TENNIS / JULIE CART : The Doctor Is In to Help Players Deal With Tragedy

MELBOURNE — This week’s events at the Australian Open--the devastating earthquake in Japan and its effect on Japanese players here and the serious illness of Pete Sampras’ coach--underscore the need for having counseling available for tour players.

Tennis is an insular and protective sport, one that often fails to recognize its own problems until they become debilitating. Players with problems have been left to their own devices or the advice of parents or agents whose primary interests may have been to keep the money engine working.

There are some signs of change. The women’s tour, mindful of the presence of teen-aged players, has a mandatory educational program for new players that requires a meeting with a counselor for evaluation.

In addition, at most events an additional tour trainer will be on site. Trainers are the first line of defense against emotional stress, and players often will disclose personal information to a trainer before they will to another tour official.

Jean Nachand, the WTA Tour’s director of player relations, said trainers will receive additional training to help them identify players who may need to be referred to specialists.

“Trainers will be responsible for recognizing signs--eating problems, emotional problems, everything,” Nachand said. “They will be available for counseling. If the trainers find something out of their depth, there will be a referral.”

On the men’s side, the ATP Tour refers players who seek help to a sports psychologist and has counseling at the tour’s player school.

It’s a good sign when the mental health of a player is looked after with the same attention as the physical.

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The early exit of seventh-seeded Michael Stich fails to surprise. The German has been complaining of burnout for months, but appears to have done little to back off his schedule.

As his streak reached 55 consecutive tournaments in 1994, he won more than $2 million for the second year in a row. Like many top players, Stich can’t resist lucrative exhibitions.

Burnout is a very real, but often ignored, problem in tennis. Most top players dedicate themselves to performing well in the Grand Slam events, but their hectic schedules don’t appear to back that up. Boris Becker’s first-round loss may have been hastened by playing in a meaningless--but profitable--exhibition the week before the start of the Australian Open.

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Andre Agassi is accustomed to the attention focused on his hair. One would think that his recent shearing would change that. Nope.

His close-shorn hairstyle and goatee have been fully examined here. But even Agassi, who is so often on the cutting edge of fashion, acknowledges he’s behind the times.

He equates his new look with a new attitude.

“The haircut is about a year late,” Agassi said. “I started my journey a year ago, and I really felt like it took a lot of perseverance. (I) made it through some rough months for the first five or six, and then things started happening for me.”

Agassi said the change was not calculated for shock but simply a matter of taste.

“Believe it or not, that was all that was behind it,” he said. “It feels much better. I can get ready now in about 6 1/2 minutes.”

Agassi said his previous primp time depended on whether or not he was going to wear a cap: “Without the hat, I would say it took about 27 minutes.”

Agassi’s new tennis togs are also drawing attention, which is what Nike wants. His new, baggier attire is part of a new line.

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Agassi, playing in his first Australian Open, has yet to lose a set. He’s also having fun, reveling in the tournament’s relaxed atmosphere and a warm response from the crowd.

In the past, Agassi said the timing of the Australian Open interfered with his vacation. Should he have come here sooner? “In certain ways, yes,” he said. “Professionally, this is where I need to be. I need to be down here to start the year. In the past, I don’t think the priorities really were such that I felt it was more important to come here than it was to have a little time off to enjoy my holidays.

“The bottom line is when you play down here, not only do you not have an off-season, but you spend your holidays worrying about eating too much turkey. There were times in the past where I just chose to enjoy myself and get refreshed and revived and then attack the year.

“But now tennis isn’t such an effort, the traveling isn’t such an effort. So when I come to these events I’m not feeling like I need as much recovery time. When I have a few days off, it really makes a difference, and I’m excited to be here, so now it takes on a whole new meaning. In a sense, I kick myself because I wish I’d felt this way earlier, but I didn’t.”