Fury is building at the All England Club over the growing threat to one of tennis’s oldest and most fundamental principles: the need for players to make their own decisions on court.

Last month, the US Open put forward plans to experiment with coaching from the stands – in which players can ask for advice between points as many times as they want – in main-draw matches at Flushing Meadows in August.

Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation has quietly introduced a trial of on-court coaching at under-18 and under-16 junior events this season. This move was criticised yesterday by Dave Miley, the Irishman who will be challenging the ITF’s president, David Haggerty, at the elections in September.

“I totally disagree with on-court coaching at junior level,” Miley told The Sunday Telegraph. “You are building life skills when you teach young players to be independent and resilient and resourceful. Plus, there are all sorts of inequalities that come into play when some people can afford coaches and others can’t. You’ll have parents getting involved and the whole thing will have significant downsides.”

Different forms of mid-match coaching have been used in professional tennis since 2008, but the rejection of traditional values is gathering pace. In the view of Tim Henman – the former British No 1 who is now an All England Lawn Tennis Club committee member – the sport is experiencing a “slow creep” of a regrettable idea.