Which recently retired player should become a super coach?

As we make our way toward the 2026 season—which begins Friday, January 2 on Tennis Channel with the United Cup—our Tennis Channel analysts and editors tackle the most important questions of the new year.

Next up: Which recently retired player should become a super coach?

VICTORIA DUVAL: Rafael Nadal. Can you even imagine the wealth of knowledge? He's one of my favorite athletes and is unmatched when it comes to discipline, humility, tenacity, and problem-solving under pressure. He would elevate any player to new heights.

DAVID KANE: When we first posed this question, Carlos Alcaraz didn’t have an opening for a coach and Serena Williams hadn’t put feelers out about a potential 2026 comeback—at this point, it seems more likely we’ll see Williams on the court than in the coaching box. One of the more forgotten big stories of 2025 was Andy Murray’s brief stint as Novak Djokovic’s coach. Though they didn’t last long, the pair was the talk of the Australian Open, Djokovic scoring his lone 2025 victory over Alcaraz with Murray in his corner.

Enthused as he was by the prospect of coaching a former rival, I have to think Murray would be—if asked—even more excited to step in for Juan Carlos Ferrero. Comparison abound between Alcaraz and the likes of Nadal and Djokovic, but it would be fascinating to see what Murray could bring to the Alcaraz camp, who reportedly wanted him on board in the past. Perhaps he'd bring an ethos that mixes the work hard-play hard mentality the young Spaniard appears to crave.

BRETT HABER: Esther Vergeer, the GOAT of wheelchair tennis. Wheels or no wheels, there’s no telling how much she could add to a rising player’s mental toughness, self-belief, problem-solving skills.

PAUL ANNACONE: None. I think they should enjoy their lives and take a breath!

COCO VANDEWEGHE: Stay retired everyone! It is a better life 🤣