The new coaching landscape
From January 1, 2025, off-court coaching is legal across events that choose to adopt it. The rule codifies brief, discreet communication between points and authorizes approved Player Analysis Technology where coaching is permitted, turning the 25 seconds between points into a competitive skill. For the full framework, see the ITF off-court coaching rule. Coaches must still respect the flow: no talking during a point, verbal cues only when coach and player share the same end, and hand signals as the primary cross-court language. For broader implications, study our internal guide on coaching strategy under new rules.
Australian Open coaching pods preview the future
At the 2025 Australian Open, select stadiums installed courtside coaching pods with integrated screens that displayed real-time match data. Proximity and live numbers changed the texture of communication, making data feel present tense rather than post-match homework. See the AP report on AO coaching pods. The pods were optional and limited to the biggest courts, but the signal for the rest of the season was clear: compress video and numbers into a short cue that influences the very next ball.
What actually changed after the US Open
Across the post-US Open hard-court swing, three patterns stood out in coach-player behavior. These are composites from multiple matches that illustrate how the new normal is shaping decisions.
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First-strike clarity. Teams emphasized one serve-plus-one idea per phase rather than a menu. The aim was not perfect prediction but removing indecision on the first two shots so the returner must earn forehand looks.
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Return position micro-moves. Coaches used one-symbol signals to bump returners a half-step forward on second serves or a half-step wide on ad side kick. The tweaks were subtle yet lifted contact quality and net clearance.
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Tempo and breath. Teams coached cadence. A consistent walk to the towel, one deep breath at the baseline, and a single target pick reduced late-set double faults and steadied second-ball choices.
Not everyone loves the shift. Some players argue that between-point input dilutes the one-on-one mental duel. That debate is healthy and will continue.
Fairness: who gains and who risks falling behind
Well-resourced teams enjoy clear upside: more eyes, more models, faster feedback. The risk is that information becomes a budget race. A practical step for federations, tournaments, and academies is to standardize a live baseline dashboard for both benches that shows serve direction charts, return depth bands, and rally length distributions. With a shared baseline, coaching focuses on distilling, not hunting, insights.
The 15-second decision script
You do not need a pod to benefit. Use this script with juniors and club players. It stays within the rules and fits inside the shot clock.
- Reset your body, 4-2-4 breath. Inhale 4, hold 2, exhale 4, once or twice. Drop your shoulders. Release the last point.
- Scan the board. Server or returner, score, side, wind or sun, one opponent tendency you just saw.
- Call one play. Use a short cue you and your coach agree on. Examples: Deuce Body Plus-One Middle, Ad Wide Plus-One Open, Second Serve Middle and Crash.
- Rehearse the first two shots. Briefly see the serve target or return contact, then your plus-one lane.
- Step in, eyes quiet. Commit. If you miss, repeat the same script on the next point instead of changing the plan under stress.
Coaches, your language matters. Keep it one phrase, not a paragraph. Build a shared dictionary of 10 to 12 cues that are legal, clear, and hard to misinterpret under noise.
Between-point breathing that travels
Breathing is the fastest legal lever to control tempo and attention. Teach a 6-2-6 breath at changeovers for down-regulation and a 3-1-3 breath between points when pace is high. Pair it with a single physical anchor such as touching the strings or tapping the toes twice before the return. Add a visual anchor, like fixing your eyes on the back of the ball cart for one count before looking up to return position. For game-speed applications, see our look at 15-second routines at Laver Cup.
Serve-plus-one as a system
Map serve plus one like an opening script rather than a static playbook.
- Build your basemap. Over two practices, hit 40 balls per serve target per side with a specific plus-one. Track first-serve in, plus-one success, and whether you controlled the rally by ball three.
- Practice constraints. Run 15-minute blocks with only two options per side, for example Deuce T or Body, plus-one middle. Score one point for execute, minus one for any deviation, and race to plus five.
