Two-time Grand Slam finalist Todd Martin recently finished a 2 ½-year stint coaching Mardy Fish and now is looking for opportunities to tutor juniors. He is already associate director of the Altheus Tennis Academy, located in Rye, NY and run by his childhood coach Rick Ferman. Martin, 37, also is a fixture on the Outback Champions tour co-founded by Jim Courier. Martin fills out the rest of his work time with appearances and speaking engagements. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, with his wife Amy and their two sons, ages one and four.
What kind of coaching do you want to do now?
I’d like to do much more with young aspiring players. The experience with Mardy was great. But I felt that it was a little limiting to coach one professional player. It doesn’t give a coach enough to do, especially when traveling. I didn’t realize that when I was playing. So I would like to be able to coach more than one player and not travel too much.
What part of coaching do you like best?
I prefer to focus on training and teaching, not so much on you play Billy today, and his backhand is worse than his forehand. I have always believed the greatest wars are those yet to be waged. Winning immediately is important. But potential can only be reached with long-term vision and a greater plan in mind. That is overlooked in many young players’ development.
What did you appreciate about the experience of coaching Mardy Fish?
He gave everything I suggested on court a whirl. For me to have my first pupil be accepting and willing to experiment with new strategy and technique was a luxury. [Fish completely changed his forehand under Martin’s wing.] He was willing to relinquish some of the reins to me. He went through a significant transformation as to how he went about his business. I appreciated that and think it will hold him in good stead.
How does playing on the senior tour compare with your ATP playing days?
When all goes well, it’s a lot of fun. It’s similar to playing on the ATP tour, but the highs aren’t as high as when you were playing the US Open or Wimbledon. The big plus is that when you stink up the barn and lose, it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t hurt so bad.
How competitive is the tennis on the senior tour?
The player fields have gotten stronger and stronger, and the tennis has gotten more and more competitive. When I played in my first tournament 2 ½ years ago, I felt like 50 percent of the matches were competitive. I wasn’t real concerned about my round-robin group. Compare that to the Dallas event at the end of last year. In the first match, I beat Wayne Ferreira, who won the event, then I lost to Peter Korda and Mikael Pernfors. Eighteen months ago, I never would have contemplated not getting at least to the third place match if I was healthy. And I’m playing better tennis than I was 18 months ago.
Does the tour have a solid future?
As long as the tennis is good enough and there is enough familiarity with the names in our age bracket to attract fans. The challenge being a U.S.-based circuit is that once you run through Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Chang and me, where is your next hub of the wheel for senior tennis?
You will run into the same challenge that the ATP had with the fairly significant lag between Andre [Agassi] at his peak and Andy [Roddick] and James [Blake] asserting themselves. Of course, with James turning 29 this year [in December], he could theoretically join the tour next year. That’s scary.
How do you feel the tour has been received by fans?
The support locally has been tremendous. The awareness nationally is improving, with good visibility thanks to the Tennis Channel’s support. There have been some sparse crowds. It’s a matter of the markets in which we played. Memphis in 2006 and Dallas in 2007 struggled a bit with crowds. It’s a matter of what kind of local energy there is in promotion of the event.
We’ve proven in Boston, Charlotte, Newport and Naples that with good energy and local promotion, crowds aren’t sparse.
John McEnroe may retire from the tour after this year. Will that be a problem?
It could have some impact. John is a huge draw whether he’s one of the best players in the field or not. He brings fans. But the addition of Pete [Sampras] was important. I imagine Jim [Courier] and his colleagues are looking to involve other marquee names.
Do you think Andre Agassi will ultimately play on the tour?
I’m not in the know on this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he participates in the future. He’s been pretty supportive of the concept. And there’s no better way than to give us all a beating. Jim’s relationships are good with all the players. The biggest issue is to continue to have one or two names per tournament that really light the fire under spectators’ feet. Now that’s McEnroe and Sampras. Jim can also be a primary draw.
Does continuing to play help you as a coach?
Yes. It helps to experience what it looks and feels like through the player’s eyes. My first year with Mardy, I tried hard to look through the coach’s eyes. Since then I felt it was important to see it from the player’s perspective.
Who are your favorite players to watch now?
My favorite match at the US Open last year was James Blake against Fabrice Santoro in the second round. And with all due respect to James, it wasn’t because I enjoy watching him. Fabrice shows everyone that there is still a way to be creative. He has an old set of skills and uses them well. He thinks and understands the game at an elite level.
Any others?
Rafael Nadal is amazing. I love the way he attacks every ball on offense and defense. Novak Djokovic has developed into a very complete player. He is second in completeness behind Roger Federer. He’s willing to change the pace and come to net when appropriate.
I think everybody loves watching Roger. I like watching Radek Stepanek. It’s the same as with Fabrice. He has an old set of skills, but he uses them well. He shows everyone that with a little guile and determination, coming to the net is just fine.