Zaniewska is aware of her journey is exclusive — “one in a billion,” she speculates — and she or he stays considered one of a handful of girls teaching on the elite stage within the sport. Whereas teaching modifications are frequent in tennis and it’s generally tough to determine probably the most present teaching partnerships, it’s believed there are simply 12 gamers out of 128 within the girls’s predominant draw on the 2025 French Open who’ve a head coach that could be a lady. Mirra Andreeva, who misplaced within the quarterfinals and is coached by Conchita Martinez, was the final participant remaining to have one. There aren’t any gamers within the males’s predominant draw with a lady head coach.
In a sport like tennis, which prides itself on equality and for its trailblazing historical past, it is arduous to imagine there’s such disparity among the many teaching ranks. How may there be so few girls’s coaches, particularly amongst girls gamers? It is a obvious discrepancy that has not gone unnoticed by these concerned within the sport — and one thing that coaches like Zaniewska, along with the WTA, USTA and Tennis Australia are actively working to vary.
“I really feel like I used to be actually, actually fortunate within the path that I had,” Zaniewska mentioned. “I actually simply need extra females to get these alternatives as a result of there may be extra tales just like the one which I had. I do know there are different coaches on the market who’re desirous to be taught and superb at what they do, they’re simply not getting the possibilities to do it. I am right here [in this position] now and I need to maintain the door open and let as many ladies by means of as doable.”
THERE ISN’T ONE straightforward reply as to why there stay so few girls coaches on tour.
However there are a number of seemingly elements, lots of that are deeply rooted within the sport, its tradition and society at giant. Nicole Pratt, a former-player-turned-coach and the ladies’s coach lead at Tennis Australia, spent years wanting into the intricacies of the topic whereas growing the federation’s Coach Join program to assist recruit and develop girls coaches.
“It is fairly deep,” Pratt, who at present coaches each Storm Hunter and Kimberly Birrell on tour, instructed ESPN. “The complexity of ‘Why?’ is multidimensional with 4 totally different layers to it.”
Pratt believes it usually begins with the person coach and their very own self-belief or insecurity. However that is a small a part of the puzzle. From there, it goes to what she defines because the “interpersonal and organizational layers,” and that is the place issues like gender bias continuously come into play.
“We all know that most individuals in sport are male, and that may usually inadvertently create boundaries for ladies coaches,” Pratt mentioned. “I hear this on a regular basis from girls coaches. They’re usually instructed, ‘You may work nicely with youthful ladies,’ and they’re pigeonholed into that.”
Pratt defined the subsequent layer was a deeply ingrained “social cultural one,” and mentioned many younger ladies aren’t raised to be courageous or take dangers in the identical manner younger boys are. That may later translate to girls not asking for alternatives — not wanting to look aggressive or too ahead — or not believing they’re succesful.
Moreover, she mentioned, for some girls who need to have a household, or already do, the thought of touring the world 11 months out of the 12 months generally is a daunting one. In some instances, it’d merely be unattainable at the side of parental obligations. Whereas the WTA introduced a brand new maternity depart program earlier this spring, coaches aren’t eligible. They’re primarily staff of particular person gamers and often lack many advantages.
However the disparity additionally comes right down to what many gamers on tour contemplate an important piece of their group: A hitting accomplice.
Whereas the highest gamers are in a position to journey with an in depth group that usually features a head coach and a hitting accomplice, the typical participant on tour can not at all times afford to have each on the highway. Consequently, many gamers search for coaches that may additionally fill that position. Pratt, who retired as a participant in 2008, famous that lots of her friends throughout her time on tour employed “younger, inexperienced male coaches” solely as a result of they may hit and that is what the participant may afford.
“In the previous couple of years, the pay has gone up and now many gamers can afford to have a number of folks on their group so it’s altering,” Pratt mentioned. “However there nonetheless is this concept for some gamers of, ‘How can I get probably the most worth for my cash?’ versus, ‘Who can I get that is a extremely good coach?'”
