ALBURY’S Mark Shanahan’s is about to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to tennis.
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He’s not about to live on the glory of a pedigree that has the world’s greatest woman tennis player, Margaret Court — winner of 24 grand slam events — as his great aunt.
He has heeded the advice he instills in the young players he mentors — “you have to live and breathe tennis every day”.
“You have to be prepared to make sacrifices,” he says.
To that end, he is about to embark on the biggest year of his playing-coaching career as the mentor of Matt Ebden who at 26, is a player some good judges, including former coach Peter McNamara, believe is on the verge of a career surge that will make him Australia’s No. 1-ranked player and ranked in the world’s top 50 within a few months.
Shanahan and Ebden have been firm friends and rivals for more than a decade when they played on the junior domestic circuit.
He took up coaching Ebden last year before McNamara took on the role for a few months.
“He took over from me in December but then left after Matt was put out of the doubles at January’s Australian Open,” Shanahan said.
“Matt asked me to stay on for the mixed doubles and he won the tournament with Jarmila Gajdošová.”
“When I took over he was ranked about No. 139 in the world and now he’s No. 68.
“He’s a tremendous athlete and one of the quickest on tour.”
“He’s just shown how dangerous he can be, playing really well and with a lot of confidence.”
McNamara agrees Ebden is poised to storm up the rankings.
“Mr Ebden, after the Australian summer, will be No. 1 in Australia,” McNamara said this week.
“He’s got the fitness, he’s got the speed — he’s world top 50, there’s no question.
And with such bright prospects, the world appears to be Ebden’s — and Shanahan’s — oyster next year.
After several Australian tournament successes, Ebden will next year chase title wins around the world with Shanahan his muse.
That will involve some serious juggling.
“Matt will be based in the States so I’ll go over as well,” he said.
“I have to work out whether I can commit to the whole year or just do bits and pieces because I’m getting married as well.”
Shanahan’s rise to coaching on the world circuit is no surprise.
His whole life has been defined by the tennis court, either as a player or a coach.
“I love it. It’s my passion,” Shanahan said.
“From about five years old, I dreamt of being a tennis champion and, for a few years, I gave it a real go on the professional circuit.”
“I stopped fairly early, mainly due to lack of money and I found it tough with a couple of injuries.
“Happily since then, I’m fortunate enough to have coaching.”
Shanahan, who is now 28, gave his first tennis lessons when he was at high school then, after he stopped playing at the top level, he helped form the Margaret Court Tennis Academy with his father, Phil, one of Australia’s leading coaches of juniors, and a group of local coaches in 2007.
“Coaching in Albury is great,” he said.
“I like working with the kids and helping them develop their game.
“That’s one of my passions, coaching here at our academy.”
He first met Ebden soon after the South African moved to Perth with his family when he was 12 and Shanahan’s great aunt, Margaret (Court) became his coach.
“I spent a couple of months with her and became good friends with both Matt and Casey Dellacqua,” Shanahan said.
“I’d always see him at junior tournaments and we played doubles in a fair few tournaments after we finished school.
“We’ve been mates for all that time and we talk every day. I support him, even when we’re not training together.”
Ebden’s rapid rise through the rankings comes after three recent ATP Challenger tournament wins.
“He’s in good form,” Shanahan said. “He won a Melbourne ATP Challenger and two in Japan — at Yokohama and the Toyota Challenger, and made two finals in the States.”
As reward for ending his year on a high, Ebden has been granted entry to some of the biggest tournaments on next year’s ATP Masters tour, after competing in the Brisbane an, Sydney internationals and the Australian Open.
So many tournaments on Ebden’s plate means a lot more work for Shanahan.
“It’s hard to describe everything a coach does,” he said.
“I’m a manager in a lot of ways, talking to officials and doing PR stuff, but it’s the on-court training that’s most important.”
“I also identify where he needs to do better and what he’s doing well, work on things between tournaments where there may not be much time. We really play it by ear sometimes.”
With the Victorian Grasscourt Championships and the Margaret Court Cup just around the corner, Shanahan had some advice for all the young players.
“Outside of all the passion and hard work, the main thing is to love tennis and enjoy playing it every day,” he says.
