Professional tennis has long thrilled the world with its fierce battles and unforgettable rivalries, yet the ATP and WTA tours carry distinct identities shaped by more than just names on a draw sheet. Men’s tennis often leans on sheer power, booming serves, and extended rallies that demand relentless strength and endurance, while the women’s game thrives on agility, sharp tactical variation, and finesse. Even the balls differ: ATP players strike extra-duty felt, heavier and slower, while WTA competitors work with regular-duty felt, quicker and livelier, shifting spins and strategies entirely. But beyond surface-level contrasts, have you ever wondered what truly separates coaching WTA players from the ATP stars? A quiet conflict? Well, Iga Swiatek’s coach just answered, and it’s not what you expect.

On a recent episode of the Tennis Insider Club Podcast, Wim Fissette joined WTA player Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran to tackle a question that carried unexpected weight: would a coach who has guided some of the greatest female players: Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Zheng Qinwen, and now Iga Swiatek: ever consider switching to coaching ATP players?

Fissette’s response was immediate and telling. “Not necessary. You know, I’m actually, I’m happy. I’m a, I’m a happy and a proud WTA coach. I enjoy working with, with women. Um, so I would, I would like maybe one day to work with,” he began. Then he made his stance clearer: “But I don’t, I would not see it as like an upgrade or something. No.”

Pressed further about whether an opportunity to coach an ATP player might intrigue him, he admitted, “It would be an, an interesting experience, you know, but I don’t see it as like, okay, that would be better for me, or like, no. like I’m, I’m, I’m happy as a WTA coach. Um, but yeah, as a, as a challenge, yeah. At some point it would be it would be interesting. But I never had like, any offer from the ATP way.”

Then came a revelation that surprised even seasoned listeners: “And I do think, let’s say going from, from WTA to a ATP, I do think it’s easier than go from a ATP to WTA,” Iga Swiatek’s coach said, before peeling back the curtain on what makes coaching women uniquely intricate. “It’s not only about what you say, but when you say it, how and how you say it.”

His insight extended beyond tactics and drills into team dynamics. “That’s why also I like having at least one woman in the team. Yeah. So it’s always good, just because like sometimes woman to woman, like conversations are just very important, you know? Yeah. They were always, they’re always topics like. They’re not sharing with us,” Fissette explained.

“When there’s a woman in a team, sometimes it goes like around and then still like you’re more informed about some things are going on, you know,” he continued, emphasizing that effective coaching often depends on building trust and access to conversations players might not otherwise share. “If you have like, let’s say a team of like three, four people, yeah, I think it would definitely be good to have.”

This viewpoint emerged as Iga Świątek confessed that she wished she could emulate Carlos Alcaraz. However, the debate about what truly separates coaching men from coaching women remains very much alive, and not just within Fissette’s circle.

A few months ago, Jannik Sinner’s coach, who has worked on both the ATP and WTA tours, added his own take to this ongoing conversation.

Darren Cahill reveals his perspective on coaching WTA players

The ATP and WTA tours, though sharing the same courts and grand stages, often carve out distinctly different paths each season. Yet in that divide stands Darren Cahill, a seasoned coach whose résumé boasts former World No. 1s Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep. Now guiding current Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, Cahill offers a sharp perspective on what sets the two tours apart.

Speaking on the Tennis Insider Club podcast this March, Cahill, who has worked with both ATP and WTA athletes, broke it down simply: “I think the difference between men and women in coaching, the only real difference… it’s the same game, same pressure, same size court, everything, sometimes the women don’t have the ability to finish points like the men do,”

He explained that in the men’s game, the serve can become a decisive weapon. “If a male player gets up a set and a break, you can relax a bit and rely on your serve and get to the finish line. It doesn’t happen much in the women’s game, so you have to be mentally strong to stay on the same tactical plan that got you up a set and a break.”

Cahill highlighted a common trap: rushing when victory seems close. “Quite often you’ll rush a little bit. There’s the finish line, let’s go to the finish line. But you lose the patience a little bit. That’s just because of the power of the game.”

He added another layer to the discussion: “The other difference is that I think the men see the big picture a little bit clearer than what the women do.”

In the end, while the debate over differences continues, one truth stands firm: both tours remain in constant evolution, each shaping tennis in its own uncompromising way. What do you think?