The new season is underway.  For some, it has been business as usual.  Others are struggling to find their form.  Still others find themselves in a race to be fit for the upcoming Australian Open.  But for all of the interest surrounding these storylines, the biggest news item leading into the 2014 season has been the number of former Grand Slam champions who have agreed to take coaching gigs with some of the sport’s established and budding stars.  The two biggest coach/player duos to generate the most chatter were those of Boris Becker teaming up with Novak Djokovic and Stefan Edberg signing on to consult with Roger Federer for at least 10 weeks at the start of this year. 

Other notable pairings include Michael Chang being hired by Kei Nishikori, Sergi Bruguera agreeing to work with Richard Gasquet, and Goran Ivanisevic once again working with countryman Marin Cilic.  Understandably, the decision of these past greats to take on high-profile coaching jobs would set tongues wagging.  The fact that so many of these pairings seemingly happened in a short span of time also contributed to the intrigue.  What remains to be seen, however, is whether the influx of former greats as coaches is an anomaly or a growing trend in the world of men’s tennis.

Of course, being a former Grand Slam champion is not a prerequisite for becoming a top coach.  There have been plenty of other elite and accomplished coaches who did not enjoy nearly the same kind of success as the likes of Ivan Lendl, Becker, or Edberg.  Three prime examples that prove this point can be seen in Darren Cahill, Paul Annacone, and Brad Gilbert. 

Of those three men, Gilbert was the only one to rank inside the top 10, and none of them ever reached a major singles final.  But their lack of individual success at the majors did not hamper their ability to guide some of their former charges, such as Lleyton Hewitt, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Andy Roddick, to become Grand Slam singles champions.  Clearly these men, and others like them, bring some special attributes to the table.  And yet there is something that they cannot offer a player that only someone like a Chang or Bruguera can:  the experience and insight that comes from reaching the upper echelons of the game and breaking through to win the biggest titles in the sport.

A prime example of this kind of experience and insight at work can be seen in the blossoming of Andy Murray under the tutelage of Lendl.  To be fair to his former coaches, the Scot did enjoy many noteworthy results as he made his niche on the ATP World Tour under the guidance of Gilbert, Miles Maclagan, and his mother Judy.  But it was not until he brought Lendl on board that he finally achieved success at the majors.

A large part of that success can be attributed not just to Lendl making tweaks to Murray’s overall approach to the game, but in how he was able to better mentally prepare Murray for the biggest moments in the most important matches.  Gilbert and Maclagan might have been able to talk to Murray about how to approach playing a Grand Slam singles final, or how to bounce back from a major final loss, but their words could not possibly carry the same amount of weight as those same words coming from the mouth of Lendl.  Lendl’s words would not only resonate more with the Scot, but he likely could impart additional tips and ideas.  Unlike Gilbert and Maclagan, Lendl was there.  He endured the bitterness of defeat and enjoyed the sweetness of victory at the majors, and he reached the pinnacle of the rankings.

That same insight, valuable to improving the mental aspects of one’s game, likely represents a key reason why a number of players are suddenly hiring former greats.  There are other positives to be gained from these coaching moves.  Chang may teach Nishikori more patience.  Becker could improve Djokovic’s serve and net skills, and Edberg may be able to work a little more serve-and-volley into Federer’s game.  But those are surely not the only reasons.  Djokovic has stated that he is looking to learn from Becker how to handle the big moments and better improve his own performance in major finals.  Indeed, as so little separates the men at the top, the intangibles that these former greats bring to the table could make all the difference.

For now, the jury is still out as to just how successful these coaching moves will be.  They could prove as fruitful as the partnership between Murray and Lendl, or they could prove a dismal failure like that of Maria Sharapova and Jimmy Connors.  With any luck, they will go the way of the former.  If so, this could be the start of a new trend for men’s tennis that would add yet another element of intrigue to the sport.