Yibing Wu has named former ATP No. 6 Wayne Ferreira his new coach, but the retired South African star will not work alone.
The idea of working with two coaches has become a norm on the ATP Tour, with several established stars having at least two tennis coaches within their camps, outside of their hitting partners and physiotherapists.
Some ATP players in a dual partnership include Jannik Sinner, who works with Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill. The pair won the men’s tour’s 2023 Coach of the Year award.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas simultaneously worked with his father, Apostolos, and former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis, but that alliance was short-lived. World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz works with Juan Carlos Ferrero and Samuel Lopez.
The presence of two coaches helps with delegating day-to-day work and filling in for the other in their absence. For instance, Ferrero is set to miss the Australian Open next month to focus on his recovery from a knee operation, leaving all coaching responsibility to Lopez when he travels with Alcaraz in the first quarter of 2024.
Holger Rune appears to have jumped on that bandwagon, too. Having tied Boris Becker to a long-term contract, the Dane recently brought on board one of Roger Federer’s longtime coaches, Severin Luthi, for the upcoming season.
Yibing Wu, who became China’s first ATP titlist last February when he won the Dallas Open in dramatic circumstances, has been working with Marcos Baghdatis, also a former ATP pro, since March 2023.
The addition of Wayne Ferreira is certainly a significant boost for Yibing Wu’s preparations for the upcoming season. Ferreira won 15 titles during his playing career, which spanned 16 years. He achieved his best Grand Slam result at the Australian Open, where he was a two-time semifinalist.
Until his appointment in this latest role, the South African coached USA’s Frances Tiafoe since 2020 but decided to go their separate ways this month. Their partnership lasted three years, and Ferreira takes massive acclaim for steering Tiafoe to a previous best ranking of World No. 10.
Under Ferreira’s tutelage, the flamboyant Tiafoe reached a maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the 2022 US Open. He remains eternally grateful for his work, developing him into the player he is today.
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