Top Coach Eric Riley gives wise advice to Coco Gauff and the US tennis talents

Tennis Coach Eric Riley kindly granted an interview to Tennis World USA, through which he targeted his consideration on US tennis.

The previous coach of Pam Shriver and Lisa Raymond and founding father of TeamRiley Tennis Inc. analyzed the present variations in American males’s and girls’s tennis, focusing each on the celebs who’re attaining wonderful outcomes on the WTA and ATP Excursions, and on the significance of the US collegiate system.

Riley has skilled the total evolution of many tennis gamers over his 4 a long time teaching high gamers on the Tour. 

US tennis is discovering a great construction each amongst ladies and men. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: What can they obtain in 2024?

US Tennis is benefiting type in inflow of tremendous expertise. The American males’s participant outcomes are bettering however we haven’t gained a grand Slam since Andy Roddick. We have to see the American gamers making the changes to not solely keep within the high of the rankings but in addition to win. One thing is mistaken, we aren’t successful the Slam.

Gauff has not limitations. If she improves her forehand, and copes with the pressures that include the expectations of being the following nice one, which suggests persons are going to be learning her movie work and exploit her weaknesses. Coco has an skilled tremendous coach that may assist her. She doesn’t have actual limitations. She must be handle the psychological strategy and she or he has Brad Gilbert who can actually assist her with that.

Pegula fired the coach who obtained her to the precipice of the world primary rating. By advantage of doing that, be it a great or unhealthy determination, Pegula has heaped insurmountable strain upon herself to win 4 matches or extra at any of the three remaining grand slams this 12 months. I’ve seen tennis for therefore lengthy and the evolution of the gamers. Jessica has to play the perfect tennis of her profession. She will be able to hopefully obtain staying within the high 10.

Tiafoe has to achieve traction as a result of proper now he’s skidding a bit. He has to grasp who he’s as a tennis participant. He has gotten to high 10 on this planet with out readability on who he’s as a tennis participant as a result of he was so gifted to cowl his weak point on his method as much as his acme. When Fran considers what he might be as an offensive juggernaut within the sport of professional tennis, he can be unstoppable. It will assist him win 7 matches in a row, not simply 5. 

Fritz can hopefully staying within the high 15 in 2024. As exhausting as he works, what particular issues is he doing to remain ranked within the high 15 on this planet? What’s doing to beat the 14 individuals ranked forward of him. He has to pinpoint what he wants to enhance. He was already 5 on this planet. He’s additionally on a little bit of a decline. It’s in these conditions that it’s a must to make changes.   

Paul has had some good wins. He’s in a great place and has had stable outcomes. In 2024, he has to take care of within the high 25. When you stand up there, it isn’t that straightforward to remain. 

Shelton? Outcomes communicate for themselves. His sport is transferring in the best route. He’s again to work and this 12 months. He can hope to solidify himself inside the high 20. Getting there’s one factor. Staying there’s one other. Staying inside the highest 20 is one other.

What do you assume US tennis wants, to have the ability to return to dominating like in previous years? With Coco Gauff, ladies’s tennis is in good fingers, does males’s tennis nonetheless want a step?

The worldwide nature of the game, the celebs will not be coming from one place. The highest gamers are coming from a number of locations. Tennis improvement can’t take credit score for the good ones. For a stretch there, the expertise was coming from the US and Australia.

US tennis shouldn’t be in an ideal place. We’re behind the eight ball. We haven’t had a males’s grand slam champion since Andy Roddick. The ladies have been doing very nicely. The Williams sisters, Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff. Nevertheless, these ladies their success isn’t tied to any centralized developmental program within the US. Their success is tied to a insatiable work ethic and expertise.

When you needed to give recommendation from a technical standpoint to those gamers, what would you inform them? Whereas what would you say to them, from an emotional and motivational standpoint?

