Women tour coaches rare, but special

Galina Voskoboeva, who is coached by another woman, former WTA player Alina Jidkova, says that not having a male coach who can hit with her has no adverse effect on her game.

"All my women coaches actually hit the ball not harder than men, but they don’t do any mistakes," she told the Montreal Gazette. "The men, they hit, and every third ball is a mistake while the women, they’re like a wall. I think it’s not very important that your coach should play to a good level. The main thing is that she should coach on a good level."

Former Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat, who coaches Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard, says that a female-female coaching arrangement has its benefits.

"I think there are things you can say to a woman you can’t say to a man," Tauziat said.  "(Bouchard) and I don’t share everything, but I’m sure there are things she wouldn’t say to a male coach."