Rob Steckley on coaching trial with Shapovalov

A new face has become part of Denis Shapovalov’s team during this final swing of the season.

It is fellow Canadian Rob Steckley, a former player who carved out a significant niche on the WTA Tour through his work with Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.

Definitely an out-of-the-box choice.

We’re told that it’s a trial coaching run until the end of the season, not a hitting partner position.

No word on whether Shapovalov’s current coach, former Davis Cup captain Martin Laurendeau, remains in the picture.

Laurendeau has been out of commission and off the tour since returning home from Wimbledon, with some serious back issues.

Steckley was very much in the picture with Team Shapovalov during Canada’s Davis Cup win over the Netherlands two weeks ago (and he even had T-shirts made, above left). And he also was in Moscow for the tournament there last week, and is in Shenzhen this week.

Concurrently, Safarova ended her season early. And as tough as 2018 was, and with her reportedly already wavering on continuing her career through all the virus issues she has suffered, we’ll have to wait to see what happens on that front.

It may be that the relationship between the Czech and Steckley, which took a 14-month break and resumed this season, may have run its course.