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The seemingly imperturbable and enduring presence in Félix Auger-Aliassime’s courtside help crew is coach Fredéric Fontang.
He’s a 53-year-old Frenchman who has labored with the present world No. 9 since 2017; first as co-coach with Tennis Canada’s Guillaume Marx, then on a full-time foundation since 2020.
Fontang was born in 1970 in Casablanca, the place his dad and mom had been working, earlier than returning to the household dwelling in Pau, southwest France, when he was 5.
His father performed tennis and launched him to the sport. His first lesson was in Pau with Jean-Louis Rancezot, a person who would finally be his coach when he went out on the professional tour. By the point he was 10 he was one of the best in his age class in France. And that regardless of a few of his first coaches believing he was too skinny to develop right into a participant of any consequence.
He spent phases at French Tennis Federation centres in Poitiers and Paris earlier than setting out on his personal at age 16, taking part in what in these days had been generally known as ‘satellite tv for pc’ tournaments.
In 1989, he turned professional and peaked at world No. 59 in 1991. That 12 months included his solely ATP Tour title in Palermo, Italy, defeating world No. 9 Emilio Sanchez. However he by no means once more reached these heights.
Trying again, he thinks there have been a number of the reason why – not evolving his sport in addition to he might have, not having tour-experienced folks round him, and a stint of army service in December 1991 (proper on the finish of his finest 12 months) when he didn’t play in any respect. Then in 1992 he was at instances confined to protect obligation on the barracks.
His profession lasted till 1999 when he began an academy in Pau. Amongst a number of 12-year-olds he labored with was Jeremy Chardy. Their relationship advanced and finally lasted for 11 years. It included Chardy successful the 2005 Wimbledon junior title, a 2009 ATP Tour event in Stuttgart and reaching No. 31 on the earth.
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The French Federation then requested him to educate Caroline Garcia, which he did for 2 years. It was throughout that point when Andy Murray famously declared that the 17-year-old would sometime be No. 1 after she misplaced an exciting three-setter to Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros in 2011.
His subsequent profession transfer got here on the request of Louis Borfiga, the highly-regarded former French Federation coach who was in command of excessive efficiency improvement at Tennis Canada in Montreal. It led to a four-year teaching affiliation with a 21-year-old Vasek Pospisil that resulted within the British Columbia-native rising to a No. 25 rating in singles and No. 4 in doubles.
As of late, wanting again to 1999 when he transitioned from participant to educate and began his academy (Académie Pau Pyrénées) in Pau, Fontang stated, “my persona was to need to move on my expertise. I like tennis, like improvement – the strategic half, the thoughts, the physique. I used to be at all times obsessed with that and studied rather a lot after I was a participant. So it was type of pure to begin my academy on the finish of my profession.”
About his influences as a coach, Fontang cited Dominique Poey on the French Federation however notably a person named Jacques Hervet.
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“I had him as a advisor after I coached Jeremy Chardy and he had labored with (Moroccans) Younes El Ayanoui and Hicham Arazi in addition to Byron Black (from Zimbabwe),” Fontang stated about Hervet. “With totally different personalities from totally different backgrounds he received all of them to High 30 on the earth. He was actually within the psychological method to tennis.
“On the academy, I discovered to show, to coach and to vary issues technically. After going via Jeremy Chardy’s improvement – the entire course of from 12 years outdated to No. 31 on the earth – that gave me the expertise, and with Caroline Garcia and Vasek Pospisil, to assist a participant enhance technically. And clearly now with Félix it includes all these instruments – technical, tactical, communication with the participant, top-level expertise. I’ve created a strategy and, with Toni Nadal, who brings his expertise, I attempt to soak up good issues from folks. With all that I feel I’m ready to make use of the right method on the proper time.”
Concerning the transition to Auger-Aliassme, Fontang stated, “Vasek and I, whether or not it was his aspect or mine, after 4 years collectively sort of determined we had achieved the whole lot. Louis [Borfiga] and Guillaume [Marx] spoke to me about this younger boy [Félix] and Ben Sigouin who was a gifted junior, for me to come back and again up Guillaume and [physio] Nicolas [Perrotte] with these younger guys. Ben went on to college [North Carolina] and we continued with Félix. Then evolution had it that in 2020 Félix wished to have one coach who did the job year-round, and an outdoor coach who had the expertise of successful a Grand Slam.”
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With reference to his occupation, Fontang, who nonetheless lives in Pau together with his spouse Valerie and daughter Heloise (17) and son Maxence (20), was requested about coaches – and particularly concerning the frequent tendency to anoint as one of the best coaches those that work with the highest gamers.
“I don’t actually just like the time period ‘tremendous coach,’” he stated. “The coach is clearly on the crew and has achieved good issues however you to have the fundamental items [a player] to win a Grand Slam. It doesn’t occur by itself. I feel the way in which to evaluate a coach is to see if his [or her] participant is bettering.”
Requested if he might consider any examples, Fontang stated, “a coach needs to be somebody who will get actually concerned. A coach who at any time when they work with a participant he (or she) improves – not essentially that they’re all going to win a Grand Slam. I feel what’s spectacular is the work Gilles Cervara has achieved with Daniil Medvedev. He wasn’t a participant destined to be No. 1 and to win a Grand Slam. Not many individuals would have wager on him. Félix performed him in 2018 when he was outdoors the High 50. Gilles has achieved good work with the fundamentals he has.
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“There’s one other coach who’s additionally good and his gamers at all times get higher – [American] Dean Goldfine. (He has labored with Todd Martin, Mary Joe Fernandez, Andy Roddick, Sebastian Korda and now Ben Shelton.) They’re the sort of coaches the place you see an impression and a optimistic development.”
Summing up, Fontang spoke about his personal teaching. “If I used to be to explain myself, it might be as somebody who listens. That’s vital as a result of it’s a must to begin from the participant. The coach in tennis is absolutely backstage. It’s not like crew sports activities the place the coach is on the sphere. They’re actually actors. In tennis, the coach is just not an actor, he’s behind the participant with the opposite members of the crew. It’s important to have your ego below management and pay attention.”
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