Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune have established themselves as two of the ATP Tour’s greatest clay court players over recent years.
Several players returned to the court this week after a short break as they recovered from a tough Australian Open tournament.
Tsitsipas lost to Alex Michelsen in the first round last month, 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, and was looking to get back to winning ways in the Netherlands.
World number 14 Holger Rune fell to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne but arguably gave the Italian his toughest test down under.
Both players joined a star-studded line-up at the Rotterdam Open, searching for a first title of the season.
It wasn’t to be for Tsitsipas or Rune, however, as the Greek star lost to qualifier Mattia Bellucci in the quarter-finals, with the Dane falling to defeat against Pedro Martinez in the last 16.
Tough losses for two of the sport’s biggest names to take, although playing tennis isn’t the only thing they’ve been focused on this week, as they were also asked to give their thoughts on a major recent ATP Tour change.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune disagree over new ATP on-court coaching rule change
Appearing in a video alongside the rest of the Rotterdam Open field, Tsitsipas and Rune were asked for their opinions on several different topics and chose whether they wanted them ‘in’, or ‘out in 2025.
Perhaps the most controversial opinions came when they were asked for their thoughts on the new ATP Tour on-court coaching rule change.
“The best player, with the best IQ and the best understanding of what’s happening in the game gets to figure it out on their own,” said Tsitsipas.
“So this is out.”
Rune disagreed with the Greek, as he suggested that players on the ATP Tour were already receiving on-court coaching before the rule was introduced.
“Everyone was doing it anyway, so I think it’s nice that it’s legal now, so we want it in,” he said.
Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini was asked the same question, as he joked he didn’t want to hear any more from his coaching team than he already does.
“My coach is bothering me all the time, so I don’t want him on the bench,” he said.
Several players have given their thoughts on the rule change over recent months, as Coco Gauff said she was a fan of on-court coaching at the Australian Open.
The tournament allowed coaches to sit courtside and give advice to their players throughout the match, something that Gauff and her team chose not to take advantage of.
“For me it’s fine, and obviously my coaches, I gave them the decision if they wanted to sit in the box or on courtside,” she said.
“I am a fan of it, but I definitely like the way it is now instead of having the on-court coaching where they come on court.”
Gauff may have chosen to not use the courtside boxes in Australia, but several other big names did, as Novak Djokovic’s new coach Andy Murray could be seen giving the Serb advice throughout his run to the semi-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev give their thoughts on medical timeouts
Another controversial topic over recent months has been medical timeouts, as fans question whether players have been using them for ‘tactical’ reasons.
Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek have been criticized for their use of medical timeouts in 2025, with both players receiving backlash.
Several top ATP stars were asked for their thoughts on medical timeouts ahead of the Rotterdam Open.
“I mean, that’s in,” said former world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
Russian star Daniil Medvedev disagreed as he suggested they are being used for tactical reasons.
“The pain grows when you’re losing and the pain goes away when you’re winning,” he said.
Berrettini agreed with the former US Open champion.
“I feel like most of the time it’s just a way of breaking someone else’s rhythm,” he said.
It’s tough to say who is right and wrong when discussing on-court coaching and medical timeouts, but it’s certainly interesting to see what the stars of the ATP Tour think about two of the most contentious issues facing the sport today.
The 2025 Rotterdam Open semi-finals kick off on Saturday, February 8, as Bellucci takes on Alex de Minaur before Hubert Hurkacz faces off with Alcaraz.
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