Coaching rules in tennis find a 'pod' positioning at the Australian Open

Nishesh Basavareddy thought it was pretty crazy. Not just that he was sharing the Rod Laver Arena with his idol Novak Djokovic, but also that on numerous occasions when he went to fetch his towel between points, seated almost at arm's length to him was Andy Murray.

- Rutvick Mehta

MUMBAI: Nishesh Basavareddy thought it was pretty crazy. Not just that he was sharing the Rod Laver Arena with his idol Novak Djokovic, but also that on numerous occasions when he went to fetch his towel between points, seated almost at arm's length to him was Andy Murray.

"You try to focus on the court, but sometimes I go to my towel and I see him saying, 'Let's go, Novak', and look over and it's pretty crazy," Basavareddy said.

Murray is now Djokovic's coach, and that comes with certain privileges at the 2025 Australian Open. If you want them, that is.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) had last October given the nod to off-court coaching from 2025, meaning coaches could legally pass on instructions to players from their box between points. The Australian Open took it a step further, designing specialized court-side coaching pods—they are right by the players' towel box—for up to four members of a player's team.

And so, Djokovic could have a lengthy chat with Murray between sets in his testing four-set opener against Basavareddy, the US teenager of Indian origin. Under pressure on serve, Jodie Anna Burrage could soak in instructions from her coaches and then fire a couple of solid first serves against Coco Gauff on Wednesday.