Develop your sport for the long run. Work on all elements of your sport. Many gamers simply need to work on what they do nicely. Most gamers are one dimensional. The gamers must work on growing their total sport in order that they produce other choices to win factors in a tennis match.

COCO GAUFF:  Be sure that she listens to Brad Gilbert. He has the information and may ship the message that she wants to grasp handle her private expectations and exterior expectations. She has to seek out the will to work at a better degree and maintain bettering to be the perfect she might be.

JESSICA PEGULA: Wants to carry the road and never slip backwards.  She must play up within the court docket extra and cease backing up on the excessive ball.  She has to come back in and end extra on the web. 

FRANCES TIAFOE:  Tiafoe has to grasp who he’s as a tennis participant and impose his offensive weapons to impose his will on his opponents. He isn’t taking cost the way in which he ought to be.

TAYLOR FRITZ: He has actually achieved rather a lot in his profession and he has one of many hardest coaches on this planet. At his top together with his serve, why isn’t he on the web extra? Taylor must serve and volley on some factors to present his opponents a unique look.

BEN SHELDON: Ben remains to be rising and maturing. He has an opportunity to be #1 on this planet as a result of we all know he can go deep on a tough court docket or grass. He has an excellent serve however he has to verify he’s develop ALL of his weapons. He wants to verify to make use of his function an offensive tactic to get ahead extra.

When you might select, who would coach among the many tennis gamers talked about above, to deliver out their nonetheless unexpressed potential?

These gamers are all very particular. These are among the many greatest tennis gamers on this planet. Lets get one thing straight, they’re extraordinary tennis gamers and athletes. Being across the sport for 4 a long time, I’ve seen the perfect in each nook of the world. I’ve coached them, coached towards them and performed towards them. Hopefully, these present American gamers can all inspire one another to do nice issues. 

Tennis is hard, it’s about confidence which isn’t straightforward to take care of. Every one among these gamers can be a dream to educate.   Hopefully, these gamers are bringing in coaches that know the sport and will help them enhance to have a protracted profession. A really skilled coach is a necessity in in the present day’s aggressive sport.     

Having been round so many champions, Martina, Chrissy Evert and Pam Shriver, these gamers had been enjoying for greatness and to make historical past. They’re essentially the most pushed athletes of all time. I noticed how they labored. They did issues in a different way. To have a protracted profession in tennis, it’s a must to work and maintain getting higher. You high quality in 2023, gained’t win in 2024. It’s a must to maintain bettering. 

How do you see the long-term way forward for US tennis?

We see that as a vibrant future as a result of now we have younger stars. Those with essentially the most potential are Coco Gauff and Ben Sheldon. American tennis is wanting fairly good.

Speaking about school tennis, you coach Stanford’s Angelica Blake: in your opinion, is she able to make the leap to the professionals?

After stable outcomes on this school season, she can be prepared. Angelica Blake has a really full sport. 

Which groups can aspire to the following NCAA titles within the spring?

NCAA WOMENS: UNC, Oklahoma State College, Texas and Stanford

Is the school reservoir in the present day as vital as prior to now, to supply new US gamers for the WTA and ATP Tour?

There is no such thing as a clear reduce pathway in tennis, nevertheless, there’s one factor we all know for positive. Prime collegiate tennis is professional grade tennis. It’s the minor leagues of tennis.  The extent of school tennis is larger than it has ever been.

There are extra overseas gamers within the system getting scholarships engaged on their sport. The phrase is out now, school tennis with all of the scholarships, the free gear, racquets and the standard of the gamers within the school sport. 

It’s a nice alternative to get your self prepared for professional tennis. Go to varsity, get a free American training and play towards a number of the greatest gamers on this planet.

What recommendation would you give to a younger collegiate tennis participant who aspires to develop into an expert tennis participant?

Keep the course and ensure to set your sights on the perfect you might be. IF you’re getting near the highest of the school rating, your degree of play goes to be ok to maintain you as a professional participant. It’s a must to take into consideration lining up your pro-game.