Remember the good old days when tennis players kept the same coaches throughout their careers? We are far removed from those days. Tennis players have longer careers and teams of people to help them prepare for the rigors of competing. In recent years, coaching changes have become more plentiful, but usually at the end of the season, similar to how NFL teams remove their coaches.
The new wave is to fire, replace, or refine the coaching team during the season. It is difficult to understand how this relationship with a coach can develop during a tournament-heavy schedule. There is not much time for practice or one-on-one interaction away from tournaments.
Jasmine Paolini, Diana Shnaider, Andrey Rublev, Peyton Stearns, and Emma Raducanu have shaken up their coaching teams so far this year. Here is what those changes look like.
Jasmine Paolini hires Marc Lopez
After the Miami Open, Jasmine Paolini parted ways with her coach of a decade, Renzo Furlan. She recently announced that she will be working with former Spanish player and first-time coach Marc Lopez beginning this week in Stuttgart, Germany, and through the clay court season.
⚡️ Marc Lopez is Jasmine Paolini's new coach!
— Sofya Tartakova (@CentralCourt) April 11, 2025
Bolshe! exclusive
As Dinara Safina informed us, the Olympic champion will work with the Italian until the end of the clay season.
“I spoke with Marc in Stuttgart. Their cooperation is designed until the end of Roland Garros” pic.twitter.com/WhXYyJ4QJn
Paolini has many points to defend going into the spring and summer, as she was the French Open and Wimbledon finalist. Lopez is best known for his doubles play, winning the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal with Rafael Nadal.
Diana Shnaider hires Dinara Safina
Diana Shnaider is now working with former World No. 1 Dinara Safina. They have been coined the Di Squared team. The soon-to-be 39-year-old Russian won 12 titles, was a three-time Grand Slam singles finalist, won the 2007 US Open in doubles, and was the 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist in singles.
What a partnership!
— WTARussians (@WTArussians) April 8, 2025
Diana Shnaider announces that former World No.1 Dinara Safina will be her new coach starting from the clay season after being coached by her Dad in the past few months. pic.twitter.com/Kl7UBbguNK
Shnaider, 21, is in the Top 15 and is looking to make the leap into the Top 10 and beyond with Safina's help.
Andrey Rublev hires Marat Safin
Keeping it all in the family, Andrey Rublev hired his idol, former World No. 1 Marat Safin (and Dinara Safina's brother). Safin is a former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion.
"How are you going to help Andrey over the next couple of months?" 👀
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 4, 2025
Marat Safin makes his coaching debut as a new addition to Andrey Rublev's team. 👏 pic.twitter.com/ssGoM9d0Aq
Safin was an emotional player who claimed to have broken over 1,000 racquets during his career. Rublev has been known to suffer from emotional outbursts on the court, and Safin could help him work through this and navigate a Grand Slam win.
Peyton Stearns and Emma Raducanu are currently coachless
If it is not crazy enough to change coaches during the season, consider Peyton Stearns and Emma Raducanu who parted ways with their coaches and are searching for ones as they continue to play and travel on the WTA Tour.
Stearns was working with Tom Hill, who is best known for his work with Maria Sakkari.
Since her 2021 US Open fairytale run, Emma Raducanu has had a number of coaches over the years.
Looking for a new coach… DMs are open 🤠 pic.twitter.com/Py7TIBf44i
— Peyton Stearns (@peyton_stearns) April 8, 2025
Peyton Stearns took to social media asking for a coach, and Raducanu is believed to be close to hiring Mark Pechy, whom she worked with in the past. The sticking point is that Pechy works for Tennis Channel. It is not an insurmountable problem. Jessica Pegula works with Mark Knowles, and Taylor Fritz works with Paul Annacone, who are also employed by Tennis Channel.