Japan's Date has no immediate plans to coach
Reuters
Published Sep 20, 2017 12:17
Japan's Date has no immediate plans to coach
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Kimiko Date has no immediate plans to turn to tennis coaching but is keen to contribute in some other way to the sport she quit last month, the 46-year-old said.
The former world number four retired for good after her first round loss in the Japan Women's Open two weeks before her 47th birthday, ending a career that began in 1988, included eight WTA title wins and a comeback after a 12-year hiatus.
"Am I going to be coaching? This topic has come up numerous times, even before I decided to retire. Being an athlete, I've experienced firsthand and know what a tough job being a coach is," Date was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.
"If I were to coach, I would have to learn a lot because playing is different from describing how to play to other people. At this point, coaching is not part of my future plans," added the player who has mentored the likes of Kurumi Nara, Risa Ozaki and Nao Hibino.
"So if not coaching, what do I want to do? When I look at Japan, the environment for the sport of tennis is not perfect," she added.
"The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are coming up (in 2020) so I believe the world of sports will change going forward, but it's not just about the Olympics.
"We have Kei Nishikori, who is one of the iconic men's players and one pillar in tennis right now, but I want tennis to be much more deeply rooted in Japan, so that it isn't just a tentative thing but a long-term established sport."
Get The App
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.