Taylor Fritz has become one of the most recognized faces on the men’s circuit in recent years. His coach, Michael Russell, is not talked about as much. Today we discover some information about the man who has brought Taylor to the elite.
What do we know about Michael Russell? That he is 45 years old, that he was a professional tennis player between 1998 and 2015, that he reached the top 60 in the rankings and that he could not win any individual title. His height, less than 1’75, didn’t make it easy for him either. Already as a coach, people of the stature of Frances Tiafoe, Ryan Harrison, Tennys Sandgren, Sam Querrey and Mackenzie McDonald passed through his hands, until he had the opportunity to mentor Taylor Fritz, whom he has turned into the best American on the planet. In an interview with Tennis.com, Michael gives us valuable information to understand his current work, as well as his origins.
Above all, Russell takes with humor the fame he has earned on the bench, the fame of someone inexpressive, unfazed by events, one of those coaches who does not transmit much to his player. “I literally have no expression,” the Detroiter accepts. “The rest of the players like to make fun of me for this aspect. It is true that there are some players who need that extra extra motivation, an external source to react on the court. In our case, Taylor’s motivation is always very high, so I prefer to show him a positive and controlled character”, assesses the North American, faithful to his principles.
Regarding his time as a player, Michael is aware that his humble roots have nothing to do with the current circuit, although being a solitary soul made him strengthen his mentality, in addition to knowing how to make much better use of the opportunities that are presented to Fritz. “I was alone most of the time, I had to analyze my opponents by myself and make all the tactical preparations before each match. When the time came to retire, I felt that my body was already beginning to crumble, my physique declined a lot, in that transition was where I realized that I really liked helping others to improve,” fondly remembers the man who made the round of 16 in Roland Garros 2001, where Gustavo Kuerten almost fell.
“Now the game goes much faster, it is almost ballistic, but we were already beginning to see this on the tour in the years of my retirement,” emphasizes Russell, responsible for having taken his player to the top 10 of the ATP ranking. “Taylor is someone who plays completely different from how I did, it is totally the opposite, but it is not the first time that a coach and his pupil are so different. All of this is solved with hours and hours of work, the part that people from the outside never see.”
THE COACHING LETTER
Often in the shadow of Paul Annacone, the other coach in charge of the project, Russell has not always received the attention he deserved. Maybe because he was not so media-friendly, or maybe because this never mattered to him. What could have changed everything is the arrival of coaching to the professional circuit, something that generated a lot of debate at the beginning but that later has not meant any tragedy for anyone. Fritz being one of the tennis players who never opted for this measure, it is normal that his coach is not one of those who communicate the most during his matches, earning the nickname ‘Iron Mike’ every day.
“I know Taylor has said many times that she doesn’t like him, but the truth is that she usually communicates with me at games. We just use it to give us some important cues, in my case to make sure my player is doing the right things. If emotions suddenly overcome you, I can encourage you to fight like never before. Although then if he loses a game it is true that you always wonder if he could have told you something else,” concludes the Michigan coach.
2024-03-22 07:30:42
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