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Potential Gains for Azarenka, Bouchard with New Coaches

Feb 19th 2015

There are many elements that go into determining the arc of a player’s career.  From physical stature and innate talent, to the relative ability of the rest of the field, they all play their parts in varying degrees to determine how much success a player will enjoy before hanging up the racquet.  One of the more important factors for influencing success, though, is whom the player chooses as a coach.  Great coaches are not only good at utilizing strengths and improving and hiding weaknesses, but they know how to effectively communicate those ideas to their charges to maximize potential. 

Eugenie Bouchard

Players recognize the crucial role the coach fills in their journey to success, and no doubt Eugenie Bouchard and Victoria Azarenka are optimistic that they have made the right coaching choices these last couple of weeks.  Bouchard surprised quite a few people when she named Sam Sumyk – Azarenka’s former coach – as her new head coach following her split from Nick Saviano last November.  Bouchard’s gain was not Azarenka’s loss, however.  In light of Sumyk opting to move in a different direction, a decision he made prior to Bouchard hiring him, Azarenka hired another coach with a proven track record, Wim Fissette.  Both decisions look likely to pay dividends.

Sumyk joining Bouchard’s team seems like a natural transition from his post as Azarenka’s coach.  Like the Belarusian, Bouchard is consistently looking to be aggressive and often refuses to give up ground from the baseline.  Bouchard is slightly smaller in stature than his previous charge, but Sumyk will likely be able to develop Bouchard into a bigger hitter like Azarenka.  Where the Frenchman will be most beneficial for the Canadian, though, is in the mental department.  Bouchard has earned herself a spot in the upper echelons of the game, but she has not been ranked No. 1 or won a major.  She has also struggled with the week-to-week grind of the tour.  Those are areas where Sumyk can assist her.  In his five-year tenure with Azarenka, he coached the Belarusian to two major titles, helped her reach the top of the rankings, and equally important, taught her how to maintain consistently good results over the course of a long season.  All in all, he appears to be in the right position to take Bouchard to the next level.

Like Bouchard, Azarenka will be hoping that her recent decision to hire Fissette will lead her to greater success.  Fans will remember Fissette as Simona Halep’s coach last season and the coach of Kim Clijsters prior to that.   He clearly brings plenty to the table even if, on paper, this arrangement may not seem as natural as Sumyk joining Bouchard’s camp.  Azarenka definitely employs a different style of play from Halep and Clijsters, but Fissette could still do great things for her.  For example, she may lack the same set of quick wheels as Halep and Clijsters, but the Belgian can help her work more on her defensive skills to better couple them with her offensive weapons.  Additionally, Fissette did an admirable job developing the forecourt games of Halep and Clijsters and should be able to produce similar results with the Belarusian.  Most importantly, however, will be what Fissette can do for Azarenka mentally.  Both Clijsters and especially Halep were known for struggling under pressure, but he found a way to teach them to effectively cope with those moments.  Coming off of a frustrating and forgettable 2014, Azarenka could benefit from having someone who can remind her of what it takes to come out on top when the pressure is at its greatest.  After all, her physical skills are like riding a bike.  They are there, and they will be back in full force with repetition on the practice court.  But being able to execute them when it counts is where she will need that voice of reassurance, and Fissette is more than capable of doing the job.

Victoria Azarenka

As is often the case with any coaching change, time is needed to determine how successful a pairing can be.  Bouchard said as much when she talked about her decision to hire Sumyk.  But there is no question that both of these new partnerships have potential, and fans, pundits, and the players themselves should be anxiously looking forward to some of the bigger tournaments down the road as they are put to the test.