- Layer the decoy. Add a rare call for game points, such as Deuce jam serve into the hip with a plus-one drop shot behind the baseline. Rehearse it five times, then shelve it.
- Night-before if-then cards. If opponent blocks returns, then serve wide and follow with a heavy inside-in. If opponent chips low on ad side, then go body and plus-one cross.
For return games, script the first two balls too. If second serve to backhand, then drive middle and step in. If first serve wide on deuce, then chip deep cross and crash. For models of elite execution, study the serve-first blueprint from Alcaraz.
Physical load management under the new rules
Legality does not remove fatigue. The pace of communication can raise cognitive load, and the calendar still punishes poor recovery. Pair on-court coaching with in-competition wearable data to quantify intensity and set limits on volume and drills. Define a red-zone threshold for match intensity, then plan the next day as a technical session rather than another grinder.
A quick recovery checklist after high-intensity matches:
- 10 minutes of low-impact movement within 30 minutes of finishing
- 2 short mobility circuits for hips, ankles, and thoracic spine
- 15 minutes of quiet breathing and parasympathetic reset before sleep
- A light technical hit the next day with serve targets and plus-one rehearsals only
Product sidebar: stroke tracking without racquet sensors
Racquet-mounted sensors are not the only way to capture hitting data. Two growing categories help players and coaches blend coaching cues with hard numbers.
- Apple Watch swing tracking. Several apps infer shot type, rally count, and hitting load from the watch IMU. Accuracy varies by motion quality and update cadence, but convenience is high for juniors who already wear a watch.
- Wrist sensors with dashboards. Small trackers under a wristband can log shots per session, shots per rally, swing speed estimates, and HR or HRV. The stronger platforms let coaches view trend lines over weeks so a between-point plan reflects how a player performs under fatigue.
Rule of thumb: if a device helps you answer a question you already ask between points or at changeovers, it is useful. If it generates data you never discuss, park it.
How coaches can structure the bench
Whether you sit in a pod or a traditional box, assign roles so the message stays short and consistent.
- Lead voice. One person owns the cue. Everyone else stays quiet.
- Pattern scout. Tracks serve directions, return locations, and first four balls in neutral rallies. Feeds one stat to the lead voice at changeovers.
- Body language scout. Notes tension tells and breathing cadence. Suggests a reset cue if tempo creeps.
Decide your 10 to 12 legal cues the day before. Practice them on the practice court with a shot clock. Test hand signals at 30 meters in noise. The best systems fail quietly in practice, not in the third set.
Sample drills you can run this week
Use these to turn ideas into muscle memory for juniors, college teams, and adult league players.
- 15-Second Script Ladder. First to four games. Before every point, server and returner each state one short cue out loud to simulate the coach voice. If the cue exceeds eight words, the point starts with a second serve. Goal is brevity and commitment.
- Serve-Plus-One Race. Two options per side only. Server earns 2 points for landing target and plus-one to the called lane, 1 point for target only, 0 otherwise. First to 20. Switch to return games with a return-plus-one plan.
- Return Bumps. Coach feeds second serves to both sides. Returner starts at a neutral depth, then bumps half a step forward for one ball, half a step back for the next, using the same swing. Track depth consistency.
- Breathing Under Noise. Play crowd noise for two minutes while players run a 4-2-4 breath and a one-word cue, then serve two balls. Repeat for four cycles. Goal is to keep the exhale long even as arousal rises.
Where this is going
The decisive skill of the next two seasons is not who has the most data but who can translate data into a single, legal, useful sentence that helps the very next ball. The best teams will pre-plan cues, rehearse them at practice pace, and protect the player’s mental bandwidth between points.
OffCourt exists for this moment. Off-court training is the most underused lever in tennis. OffCourt unlocks it with personalized physical and mental programs built from how you actually play. If you want a ready-to-use bank of between-point scripts, breathing protocols, and serve-plus-one trainings mapped to your match data, start here.
The rules are set. The pods are real. The advantage goes to the teams who make those 15 seconds count.