Whereas there is no such thing as a formal document or listing of hitting companions, WTA Director of Member Companies Mike Anders instructed ESPN he wasn’t conscious of any girls at present in that position on tour. Very like WNBA and girls’s school basketball groups have male apply gamers, most girls choose to apply with males, if not their tour-level friends. (The prevailing logic is that if a lady have been ok to hit with the tour’s finest gamers, she could be on tour.)
And being a hitting accomplice generally is a steppingstone for aspiring coaches. It is a clear path into the game for many who performed collegiately or on the decrease skilled ranges — and may usually result in extra. Sascha Bajin, Michael Joyce and Andrew Bettles, every a present head coach of a participant in the principle draw at Roland Garros, additionally started within the skilled ranks as hitting companions.
“There are a number of male coaches on the tour that begin off as hitting companions, after which they sort of flip into coaches after some time, however they at all times can hit when wanted,” Zaniewska mentioned. “And I feel gamers would possibly view feminine coaches that may’t hit with them, like, ‘Okay, is she actually in a position to assist me? What if I would like somebody to hit with me at a match?'”
And easily being across the tour — a comparatively small, insular neighborhood — provides these hitting companions an edge in creating connections after which getting future alternatives to teach or be a part of one other group. Anders referred to as it a “huge roadblock” for ladies coaches seeking to break into teaching on the high stage.
WHILE CELEBRATING THE fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the WTA at Wimbledon in 2023, Billie Jean King turned her famed advocacy towards the shortage of girls coaches within the sport. That 12 months, there have been simply six gamers within the occasion’s predominant draw working with a feminine coach.
“Horrible. Extraordinarily disappointing,” King instructed The Related Press in an interview that garnered important consideration on the time. “It is about society, completely. It’s a must to see it to be it. So for those who do not see a lady up there as a coach, it does not even cross your mind. How will we get the highest gamers to rent them? We have to resolve the issue.”
However the WTA was already keenly conscious of the difficulty. Not solely was it obvious within the lack of girls in participant containers, former gamers routinely would complain about how arduous it was to interrupt into teaching regardless of their very own spectacular resumes. And it grew to become crystal clear when the WTA began a training program in 2017, primarily to make sure coaches have been certified and met sure standards, and the group was in a position to see the uncooked numbers for themselves.
Trying to handle the issue head-on, the WTA launched the Coach Inclusion program in 2021, an bold initiative geared in direction of rising the variety of girls coaches. On the time there have been simply 4 girls coaches working with gamers within the high 200.
“The intent across the program was actually to take away that barrier of entry that we have been seeing,” Anders, who runs this system, instructed ESPN. “Tennis is a fairly small world and this system primarily combines focused coach schooling, with the real-life expertise of them truly being positioned within the atmosphere, in addition to fostering mentorships and making connections.”
Throughout its first 12 months, this system labored with 10 up-and-coming coaches in North America. Since then, 34 girls have efficiently accomplished this system, and it has expanded to the Asia-Pacific area, in addition to South America and the UK, with hopes of increasing to the remainder of Europe and the Center East within the coming years. There are spots for a complete of 20 girls throughout all the areas this 12 months.
The ATP has a training program however confirmed to ESPN it doesn’t have something particularly centered on rising the variety of girls coaches. Girls teaching males’s tennis gamers stays uncommon, though Pratt beforehand coached Marc Polmans and Amelie Mauresmo, now the French Open match director, labored with Andy Murray for almost two years, and later with Lucas Pouille.
The WTA program takes coaches to tournaments of their respective area and makes an attempt to immerse them within the full teaching expertise, working with gamers and their groups, studying the ins-and-outs of match logistics and assembly as many individuals as doable.
