The tennis coach Diego Moyano and Frances Tiafoe‘s reunion has hit an unexpected end, concluding in less than six months. Moyano recently declared that the partnership was coming to an end, referring to it as the beginning of his “new chapter.” In the meantime, until the American tennis star gets a permanent coach, Zina Garrison has stepped in to fill the gap until the end of Wimbledon.

The 60-year-old American tennis legend is someone who has also taught Serena Williams during her active tennis days. In February 1999, the USTA and U.S. captain Billie Jean King named Serena and Venus to the 10-player squad. The 23-time Grand Slam champion’s mentor was Zina Garrison, helping her to achieve victory on the court.

Since then, even today, she has admired her contribution to the tennis world and has always talked highly of the 43-year-old American tennis legend. And now she is ready to display her mentoring skills with another American on board, Tiafoe. The Wimbledon finalist is to be the interim coach of Frances Tiafoe until the end of Wimbledon for the moment until things settle down for the 26-year-old.

Garrison, on the other hand, is more than happy to help the new American phenom anytime he needs it but does not plan to become a full-time coach. She not only traveled with him to Houston, but also provided support for him during his practice sessions. Though ranked 23rd in the world, he made it to the event championship match before losing to Ben Shelton.

Subsequently, she went on to become the first black woman to compete in a Grand Slam final since Althea Gibson in 1956. This landmark was accomplished at Wimbledon in 1990. The former world No. 1 junior has an impressive background that includes 14 WTA singles titles over her 15-year career, an Olympic gold medal in doubles, and a bronze medal in singles, both won in Seoul in 1988.

Her ascent to a career-high rating of No. 4 cemented her place among the top athletes in the game. Not only that, as someone who has witnessed Williams’ whole tennis career, the former Grand Slam finalist, back in 2022, detailed her equation with the 23-time Grand Slam champion and her contribution to the sport.

Garrison shared a close bond with Serena Williams 

A few years ago, she reflected on her lifelong relationship with the 43-year-old American tennis legend. She stated, “I followed her closely over those years, first as a mentor, sometimes as a coach, always as a friend and adviser with, I think, a voice she could trust to always tell her what I thought, and to give it to her straight.” 

Further, she also listed one quality that made Serena stand out from the crowd. “The thing I’m most proud of about with Serena is the way she never allowed people to tear her down,” she added. Furthermore, she described how she liked several aspects of her, ranging from her best-ever serve to her ability to establish her own brand in the game. She added how Williams has evolved remarkably, fueled by a strong desire to believe in God and continuously improve her game.

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