Radical change is in the air… The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced that it will test on-court coaching during two upcoming events, the Rogers Cup in Montreal and the Pilot Penn Tennis tournament in New Haven.  Players must designate their coaches in advance of the match and each coach can come onto the court once per set during a changeover and also at the break after each set.  In addition, if an opponent requests a medical or bathroom break, then the other player can request that her coach come onto the court.  During televised matches, these conversations between coaches and players will be filmed and aired on a taped delay basis.  The goal is to increase the accessibility of players to their fans while also enhancing the “entertainment value” of the sport.  However, unlike the use of electronic line calling which simply improves officiating, on-court coaching will directly affect the outcome of matches because the performance of some players may actually improve with a well-timed tip from a coach.  A few years ago, on-court coaching was added to NBA games, but basketball is a team sport and players were already talking to their coaches throughout the game.  Tennis fans may enjoy hearing the inside scoop from coaches, but tennis was always about the challenge of having prepared as best you could beforehand and then walking out onto the court all on your own and giving it your best shot.  Although change is often a good thing, the introduction of on-court coaching will fundamentally change the game of tennis… it will become a “team sport.”