British No 1 Cameron Norrie has voiced his disdain at the new coaching rule that will be trialled at the 2022 US Open.
In a move that has divided tennis players and fans alike, coaching from the stands will be permitted at Flushing Meadows. The sport has long forbidden players to receive guidance during matches, with regulations in place to penalise those who transgress.
The new development is likely to alter the dynamic of matches, as well as get players looking up into the stands to receive signals during changeovers. However, it's not a concept that Norrie will be embracing.
"I would say I prefer the traditional way of one versus one," said Norrie, via the Daily Mail. "But it doesn't change much for me, I'm not going to use it too much."
The seventh seed opens his campaign on Tuesday against French player Benoit Paire, and will be out to build on his run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic. And it seems the South African-born star isn't the only player dubious about the change of rules.
American star Taylor Fritz said: "I think that figuring it out for yourself on the court is a massive part of our sport. You have to change things up for yourself, figure out yourself what's going on, adjust to what the opponent's doing."
Perceived coaching in the crowd became an explosive issue at this year's Australian Open, when Stefanos Tsitsipas and his team were outfoxed by officials during his dramatic semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev. The Greek player was handed a coaching violation in the fourth set, after match organisers sent someone undercover to sit below the box where his coaches and family were situated.
Unsurprising then, that Tsitsipas is in favour of the rule being passed, albeit on a trial basis. However, none of the other three Slam tournaments are obliged to follow suit.
The All England Tennis Club reportedly has no plans to introduce the relaxed measure at SW19 next summer. Organisers of the Australian and French Opens are yet to publicly comment on their intentions.
