World No. 42 Marie Bouzkova has made a strong addition to her team for the 2026 season after hiring Rafael Nadal's former coach Marc Lopez.
Lopez, who won the 2016 Rio de Janeiro gold medal with Nadal in men's doubles, joined the Spanish tennis icon's team in 2021 after retiring from pro tennis. The former doubles world No. 3 worked with Nadal until the former 22-time Grand Slam champion's retirement in 2024.
After Nadal retired, Lopez had a short stint with Jasmine Paolini. They worked between April and July.
Now, ahead of the new season, Lopez has a new job and will work with Bouzkova, who posted a 31-21 record this year and won the Prague title. Overall, Bouzkova has won two titles on the main level so far in her career, and her career-high ranking saw her sit at No. 24 in the world.
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On the Grand Slam stage, the 27-year-old Czech has had only one strong run - she made the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Can Lopez have more success with Bouzkova?
When Paolini hired Lopez, she was ecstatic about working with one of Nadal's former coaches. But after picking up early Grand Slam exits at the French Open and Wimbledon, the world No. 8 decided to split with the Spanish coach.
"We had some great results together. Especially in Rome and Paris. I appreciate all the hard work and energy Marc gave every day. Now that this part of the season is over, I've decided to make a change. I've learned a lot and made good progress. And now I'm taking the time to reflect on what the next step will be. Thank you again, Marc, for everything," Paolini wrote on Instagram when announcing Lopez's departure.
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It remains to be seen if Lopez can help Bouzkova elevate her game to a new level and possibly break into the top-20 - or even further - in 2025.
