ATP Tour
‘Wally’ Grinovero: The driving force behind Team Etcheverry
The Argentine coach is in his 26th year of coaching on Tour
April 21, 2026
Omar Rasjido
Walter Grinovero has coached Tomas Martin Etcheverry to his first ATP Tour title in Rio de Janeiro in February.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff
From his roots in Argentina and Parana, Walter “Wally” Grinovero has proven he is a coach who prioritises the team over individuals. He has long been a prominent figure on the ATP Tour.
The Argentine’s ability to channel Tomas Martin Etcheverry’s potential recently brought them to the pinnacle of their time together: a first ATP Tour title at the Rio de Janeiro ATP 500 event in February. But their journey and Grinovero’s teachings began long before this promising present.
“Being a coach is something I always had in mind. Tennis is my great passion and I’ve been lucky enough to have great players to learn from along the way,” Grinovero told ATPTour.com. “But this is a team effort, the coach convinces the player and that’s where it begins.”
After a spell in Buenos Aires and France pursuing his playing career, Grinovero decided to hang up his racquet at the age of 27 and devote himself fully to coaching. With a solid second career that began with training Jose Acasuso in 2000, Grinovero forged a reputation as a conductor who seeks not applause, but harmony among his orchestra.
In a sport that is normally notable for the solitude of its protagonists, Grinovero established a philosophy that breaks the mould: success is a collective process. His role is to accompany and guide, practically shunning any glimpse of the limelight along the way.
“My dream has always been to fulfil the dreams of the player I’m working with at any given time… I’ve always supported what the player wants and pushed him to believe more in himself and not set a limit,” Grinovero said.
“This is my 26th year on Tour. When I started there were no videos or analysis, it was about watching matches, sitting down and taking note of shots and systems. That has changed. Today tactics are still there, but they’re less important.”
What changes have occurred on the court in his quarter-century of work?
“Previously, matches were won because players cramped up. In fact, I was one of the first to travel with a physical trainer, with Chucho (Acasuso),” Grinovero said. “Today the physical and tactical side is there, yes, but the mental and emotional part is the difference: the player has to be very intelligent and that’s where the difference lies.”
This environment of deep trust was decisive in the second phase of his partnership with Etcheverry. After three finals on Tour and a quarter-final at Roland Garros, the coach took on the challenge in December of shaping the maturity of the player from La Plata, not only adjusting his aggression on court, but also strengthening his mentality.
The team’s mentality is clear: always speak the truth, accept past “mistakes” in order to correct the present, and understand that each victory is the result of the joint effort of a technical team that travels, analyses and even suffers alongside the tennis player.
“It’s not easy to get a player to perform and there isn’t just one rulebook for everyone. I’m a different coach than I was with Fran Cerundolo,” Grinovero said. “Etcheverry had lost a bit of belief and was sad on court. It was about making him befriend himself, forgive himself, and believe that the potential was there, so we had to go back to basics.”
After losing in the first three ATP Tour finals of his career, Etcheverry broke his drought under extreme and high-pressure conditions. The tournament in Rio became a true physical and emotional marathon.
The La Plata native came through the longest match in the tournament’s history — almost four hours — and had to withstand the extreme fatigue caused by high temperatures and torrential rain, which forced matches to be rescheduled. In the title match against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, Etcheverry overturned an initial deficit to claim a dramatic 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory.
“Tomas managed to fulfil his dream of winning a tournament. It was an ATP 500, and in six months we were back up there,” Grinovero said. “He thought he’d never win a tournament, he told us so. But he broke that barrier and now he’s a kid with no limits, he’s evolving as a tennis player and as a person.”
Now, the Grinovero-Etcheverry duo is synonymous with resilience and commitment on Tour. With the bar set ever higher and the ambition to keep rising through the PIF ATP Rankings, the Argentine coach has shown that, at the very top of sport, a true leader’s talent isn’t about their own brilliance, but about giving the player the tools to light up the court. The good news for their partnership is that there is still a long road ahead of them, and plenty of new and bigger chapters to be written.
