By Sarah Alvanipour
Photo by Getty Images/AFP Getty

The off-season is here and players are working hard making adjustments to their games – and, it seems, their coaching arrangements. Here are the ins and outs of the last few weeks.

Paul-Henri Mathieu
IN: Mats Wilander
OUT: Thierry Champion

The hard-hitting but inconsistent Frenchman, ranked second in his country behind Richard Gasquet, is following in the footsteps of compatriot Tatiana Golovin by hiring the forthright Swede to guide him throughout his 2008 campaign.

Mathieu, who reached a career-high rank of No. 19 in October and is currently ranked in the top 25, was taken by surprise when then-coach Thierry Champion switched to Gael Monfils earlier this month.


Tatiana Golovin
IN: Glen Schaap
OUT: Mats Wilander

The Frenchwoman turned Miami-resident and Lacoste poster girl will head to Australia with another new coach, Glen Schaap, who previously worked with Dinara Safina and Nadia Petrova. Golovin and Mats Wilander ended their brief coaching arrangement earlier this year because of Wilander's relutance to travel on the tour full-time. The former world No. 1, who does TV commentary and serves as Sweden's Davis Cup, will now add coaching Paul-Henri Mathieu to his list of duties (see above).

Golovin was previously coached by a laundry list of pros including former Andy Roddick mentors Tarik Benhabiles and Dean Goldfine. Bonne chance, Glen.

Andy Murray
IN: A "team of experts"
OUT: Brad Gilbert

Oops, he did it again. Brad Gilbert helped yet another player reach his peak (see Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick) before being released from his duties. The California native and Oakland Raiders fan, known for being a crafty strategist and “winning ugly,” has a coaching track record second to none, but his personality can rub his pupils the wrong way, causing friction and an eventual split.

Gilbert guided both Agassi and Roddick to the top of the rankings, before parting company. Under his tutelage, Murray cracked the Top 10 in June and despite missing nearly four months of competition with an injury, finished the year just outside the Top 10. For much of the 16 months he spent with Murray, Gilbert made headlines with his reported seven-figure salary fronted by the Lawn Tennis Association on behalf of the Scot.

US Fed Cup
IN: Mary Joe Fernandez
(ALMOST) OUT: Zina Garrison

Tennisreporters.net reports that that Zina Garrison will be joined by former WTA pro and ESPN commentator, Mary Joe Fernandez, who will serve as co-captain in 2008. Fernandez is expected to replace Garrison as captain in 2009. The US team has been guided by Garrison since 2004 (she replaced Billy Jean King, under whom she was an assistant coach) but has failed to take the United States squad past the semifinals. Their last title came in 2000.

Shahar Peer
IN: Conchita Martinez and Gabriel Urpi
OUT: Oded Yaakov

Despite ups and downs in her coaching circle, the Israeli managed to have one of her most successful seasons yet, reaching the quarters of both the Australian and US Opens, but neither Peer nor her family are not satisfied with the commitment level of her previous coaches, causing her to switch the key member of her entourage once again.

She has had five coaches in the past 18 months, going through Oded Yaakov, Adam Peterson, Oded Tayeg, and Dan Hanegbi. That does not include seasoned coach Jose Higueras, who still acts as an advisor, but does not travel extensively with Peer. Her newest recruits are 1994 Wimbledon Champion, Conchita Martinez, and former ATP pro Gabriel Urpi. Guys, don’t get too comfortable.

Tamira Paszek
IN: Unknown
OUT: Larri Passos

After nearly two years, the Austrian, who turns 17 on Thursday, is parting ways with Brazilian Passos, known mostly for coaching Gustavo Kuerten to three Roland Garros crowns. The partnership was a success for Paszek, who rose from a rank in the mid-300s to a career high of No. 35 following her breakthrough 2007 season, which saw her reach the last 16 of Wimbledon and the US Open.

Shuai Peng
IN: Unknown
OUT: Michael Chang

Former ATP iron man Michael Chang returned to his roots when he began working with one of China’s premier female players, but they clashed on her work ethic and the time she was willing to spend training, and pulled the plug on the partnership.

Sania Mirza
IN (MAYBE): Gabriel Urpi
OUT: Nasima Mirza (mother)

Another repeat offender on the coaching carousel list, Mirza's up-and-down tendencies continued in 2007 despite some noteworthy results. At Roland Garros, she took on Gabriel Urpi as a part-time coach. The hardcourt summer began with her mother and Patty Schnyder's husband, Rainer Hoffman, acting as her coaches while she reached the semifinals in Cincinnati and the final of Stanford. Urpi, who has coached a number of players including Flavia Pennetta, returned to her side in San Diego and LA.

At the US Open with Urpi back again, she was flummoxed by Chakvetadze for the third time in a row. Even though she reached her career high ranking of No. 27 during the summer, Mirza's season ended poorly and she's not sure whether she'll appoint a permanent coach in 2008. Her inconsistency and impatience have overshadowed her potential, but here's hoping that 2008 will see her keep her head in the game and her balls pounding between the lines.

Marat Safin
STILL IN: Hernan Gumy

Given the Russian's track record – isn't that the surprise?