Coaches like Zaniewska and Pratt are sometimes concerned and permit these in this system to shadow them when doable. As a result of each match on tour is totally different — and what would possibly sound like mundane facets like reserving apply courts or scheduling transportation to-and-from web site can differ radically from occasion to occasion — getting an opportunity to be taught from a seasoned coach, or simply understanding who to ask sooner or later, could make all of the distinction.
“We had one participant in this system who was teaching a high 100 participant for a bit earlier than she even entered this system and she or he mentioned she had felt so uncomfortable and misplaced as a result of she did not know who to go to when her participant wished her to rearrange practices with different coaches or requested her questions on media necessities,” Anders mentioned. “Her participant anticipated her to know all of that and deal with it. However by simply getting the expertise over the course of a 12 months, she bought employed instantly after finishing this system after which simply knew so many individuals who may assist her and it made her really feel like she now belonged.”
On the Italian Open final month, the newest occasion by which the WTA has confirmed knowledge, there have been 169 accredited coaches between the principle draw and qualifying, and 26 of them (simply over 15%) have been girls. Within the WTA’s Tour Coach program — the one launched in 2017 that options some, however not all, of the present coaches — 24 of the 125 registered coaches (simply over 19%) are girls. Whereas nonetheless removed from equal, Anders is inspired by the progress.
This system additionally boasts a lot of success tales. Anders believes 5 girls who’ve come by means of this system have gone on to be their dwelling nation’s Billie Jean King Cup captain and others have gone to turn into coaches on the WTA Tour, together with Fanni Varga, who was simply named Danielle Collins’ coach forward of Indian Wells in March. Varga, a former junior participant from Hungary who performed at Division II Southwest Baptist College, had by no means thought-about a training profession. With plans on pursuing one thing in finance after incomes her Masters, one summer time internship spent completely in entrance of a pc and several other conversations together with her school coach made her change her thoughts.
When John Bryant retired after 51 years, Varga was tapped to be the top coach for each the lads’s and girls’s groups at Southwest Baptist. In her 4 years within the position, she led the lads’s group to an NCAA match Elite 8 look and the ladies’s group to a program-high rating of No. 7. Varga fell in love with teaching — and knew she may do much more and proceed to enhance.
She was inspired by these closest to her to use for the Coach Inclusion program. Varga was excited to make extra connections but additionally felt strongly concerning the want for extra girls coaches within the sport.
“It was essential to me as a result of I had a really unhealthy expertise,” Varga shared with ESPN. “I had an excellent feminine coach till I used to be 14, and an incredible expertise together with her, after which I sadly had actually unhealthy male coaches the remainder of my junior years. They did not take heed to me once I was injured and instructed me to cease complaining and overpushed me. So having this initiative to assist turn into a greater coach for different ladies, youthful ladies who’re attempting to turn into skilled, was an enormous inspiration for me.”
Varga, 32, wasn’t certain if she wished to teach on the skilled stage, however being across the tour as a part of this system was a “nice eye-opener” for her. She realized it labored nicely together with her “tremendous aggressive” nature and need to assist gamers be the very best they could possibly be. She estimates she was in a position to converse to over 20 coaches throughout her time in this system, and it solely additional fueled her need and fervour.
“We had the very best time,” Varga mentioned. “We shared a number of experiences, related targets, related experiences. On the tournaments we might meet up at dinner, share what we realized, what we noticed, what we skilled, and that multiplies the data you get in a single week. Everybody was there with the identical targets, and actually I miss these weeks a bit bit.”
Varga, who is predicated in Los Angeles, met up with Collins for the primary time the week earlier than Indian Wells started in March. After a robust apply week collectively, and regardless of an early exit within the match, Collins requested Varga if she would proceed working together with her. Varga is at present planning on remaining full time with Collins by means of Wimbledon in July earlier than resuming her obligations on the Tier 1 tennis academy. She hopes to hitch Collins for a part of the North American hard-court swing in some capability, nevertheless.
