Since 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams announced her return to the Tour on Tuesday, the tennis world hasn’t been able to keep calm. And now, the former world number one has made a new addition to her coaching squad.
Williams’ name was missing from the entry list released by Wimbledon earlier in June, dashed fans’ last hopes of seeing her play again. However, following official confirmation on Tuesday, Williams is certain to be in the women’s singles main draw as a wildcard. The American also confirmed the news in an Instagram post.
Besides the news, the fact that she’s tagged sister Venus Williams coach Eric Hechtman has caught everyone’s attention. He later re-shared the post on his Instagram story.
“LFG! Pumped hard on this trip with the goats,” Hechtman wrote.
Interestingly, his Instagram bio still reads, “Venus Williams Coach”. Hechtman, who has been a Venus coach since 2019, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Miami. During his time there, he was the team’s captain for three years and held the school’s record for most wins ever.
Prior to entering the coaching business, Hechtman spent time as a batting partner for players such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and Serena Williams, among others. He is also the manager of the Royal Palm Tennis Club in Florida.
Earlier this year, Serena Williams faced fallout with her former coach Patrick Moratoglu, who is now coaching two-time major champion Simona Halep. Williams and Muratoglu began working together in 2012. Their collaboration led to 10 Grand Slam victories and an Olympic gold medal for the American.
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