From Team Stephens and now Team Puig, Othmane “Coach OG” Garma

"You’ve got their back, that goes both ways for a male or female tennis player. You have to earn their trust in the beginning."

 This week, the TENNIS.com Podcast’s Nina Pantic and Irina Falconi chat with Othmane Garma, better known on tour as “Coach OG.” With Kamau Murray, Garma was a part of Sloane Stephen’s team for 16 months as an assistant coach and hitting partner. After a stint coaching juniors in the D.C. area, Garma joined Monica Puig’s team two weeks ago, again alongside Murray.

 The former No. 1 at Howard University has worked with the likes of Dominic Inglot, Somdev Devvarman, Treat Huey and Max Myrni before moving over to the WTA.

 Garma talks about his time on Team Stephens, in which he saw her win the US Open and Miami Open, and reach the French Open final (03:04). Part of the reason the Moroccan native took a break from traveling on tour was because he had a daughter, which changed his life completely. (04:55)

 He lays down the key difference between working with men and women (08:36), and the transition from working with doubles to singles players (12:34).

 And like most people, Garma's career path wasn't a straight line—he worked as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley before reconnecting with his true passion, tennis (16:04). 

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