When it comes to getting coaching gigs for top players on the Atp World Tour, it seems like there is nothing as sure-fire to get you a job as having "Former World No. 1" written on your resume. Juan Carlos Ferrero, who was ranked No. 1 in the world back in 2003, is the latest top-ranked player to sign on with an aspiring talent on tour. Ferrero has joined forces with Alexander Zverev, the bright spot among the young players on tour, for what could be a fruitful partnership.
Other No. 1s that have coached recently
Several former No. 1-ranked players have coached in recent years and often to great success.
For instance Carlos Moya, who was only ranked No. 1 for two weeks of his career, was Milos Raonic's coach when the Canadian made the Wimbledon final. As a fairly recent addition to Rafael Nadal's team, Moya has been part of that player's resurgence this season. At the same time that Raonic had Moya as a coach, he also had John McEnroe as a coach, another former No. 1. As yet another example, Boris Becker was ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks in his career and he was Novak Djokovic's high-profile coach during the Serb's best seasons on tour to date. Carrying on, Stefan Edberg, who was ranked No. 1 for 72 weeks in his career, has coached Roger Federer since late 2013. Lastly, Ivan Lendl, who was No. 1 for an incredible 270 weeks, has been off and on with Andy Murray for the last several years.
While being a former No. 1 is certain to get you a coaching gig on tour, it's by no means a requirement. Players that nearly got to No. 1 have enjoyed regular work. For instance, Ivan Ljubicic, who made it to the World No. 3 ranking, has coached both Raonic and Federer in recent years. Meanwhile, former World No. 2s in Michael Chang and Magnus Norman are current coaches on tour.
Chang coaches Kei Nishikori while Norman is the coach of Stan Wawrinka. Norman also coached Robin Soderling during the Swede's most successful seasons in 2009 and 2010.
What to expect from Zverev
Even if Zverev didn't hire a super-coach, he'd likely be heading up the rankings anyways. Currently, he is the World No. 11 but he is younger than every player ranked higher than him.
In fact, there is not a player in the top 10 on tour right now that is close to Zverev in terms of age, with Dominic Thiem, who is nearing his 24th birthday, more than 3.5 years older than Zverev.
Getting the World No. 1 ranking requires natural athleticism. However, it certainly requires dedication and a profound understanding of the game of tennis. The German should blossom under Ferrero and the signing looks like a good move. One point of contention, however, has to do with the two players' body types. Ferrero was a nimble 6'0" player while Zverev is a slower moving 6'6" power player. That will dictate different strategies and playing styles between the players and, for that reason, the two might not be a match made in heaven. However, Ferrero was certainly a brilliant player and Zverev, who has been coached by his father for years, should benefit from a change in point of view.
