ATP Coach of the Month spotlight: Adolfo Gutierrez
pPicture the scene: a tennis coach in the playerrsquo;s box, hiding behind his sunglasses, intently observing every point. The player on court tries to catch the eye of his coach, seeking some much-needed support during the toughest moments of battle./p
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In a sport that demands such mental strength and endurance, a solid connection with the team is like having an extra shot in your repertoire. A sturdy bond and trust in the team can help players deal with their emotions at the biggest tournaments on Tour./p
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Now imagine that coach has been providing the player with that support since he was a child. Watching him grow, helping him mature, and helping him build his dreams as he makes his way to the pinnacle of the sport. a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a is exactly that to Australian a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a, the World No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings./p
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The Spanish coach, recognised as Junersquo;s ATP Spotlight Coach of the Month, has made loyalty and mutual trust the key to converting a young boy into one of the biggest stars in professional tennis./p
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ldquo;Since I met him, when he came to the club at eight or nine, itrsquo;s been a long journey alongside a boy who loved tennis,rdquo; remembers Gutierrez, who welcomed De Minaur to a club in Alicante, when the Aussie could barely see over the net. ldquo;Above all, he loved competing. If I had to define it in some way, letrsquo;s say he had an amazing journey, where the dreams we had always imagined have come true. That lsquo;imagine if one day we play...rsquo; has become a reality and much more.rdquo;/p
pimg src="/-/media/images/news/2024/07/10/17/28/adolfo3.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a have one of the most enduring partnerships on the ATP Tour. Photo: Esther de Minaur." /br
emsupa href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a have one of the most enduring partnerships on the ATP Tour. Photo: Esther de Minaur./sup/em/p
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De Minaur has prioritised stability in his working environment. Enjoying the form of his life in 2024, having burst into the Top 10, De Minaur has a secret weapon in his team: Gutierrez, who has known him for almost two decades./p
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Gutierrez and De Minaurrsquo;s bond is one that will last a lifetime. The pair holds no secrets and shares complete confidence to talk about any aspect of De Minaurrsquo;s career./p
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ldquo;Itrsquo;s a journey in which the connection has gradually grown without forcing it,rdquo; says Gutierrez. ldquo;Itrsquo;s the opposite of what people might think, we donrsquo;t need to talk to each other much. Simply, when he needs it, he knows Irsquo;m here. Irsquo;d like to define myself as a huge support in his life. Irsquo;m not his father, I already have enough problems with my own children [laughs], but Irsquo;ll always be there when he needs me./p
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ldquo;We used to share a room and we still do sometimes. Honestly, wersquo;ve never minded, our relationship goes beyond that of a coach and a player. As we know each other so well, itrsquo;s simple, we respect each otherrsquo;s space and we really get on very well together.rdquo;/p
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A father to two children, ages eight and four, it comes naturally to Gutierrez to work on personal connections. De Minaur is the same boy who trusted his coachrsquo;s words from day one. He is still the same kid who wanted to stay by Gutierrezrsquo;s side when they had to go their separate ways for a time./p
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When De Minaur was 12 years old, and one of the best players in his age group, he was faced with a dilemma. Tennis Australia offered to finance De Minaurrsquo;s career and provide comprehensive development facilities to help the Sydney-born player become a professional./p
pimg src="/-/media/images/news/2024/07/09/21/29/de-minaur-gutierrez-australian-open-2024.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a shares a laugh with a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a at this year's a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/australian-open/580/overview'Australian Open/a." /br /
emsupa href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a shares a laugh with a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a at this year's a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/australian-open/580/overview'Australian Open/a. Credit: Kelly Defina/Getty Images/sup/em/p
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The resulting distance between Gutierrez and De Minaur did little to dampen their bond. Rather, those few years strengthened their forged connection. /p
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ldquo;I look back fondly on those years,rdquo; said Gutierrez. ldquo;First, because we stayed in telephone contact. He came to Spain some summers and, also, we have a funny anecdote from it. I sat down with him with the idea of convincing him to go to Australia. He wanted to stay with me in Alicante, his family was important... /p
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ldquo;Sitting down at the club, I told him what our life would be like, drawing it on the ground. I told him we would meet again, although really nobody knew if that would happen.rdquo;/p
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Years later, with the plans for his professional career underway, De Minaur returned to Spain to keep working with Gutierrez every day. Building a solid team was a priority for Gutierrez, who began creating the architecture that now surrounds the Aussie talent./p
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ldquo;In the end, you surround yourself with people you trust, with whom yoursquo;ve worked before and who have always responded well. Wersquo;ve always had people that contribute to the ideas we were already working on,rdquo; said Gutierrez, whose brother Sergio, ex-World No. 156, was also in the box for a few weeks. ldquo;I always value honesty and hard work in a team, people who understand that working with a player means doing things exclusively for his benefit./p
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ldquo;On the team, for example, we have Emilio [Joseacute; Poveda], who fulfills the roles of physio and fitness coach. I strongly believe in his work and professionalism. [Emilio and I] have been working together for almost 25 years and we know each other perfectly. I always communicate with him and I tell him what I want to see in Alex and what he has to improve. He takes care of the rest,rdquo; explains Gutierrez./p
pimg src="/-/media/images/news/2024/07/09/21/34/gutierrez-wimbledon-2024.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a courtside at a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview'Wimbledon/a." /br /
emsupa href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adolfo-gutierrez/g584/overview'Adolfo Gutierrez/a courtside at a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview'Wimbledon/a. Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour/sup/em/p
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The connection between the team is one that only comes with time. A young boy who dreamed of playing on the ATP Tour, now a contender for any trophy on the circuit would not be a reality without Gutierrez, who has co-authored every chapter in a book that is still only half-written./p
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ldquo;To me, the most important thing is his progress on the mental side. Now he absorbs pressure better, the load before a match, and hersquo;s more aware of everything that surrounds tennis. He manages everything much better. To me, thatrsquo;s the most important work wersquo;ve done with Alex,rdquo; he explains. ldquo;Nothing surprises me anymore after so long, neither good things nor bad [laughs]. If I had to point to one thing, it would be a small step up in professionalism. He knows what hersquo;s doing and hersquo;s in no doubt about what he needs.rdquo;/p
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Behind the ever-present hat and some of the fastest legs in the locker room, lies a hard-worker who just keeps breaking the mould. A level-headed kid with simple habits, completely unfazed as he attempts to make a space for himself in tennis history./p
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ldquo;Alex is a calm guy who likes routine. Maybe hersquo;s a little disorganised, although Katie [Boulter] is working on that [laughs],rdquo; jokes Gutierrez, referring to the playerrsquo;s girlfriend, who is currently Britainrsquo;s leading female player./p
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Enjoying more success than ever this season, De Minaur is looking to keep climbing. He is now a consolidated member of the Top 10 and a contender at the majors. Still, he remains faithful to those who were with him when he first stepped onto a court./p
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ldquo;Wersquo;ve always believed he could do it. It was a question of whether Alex would realise. Besides the specific work on each surface, itrsquo;s the confidence of knowing that he can do it. In the end, you work to achieve your goals and we know itrsquo;s not easy. Contrary to what many may think, wersquo;ve never given in and wersquo;ve continued every day with the hope and excitement in our minds. Wersquo;ve worked hard for that goal but wersquo;re never happy and wersquo;ll keep working more if necessary to keep climbing as many places as possible. We want to go further and further in the Grand Slams.rdquo;/p
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Whatever destiny awaits him, one thing is constant for De Minaur. Gutierrez will be watching over him from the box./p
p[NEWSLETTER FORM]/p