Tennis is shifting to a new era, and few have observed this transition as closely as American coach Brad Stine. It was 1991 when Stine first arrived at Wimbledon with former American star Jim Courier, who was fresh off his first win at the French Open. Fast forward to 2024, and Stine is back on the iconic green courts, this time with his new mentee, Tommy Paul. While the entire world is showering praise on Paul’s latest achievements on grass, Stine is fond of his other often overlooked traits.

Tommy Paul has been on a remarkable run on grass this season so far. Lifting his first title on grass at the Queen’s Club Championship, Paul is on a 9-match winning streak as he advanced to the quarterfinals of the prestigious Wimbledon. While his exceptional gameplay has been the talk of the tennis town lately, his coach Brad Stine’s latest revelation about the American player’s working age has left many surprised.

Brad Stine engaged in a discussion with Tennis & Beyond and deliberated on a wide spectrum of topics including coaching Tommy Paul. Speaking in the interview, he shared connecting to his mentee on many levels. “I feel like Tommy and I connect on so many different levels even though I’m way, way older than he is.”

Continuing further, he claimed that both Paul and Stine have had a similar upbringing. “I would define that as spare the rod and spoil the child. Not in a bad way, never abusive, but a little bit of a distance there between your parents and you.” He further emphasized the 27-year-old’s childhood and revealed that he started to work when he was as young as 13.

Tommy Paul picked up racquets when he was just seven. But his association with tennis courts is not just through playing on them. “Tommy when he was 13, 14 in North Carolina. His parents were running a little tennis facility with green clay. Tommy was in charge of the maintenance on the courts. That was his job, and if he didn’t do his job, he was in trouble.”  He continued to express that the early responsibilities made Paul a player of ethics. “So there’s a work ethic there from Tommy that I think you don’t see from a lot of the other guys.”

Paul is considered one of the most mature players on the tennis courts. He has improved his game over the years and the relentless practice that he engages in has made him a player of high stature. Once speaking about the same, the American had said, “I feel like I have a pretty good presence in the locker room. I think I’m liked by most of the guys, and I think I’m respected by almost all of the guys.” But for the World No. 13, there seems to be no ‘perfect day’ as far as tennis is concerned.

‘Tennis is a weird sport...’ When Tommy Paul opened up about improving his game more

Despite achieving big lately, Tommy Paul does not seem to be too happy. He has played some sensational matches, but for him, the task is to improve his game more until he can go home and call his day a perfect one. 

Speaking ahead of his third-round clash at Wimbledon, Paul opened up about the complexities of the sport. “Tennis is a weird sport. I’m on a winning streak right now, but I meet with my coach after the match, and we’re going to talk about the things I did wrong,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “You always look back at matches and think of what you could have done better. So it’s not like I’m going home every day and being like, ‘I had a perfect day’.”

As the American gears up to face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, it will be fascinating to see if he can continue his winning streak and pull out his best once again.