Challenger

From doctor to tennis assistant: How Kotov's mother became his go-to racquet regripper

Pavel Kotov fondly remembers one of the best moments of his professional tennis career. Competing at Roland Garros last year, he secured a second-round victory over 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka on Court Suzanne Lenglen, setting up a showdown against Jannik Sinner.

In his players' box was his mother, Liliya. Not only was she supporting her son, but when the cameras panned to Liliya at one point, she was also regripping Pavel’s racquets — a moment that made its rounds on tennis social media. Even the 26-year-old Kotov cracked a laugh when recalling the moment and the attention it received.

For Liliya, however, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Before a four-year-old Pavel picked up a racquet, she had no background in tennis. But now a retired ear, nose and throat doctor, Liliya travels some weeks with the No. 102 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and is committed to supporting him in any way she can.

“I think she knows almost everything about tennis because as I’ve played tennis for 20 years, she’s spent the same period of time in tennis,” Kotov told ATPTour.com at the Arizona Tennis Classic, an ATP Challenger Tour 175 event.

“To be honest, she’s not a tennis coach. She’s more about recovery stuff and stuff off the court. I can say she’s involved in my team. She helps me a lot.”

Although Liliya rarely offers tactical input, her impact on Kotov’s career goes beyond the match court. From providing recovery advice to taking his racquets to the stringer and regripping them, she handles countless details behind the scenes. But as Kotov put it, "First of all, she is my mother.

“And secondly, she’s part of my team. She’s one of the most important persons in my life. She always gives me advice and her thoughts about different things.”

Kotov, who reached a career-high No. 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings last June, is among a stacked draw at the Phoenix Challenger. Kotov opens against Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian star who won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December.

“For the last three, four months, I’ve seen a lot of matches of him,” Kotov said. “He’s very young and a very good player. I hope that it will be a really nice match for us.”

Facing Fonseca is undoubtedly a tough test, but thankfully for Kotov, his biggest supporter will be by his side, ready to assist in any way possible.

^{Pavel Kotov during practice Tuesday at the Arizona Tennis Classic. Credit: ImagenShop Agencia Fotográfica/ATC}