Jimmy Connors sees benefits from former greats taking up coaching, saying it is producing a higher level of tennis.
The Wimbledon final between Andy Murray and Milos Raonic also featured Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe as their respective coaches.
Connors, who was a presenter at this week's International Tennis Hall of Fame ceremonies, said his former colleagues brought some old-school flair to the hard hitting and big spin of current players.
"First of all, to see Ivan and Mac in the coaching box, that just goes to show how generations are joining," he said. "The way the game has changed, with the equipment, the strings, the power that the players play with—mixing with the old-school attitude of imagination and touch and feel, to combine a hybrid player who really will be able to produce the best tennis that we've seen in the way they're playing today."
Connors was a frontrunner among the legends who have begun coaching. He worked with Andy Roddick, beginning in 2006, and then with Maria Sharapova for a few weeks in 2013. He also spent a few sessions on court with Eugenie Bouchard before the 2015 U.S. Open.
Former champions bring valuable experience, Connors noted.
"Sometimes a different thought, and different ways to approach different situations in the course of a match, is something that's important," he said. "The younger players today can pick the brains of the guys from the past, [and] what they have to offer—try to incorporate it into the games of today, which only makes for better tennis for the fans and television viewing."