“Tom came in and kind of took my life and flipped it real quick and in a good way. The results so far speak for themselves, but it’s not just the title, it’s everything,” Peyton Stearns said about her coach Tom Hill in June last year, before facing Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the French Open. Under Tom, Stearns won the Moroccan Open and reached two consecutive quarterfinals last season at WTA 125 Saint-Malo, FR, and WTA 250K Parma, IT. But now, after a year together, the rising American star has announced their split. Taking to social media, Stearns shared a post as she began her search for a new coach, leaving fans wondering.
When Stearns brought Tom Hill on board in April last year, success followed swiftly. Just weeks into their partnership, the Cincinnati native clinched her maiden WTA title in Rabat. Back then, Stearns was ranked outside the Top 80, but under Hill’s guidance, the 23-year-old climbed the ladder, peaking near her career-best at 44th in April 2025.
Fast forward to today, after a rocky start to the season and falling short of expectations, the duo has officially gone their separate ways. Wasting no time, Stearns took to social media just yesterday to announce her hunt for a new coach.
Moments ago, Peyton Stearns took to her X account with a light-hearted yet telling update. Embracing the situation with a dash of humor, she announced: “Looking for a new coach… DMs are open,” as she added a cowboy hat emoji and a playful side-eye GIF as well. And, the American star didn’t stop there; she even updated her bio to read, “I play tennis and need a coach.” It’s a move that has both fans and insiders buzzing about who might join Team Stearns next.
Looking for a new coach… DMs are open pic.twitter.com/Py7TIBf44i
— Peyton Stearns (@peyton_stearns) April 8, 2025
Before teaming up with Peyton Stearns, Tom Hill had already carved out an impressive résumé as a coach on the WTA Tour. He began working with American Danielle Collins way back in 2017, and in just eight months, Danimal surged from 164th to a career-best ranking of 39, making an immediate impact under his guidance. Although their partnership was short-lived, it set the tone for Hill’s coaching prowess. In 2018, he took over the reins with the Greek Maria Sakkari, and their collaboration blossomed into one of the most successful chapters in both of their careers.
Under Hill’s leadership, Sakkari reached the SF of both the French Open and the US Open in 2021, and climbed to a career-high ranking of World No. 3. Their professional relationship spanned 5 years before coming to an end in 2023. Now, after a year-long stint with Stearns that saw flashes of promise, Hill has parted ways, graciously thanking his former protégé for their time together and wishing her the very best for the road ahead.
“Proud of everything we achieved—” Tom Hill shared his thoughts on working with Peyton Stearns
Peyton Stearns’ new season has been anything but smooth. The 23-year-old showed glimpses of brilliance earlier in the year, notching the biggest win of her career by defeating 8th seed Zheng Qinwen in Dubai, her first-ever victory over a Top 10 opponent after ten previous attempts. However, the momentum didn’t quite stick! A bout of ‘gastrointestinal’ illness interrupted her rhythm, and a lackluster North American hard court swing followed, with just one singles win combined across Austin, Indian Wells, and Miami.
Seeded 16th in Charleston, Stearns suffered an early exit again at the hands of Ajla Tomljanovic in straight sets, though she found some form in doubles by reaching the SF alongside Diana Shnaider.
Following the Charleston matches, Hill formally announced the dissolution of their coaching partnership, a decision precipitated by an inconsistent season. And despite their encouraging highs, including the Moroccan Open title in Rabat last year and a steady climb in the rankings, Hill acknowledged that the time had come to part ways.
In an IG post, the coach wrote, “After a great 12 months together, I’ve made the decision to end my coaching partnership with Peyton. I’m incredibly proud of everything we achieved together: her first WTA title, career-high rankings in both singles and doubles, and her first top 10 win.”
Continuing further, he added, “I’m very grateful to have been a part of her journey and to have seen her grow both on and off the court. Thank you, Peyton, for the hard work, trust, and all the memories. You’re not just an amazing player, but a truly wonderful person whom I’m lucky to call a friend. Wishing you nothing but the best moving forward. A great future awaits you!”
Stearns is likely to feature at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix next, which kicks off on April 14. But the big question remains: who will the American choose as her next coach?
The post “DMs Are Open“- Coaching Crossroads Force WTA Star Peyton Stearns Into an Unexpected Public Plea appeared first on EssentiallySports.