Throughout considered one of Varga’s first apply periods with Collins, the 2 practiced alongside Robin Montgomery and her coach Kathy Rinaldi. For Varga it was a full-circle second: Rinaldi was one of many coaches she had an opportunity to talk to throughout this system — and the one who had maybe impressed her probably the most. Rinaldi’s main job is the top of girls’s tennis on the USTA and the USTA is among the federations closely concerned with the Coach Inclusion program.
Along with persevering with that partnership, the USTA says it’s equally dedicated to creating teaching extra inclusive, beginning on the grassroots stage. It’s launching its personal teaching program later this summer time with a deal with rising the variety of girls and folks of shade within the position. Megan Rose, the USTA’s Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Growth and Operations and a former participant and coach, is in control of the brand new initiative and believes it is going to make the game higher and additional develop the sport in america.
“Having numerous illustration [of coaches],” Rose instructed ESPN, “Not simply of girls, however folks of shade and those who have a incapacity, actually with the ability to have an acceptable illustration of the participant base that we need to additionally develop to get to 35 million. It isn’t nearly visibility, but it surely’s about validation. For younger ladies to see coaches in these examples lets them know that there’s a pathway for them, and for ladies, school tennis gamers, exhibiting them that there’s a pathway not only for teaching, but additionally management inside tennis typically and inside totally different organizations which are in sport.”
Rose mentioned the group has tried to determine what obstacles stop or gradual the rise of girls in teaching, in hopes of particularly serving to in these areas. She mentioned motherhood was a transparent barrier, citing the period of time and journey required within the job on the increased ranges, and the necessity to develop inventive options.
“We have been considering lots about how we will work with amenities on creating the precise construction that helps mothers coming again,” Rose mentioned.
That is a battle these at present on tour face recurrently. Pratt has 10-year-old twin daughters again dwelling in Australia. Being so far-off for weeks, and generally months, at a time will be difficult.
“It may be lonely for certain,” Pratt mentioned. “Particularly whenever you’re on the alternative facet of the world, away from your loved ones. I attempted to set a little bit of a rule for myself that I would not be away for greater than three weeks on tour, however clearly that will get stretched.”
A camaraderie exists among the many girls coaches on tour. There is a group chat used to share assets, ask questions, arrange practices between gamers, and even brainstorm concepts. Typically mentioned among the many girls is how one can handle the hitting accomplice inequity. Pratt mentioned she and Martinez have been discussing it at a latest clay match in Europe.
“I mentioned to Conchi, ‘ what would make an actual distinction for feminine coaches? If the match supplied hitting companions particularly allotted to us,'” Pratt mentioned of the dialog. “There aren’t many people at this level, so if we had that choice, the gamers would truly take a look at [hiring a woman] in a different way probably. There are nonetheless boundaries, however there are answers too.”
For now, the variety of girls coaches stays low, however it’s slowly rising. Some youthful gamers, together with 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, who made it by means of qualifying to the third spherical at Roland Garros, see a advantage of working with a lady as a coach.
“In fact, having a feminine there, you relate much more,” Mboko, who’s coached by former world No. 3 Nathalie Tauziat, mentioned final week. “I imply, they know extra [about] the ladies’s recreation. They know the struggles {that a} lady can undergo on tour. In that facet it could possibly be a bit bit simpler to attempt to perceive some issues {that a} man can not.”
However there may be nonetheless an additional burden on those that have the job, figuring out they usually characterize extra than simply themselves. However there’s a sturdy need to open doorways for others and make the trail a bit simpler for the subsequent era.
Whereas talking to ESPN, Zaniewska was instructed of the coach Anders talked about who was intimidated by the logistics of life on tour. She vowed to textual content Anders and provide her assist if different girls coaches had related questions.
“As a result of you don’t need these issues to derail you in a manner,” she mentioned. “One thing like this will shatter your confidence and bury you. I’ve no management over what number of feminine coaches are on tour or what number of feminine coaches there will probably be. I can solely do my small half on this. Now we have to assist one another.”