Wayne Ferreira joins forces with Yibing Wu after Frances Tiafoe relationship ends, latest double coaching team on tour

Former world No. 6 Wayne Ferreira has teamed up with world No. 121 Wu Yibing, parting ways with Frances Tiafoe. Ferreira will collaborate with Cypriot coach Marcos Baghdatis as they aim to elevate the 24-year-old Chinese player's performance in 2023 after a challenging year marked by injuries and a 13-15 win-loss record.

The coaching duo of Ferreira and Baghdatis reflects a growing trend in tennis, where players opt to work with two coaches. This year, coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi received the ATP Award Coach of the Year. Similarly, Holger Rune will work with the pair of Sveren Luthi and Boris Becker.

Now, Ferreira aims to assist Wu Yibing in reclaiming a spot in the top-100 and reaching his peak performance. The 25-year-old Chinese player had a challenging year, failing to progress beyond the second round in any Grand Slam or the four Masters 1000 events he participated in. Hindered by injuries, Wu struggled to maintain consistency since securing his first ATP title at the Dallas Open, where he defeated John Isner in a thrilling match with a 6–7 (4–7), 7–6 (7–3), 7–6 (14–12) scoreline.

Yibing Wu played his last tournament at the US Open, facing a challenging defeat against the 13th seed, Alex De Minaur, with a score of 1-6, 2-6, 1-6. As the new season begins, Wu won't be available for the Australian tournaments, including the Aussie Open. Although he had the option to participate in the qualifying rounds, he has ultimately decided not to be present.

Ferreira, who previously achieved notable success with Tiafoe, guiding him to his first top-10 ranking and the semifinals of the 2022 US Open, expressed gratitude to the South African coach for their time together. “I just wanted to say thanks to this guy. For three years, we shared. SHEESH, we had a ton of success. But sadly, we’ve decided to part ways. Thanks for getting me to be the player I am today. I have nothing but love and respect for you. My guy, Wayne Ferriera,” Frances Tiafoe wrote.