"I have to disagree with Stefanos Tsitsipas" - Todd Woodbridge opposes Greek's on-court coaching comments
Australian tennis legend Todd Woodbridge has spoken out against Stefanos Tsitsipas' suggestion to allow on-court coaching between points during matches on the ATP Tour.
Tsitsipas recently voiced his opinion on the polarizing topic of on-court coaching, saying tennis needed to take a step forward and embrace the practice. Tsitsipas' comments evoked a mixed response from the tennis community, with some in favor of on-court coaching and others, including Nick Kyrgios and John Isner, against it.
Todd Woodbridge, who won 16 Grand Slam titles in men's doubles, echoed Isner and Kyrgios' sentiments, saying tennis' individuality is what sets it apart from other sports.
"I have to disagree with Tsitsipas," Woodbridge told Wide World of Sports.
"I can understand where he's coming from, but the individuality of the sport is what sets it apart. The uniqueness of having to find your own way out of an issue. You're out there on your own and it comes down to how good you are at making a change to alter the outcome."
Just last week, Tsitsipas was handed a code violation for receiving coaching from his box during his quarterfinal loss to Filip Krajinovic in Hamburg.
Earlier this year, the Greek was penalized during his fourth-round Australian Open encounter against Rafael Nadal. Umpire Damien Dumusois handed him a code violation in the fourth set for receiving instructions from his coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
In that context, Woodbridge said he was surprised Tsitsipas has ever needed to rely on instructions from his box. The Australian believes Tsitsipas has the ability to problem solve on his own during matches.
"He obviously feels like he needs it, which for me is a bit of a surprise," Woodbridge explained. "I think Stef has one of those games that is able to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent and break those down.
"I think he would benefit from having more faith in his own ability, rather than having someone confirm it for him," Woodbridge added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas gearing up for Tokyo Olympics
After early exits at Wimbledon and Hamburg, the 22-year-old is preparing for his Olympic debut. Tsitsipas is looking to make history in Tokyo by becoming the first Greek player to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
The Greek has been in great form this year; he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and followed it up with a run to the Roland Garros final, where he lost a tough five-set encounter to Novak Djokovic despite being up two sets to love.
The Greek has already won two titles this year -- the ATP Masters 1000 at Monte-Carlo and the ATP 250 in Lyon. He will now be looking to add the Olympic gold to his resume.