LIVE
...

Follow us on

News

Tommy Paul’s coach provides latest update on his fitness ahead of the Australian Open in 2026

Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
Follow us on Google Discover

Tommy Paul’s 2025 season featured a limited schedule, with the American only appearing at 14 tournaments.

He endured an injury-plagued year on the ATP Tour, which was ultimately ended early prior to the Asian swing, having battled with a ruptured tendon in his foot.

Though he has not been able to stay healthy, the 28-year-old did reach a career-high ranking of eighth in the world in June.

Tommy Paul flexing after his win at the French Open.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Paul achieved the feat after an impressive clay swing, during which he made the semifinals of the Italian Open and the quarterfinals of Roland Garros.

Now, ahead of the 2026 season, his coach, Brad Stine, has issued an update on his fitness.

Brad Stine gives update on Tommy Paul’s fitness ahead of 2026

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Stine said of Paul: “At this point, I think we are 100%. He’s back to normal.

“I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago for six days. The training was great, everything was really good, so we are very hopeful that we are going to have a healthy Tommy Paul for 2026.

Who will be the biggest disappointment at the 2026 Australian Open?

View of the stage at the 2026 Australian Open media launch in 2025
Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“It has been a really, really weird year for us. I think all the guys in our team feel the same way about that. It started out great. Tommy played extremely well in Australia, played well against Sascha in the quarters there.

“He makes the quarters in the Australian Open, and that was a really good start to the year. We felt he was playing really good tennis.

“We felt he had a very, very good chance to win that match in the quarterfinals, and then we went to Acapulco, and Tommy gets crazy sick. He was literally throwing up over a balcony railing and comes back home, and that illness lingered.

“He did not feel right for another two weeks. He went to Indian Wells, played okay. I remember I drove to LA and picked him up, and drove [to] Indian Wells.

Tommy Paul of the United States looks on against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan during their Men's Singles Third Round match on Day Seven of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

“I remember driving down, and he texted me saying ‘today is the first day I feel pretty normal; I’d say I am 98%.’

“We had been chatting, and he was like I still feel off. He had stomach issues, which were bugging him the whole time.

“We get to Indian Wells, and he played pretty well, and then he played an absolute aberration of a match against Daniil Medvedev.

“It was a weird, crazy match, that was one of the first times where he basically did not show up for the match mentally or emotionally. He got beaten really badly.

“I think he was embarrassed. He sent a text to all the team members apologising and basically saying that’s not who we are and that’s not how I want to represent us, which was very nice of him, but it was just a weird deal.”

Tommy Paul of the United States reacts against Elmer Moller of Denmark during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Three of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Tommy Paul’s ‘aberration of a match’ against Daniil Medvedev

Paul entered Indian Wells after pulling out of Acapulco due to illness, and enjoyed a solid start to the first half of the ‘sunshine double’.

He beat compatriot Tristan Boyer in his opening match and knocked out former Wimbledon semifinalist Cameron Norrie in the third round.

However, in round four, he met Daniil Medvedev, against whom Paul played out what Stine described as ‘an absolute aberration of a match’.

Avoid saying the same tennis player as me quiz

He immediately went down an early break in the match, but did manage to claw his way back into the opener with a break of his own.

Medvedev ultimately clinched the first set, though, and proceeded to dominate Paul in the second half, claiming a bagel to win 6-4, 6-0.