Sebastian Cozzarin, the rugby-loving physio powering Paul and Pegula’s US Open bids

Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula are not only united by the fact that they are both members of the tennis elite — Paul is the No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings and Pegula is the WTA’s World No. 6.

The two Americans also have similar visions about how to prepare their bodies for competition. That is one reason they share the same physio, the Argentinian Sebastian Cozzarin.

Cozzarin, born in Buenos Aires in 1984, has had a significant role to play in the current rich vein of form being enjoyed by the two players. “They are still human. Because they are tennis players, it’s very likely they’ll have injuries because they push their bodies to the limit and generate over 100% stress, but our job is to prevent and to try and ensure the injury happens as late and is as mild as possible,” Cozzarin told ATPTour.com at the US Open.

Before warming up for a match or a practice session, Paul and Pegula religiously undergo a session with Cozzarin, who gives them preventative exercises aimed at areas such as the ankles, the spine, the shoulders, wrists and neck. In both cases, they pay more attention to areas with a history of injury, such as both players’ hips. Once off the bed, they continue to exercise the same parts, but on the floor, before finally stretching.

The routine lasts almost an hour. Cozzarin also springs into action at the end of each player’s day with another treatment session on the bed, and the odd extra treatment in a particular area that may have been overloaded. But the Argentine’s work does not stop there.

As well as his company, his advice is key. He is constantly reminding them to take care of their bodies with rest, a gluten-free diet, long fasts, cold and hot water baths, and less use of their smartphones to avoid the blue light of the screen. “They are both open to adding new things that might help, and that satisfies me,” explained Cozzarin.

All of his knowledge comes from worlds that are very different to tennis. He fine-tuned his methodology helping many athletes in other disciplines such as rugby, a sport that he participated in up until the COVID-19 pandemic in Buenos Aires, where he played for Los Matreros. He has also helped boxers Errol Spence Jr and Alberto Palmetta, and squash player Diego Elias.

His introduction to tennis came through football. “I was caring for a kid footballer with a pathology. The kid was the son of Kevin Anderson’s coach. The way I worked caught his eye and he suggested I join Kevin’s team, who had just had a lot of injuries, so we started in Australia in 2022,” remembers Cozzarin, who graduated from the University of Morón and has a specialist qualification from the University of Buenos Aires.

By then used to being on the Tour and with Anderson about to retire, Cozzarin accepted an offer to join Paul’s team at Wimbledon in the same year. The honour of working with the American brought with it a mission that seemed practically impossible.

“Tommy had a severe elbow injury for at least five years. Sometimes he didn’t practise his serve because he felt it was killing his arm and he couldn’t hold a racquet,” said Cozzarin. “They wanted to operate on it, but my vision as a specialist in manual therapy was different. Working together, the improvement was notable. In the preseason for 2023, 99% of his pain disappeared.”

He found the solution to his player’s elbow problem elsewhere in the body, working on his neck, his shoulder and his thorax. What followed was Paul’s best tennis on the ATP Tour. Since reaching the semi-finals at the 2023 Australian Open, the American has gained a status that he has so far been able to maintain.

Pegula has also reaped the benefits of her new physio. She joined forces with Cozzarin in Madrid in 2023, and they have since coincided at mixed tournaments such as the current US Open, or in weeks when Paul isn’t competing. Although the American suffered a rib injury that meant she missed the clay swing, she was back in force with a title in Canada and a final in Cincinnati.

Working with Cozzarin has also borne some unexpected fruit for both players, who have adopted some of the Argentine culture. While Paul is gradually becoming a super-fan of mate, Argentine barbecues and Diego Maradona, Pegula cannot get enough of empanadas and is learning Spanish. “When we’re doing a treatment, it’s also a class for her. I speak to her in Spanish, and she knows more words every time,” he explained.

This week he has had even more time to spend with the two stars. Both players are now in the second round of the US Open and will hope to keep progressing, making it likely that Cozzarin will continue to be one of the busiest people at Flushing Meadows.

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

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