In Search of a Slam

Why an athlete who's top of the pile would need a coach is a question that puzzles a lot of people. What's often overlooked is that coaches can be handy for stuff outside their field of expertise. In the 1980s, when the austere Ivan Lendl ruled tennis, he discovered a most satisfying use for his Australian mentor, Tony Roche. Relaxing in his hotel room before a match, Lendl hated the way his parents would call from Czechoslovakia to bombard him with tactical advice. Loath to be rude, he came upon the idea of excusing himself, then passing the phone to Roche,...