Player Coaches
Robert Lansdorp (USA)
The Californian based tennis coach is arguably the most successful and influential coach of the Open era. He has worked with a number of leading tennis players, including Sampras, Austin, Davenport and Sharapova who have all gone on to be world number ones. A known taskmaster he uses simplified routines and drill sessions to perfect a players groundstrokes. His first project was teenager Tracey Austin from the United who he coached to the pinnacle of the women's game as she became world number one and winner of two Grand Slam singles titles, lifting the US Open in 1979 and 1981. He then worked with Pete Sampras and was instrumental in guiding his career before later helping Lindsay Davenport. He has more recently worked with Maria Sharapova who he helped to win three Grand Slam titles. While the Russian still lists her home base as Bradenton in Florida which is the site of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, she has spent most of her time with Lansdorp in southern California after he was hand picked by her father Yuri Sharapov to work with. Lansdorp is widely accredited to be known finder of talent and it was he who spotted Sharapova at the age of fourteen. Despite losing in her first professional tournament and being destroyed, the American was impressed with her no fear mentality and willingness to go for the big shots continually. Lansdorp knew he was onto something good and tried to convince her and her father Yuri that everything would work out and that she would go on to be a future star.
Players Coached: Tracey Austin, Pete Sampras, Linsday Davenport, Anastastia Myskina, Maria Sharapova
Peter Lundgren (SWE)
As a former professional tennis player, Lundgren enjoyed moderate success winning three career singles titles. However, it is coaching career where he has really made a name for himself and has worked with a number of leading players. He started out working with Marcelo Rios who he helped to reach the top 10. When they split Lundgren claimed the Chilean "needed a psychologist more than a coach". His next project involved working for the Swiss Tennis Federation where he helped out with the juniors, before replacing Peter Carter as the coach for Roger Federer. They worked together from 2000 through to 2003 when Federer was world number one and had won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. Lundgren then worked with Russia's Marat Safin and helped guide him to the 2005 Australian Open title. Having announced his split with the Russian at the end of August 2006, he started working with the British Davis Cup team for the next two years. As part of the LTA's plan to shake up tennis in Britain, Lundgren was one of the coaching galácticos hired by chief executive Roger Draper. However, shortly into his new post he was given a leave of absence from the LTA in June 2007 and was later replaced by Paul Annacone. At the beginning of 2008, the Swede began coaching Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis who was looking to rekindle the form of 2006 when he reached the final of the Australian Open and semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Players Coaches: Marcelo Rios, Roger Federer, Marat Safin, Marcos Baghdatis, Grigor Dimitrov
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