A coaching controversy has emerged from Leylah Fernandez’s sensational US Open semi-final victory over world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka.
The 19-year-old took her head-turning, giant-slaying run at Flushing Meadows to new heights today (AEST), storming into the US Open final after dispatching Sabalenka 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
But the scalp didn’t come without drama after American tennis great Pam Shiver suggested Fernandez was receiving instructions from her coach during the match.
One of tennis’ most contentious rules, coaches are prohibited from offering any form of coaching during matches.
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But during the fifth game of the second set with the score locked at 2-2, Shriver noticed that Fernandez’s coach and physio appeared to be breaking that very rule.
“There is a lot of ‘third base’ coaching going on. Fernandez is up the end near her player’s box and the umpire needs to look over there,” Shriver said while reporting court-side for ESPN.
Shriver said she noticed the coach was telling Fernandez to “calm down” and was using “definite signals”.
“Three points ago there was a clear ‘calm down’ with the hands,” she added.
“I mean you think about what happened here three years ago,” Shriver said, referencing the Serena Williams v Naomi Osaka final in which the 23-time major champion copped a code violation for coaching and then unravelled.
“Any kind of hand signal that puts a message across is coaching, it wasn’t encouragement.”
https://twitter.com/PHShriver/status/1434633434601754626