"Now players are like brands" - Stefanos Tsitsipas' coach Mark Philippoussis on how advent of social media and higher demand from players has changed tennis

Mark Philippoussis, the former Wimbledon finalist who now coaches Stefanos Tsitsipas, has highlighted the key differences between the current and past eras of tennis. Players these days have become "brands" who have to deal with a lot more than just playing, according to the Australian tennis veteran.

Philippoussis reminisced about his playing days and said that players' teams were much smaller back then, as compared to an "entourage" these days. The former World No. 8 also spoke about how the advent of social media has changed the sport.

He believes that while he and his colleagues could easily "switch off" after their matches, the current generation is unable to do so even if they want to.

"The lounge is one packed. (Back then) You pretty much just had a coach, that's it, maybe a trainer, towards the end of the 90s," Philippoussis said in an interview with Prakash Amritraj for Tennis Channel.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist admitted that players had to maintain fanbases back in the day as well, but the demands from the current generation are very high.

"Now, players are like brands. It's like an entourage, so it's a completely different thing. You didn't have the social media and the forums. You could play and of course, you dealt with the crowd and appreciated signing autographs and all that, but then we switched off. You could switch off when you wanted to get away," Philippoussis added.

Philippoussis is not Stefanos Tsitsipas' only coach as the Greek star's father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, continues to be his head coach.

"Someone that's an all-rounder" - Mark Philippoussis on Stefanos Tsitsipas

Mark Philippoussis (R) and Stefanos Tsitsipas' father/coach Apostolos (L) during Day Two: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022.

Mark Philippoussis has opened up about his time with Stefanos Tsistsipas so far, calling the 24-year-old "an all-rounder" and someone who excites him as a player.

"If I commit myself, it needs to be to the right person and needs to make sense to me. And Stef was someone who made sense to me and would excite me of the thought. He is someone that's an all-rounder," Philippoussis said on Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He further analyzed Tsitsipas' game, suggesting that the Greek player is not just a baseliner but also likes approaching the net and finishing off points quickly. Philippoussis believes court conditions have changed a lot over the years and the baseline game has evolved a lot more in the present era, but it is still important for players to approach the net and produce good volleys. He has made working on that aspect of Tsitsipas' game his focus.

"Of course, he stays at the back, but he likes to come forward. I believe that's something that can be worked on. No one was working on those volleys. I understand times have changed, I understand that conditions are slower, courts are heavier, balls are heavier. But it's still an important part of the game, coming in and finishing balls off at the net," the 45-year-old explained.

After reaching last week's Stockholm Open final, World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete in this week's Vienna Open, where he begins his campaign against Dennis Novak.

Tsitsipas has already qualified for the ATP Finals.