Tony Roche - Coaching Career

Coaching Career

After completing his playing career Roche has developed a highly successful career as a tennis coach. He was the coach of the Denver Racquets who won the first World Team Tennis in competition 1974. Ivan Lendl hired Roche as a full-time coach for Roche's advice on volleying. (Lendl dreamed of winning Wimbledon, and because Roche had been a fine grass court player, he sought his tutelage.) Roche also coached former world no. 1 Patrick Rafter from 1997 to the end of his career in 2002. Roche coached world no. 1 Roger Federer from 2005 to 12 May 2007. It is reputed this was on a "handshake agreement" with no contract; Roche was paid by the week. Federer hired Roche for the opposite reason that Lendl hired him: to work on his clay-court game (as Roche had won the French Open). He also coached two-time Grand Slam singles titlist Lleyton Hewitt, who was aiming to get his career back on track after a number of unsuccessful years on the ATP Tour. On the day of her first round match against Alisa Kleybanova, former world no. 4, Jelena Dokić, requested an hour-long session from Roche as last minute training.

Tony Roche also coaches many junior players at Sydney Olympic Park, in preparation for their ATP junior qualification pro tours, starting in November.