Stephane Bohli emerged through the ranks of Swiss tennis at the same time as Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, but his path was not destined to be as glorious as two of the game's modern icons.

A promising junior who won his first ITF tournament (then known as ITF Futures) in his home nation back in 2001, Bohli went on to beat a young Adrian Mannarino in the final of an M35 event nine years later in Italy to collect what proved to be his final ITF title.

Now 41, Bohli is coaching rising Swiss tennis hopeful Simona Waltert and seems to be having a positive impact on the 23-year-old after she won the biggest tournament of her career so far on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W75 Glasgow.

Bohli, who reached a career-high of No. 113 in the ATP rankings, spoke passionately (at the recent W100 Shrewsbury event) about the importance of offering players the chance to play in top level tournaments, the dangers they face from the pressure associate with tennis and the ITF's ongoing efforts to take the women's World Tennis Tour to the next level.

What improvements have you seen on the ITF World Tennis Tour since your days as a player?

I think the ITF is putting more and more effort in for the players, especially now on the women's tour, which is the most difficult one to make work. They are making lots of useful changes to make sure these tournaments are better for players.

If we speak about the tournament in Shrewsbury, it's not every day you have an infrastructure with the gym, good hotel and restaurants around and the effort they are putting in now is becoming real. It is a big improvement from what I saw in my time as a player and hopefully it shows there is momentum behind giving players a chance to play in high-level tournaments, especially in the women's game.

How important is it for players to have a chance to play in the best conditions possible on the World Tennis Tour?

It's vital, as these tournaments are so important for our sport. We have a big picture of what's going on with the top players and how much they can earn, but I think this is a false image because it's not like that for everyone. Most of the players ranked between 300-800 are struggling, so it's good to see that the ITF and the World Tennis Tour have hospitality at many events as this kind of thing is a huge help.

The facilities and infrastructure at tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour have been improving - how will this help players?

It's so important. We can see in some of the bigger ITF events that include top 100 players. Also, some of them are tired of travelling and they don't want to be in Asia or South America in these final few weeks. So having events closer to home is important as it makes the cost of travelling less of an issue. I hope the movement of trying to support women's tennis will continue. These events give players a chance to make some good ranking points and that allows them to make the step forward they are looking for in their careers.

How challenging is it for a player like Simona Waltert to break into the top 100 of the WTA rankings?

It's tough, but that is the challenge. We are more fortunate coming from Switzerland than some other countries. As a Swiss player coming through, I had help from our Federation and from sponsors. It's the same for Simona. It's not like she is swimming in money, but she has played in the Billie Jean King Cup and got through a round at the French Open last year before getting into the main draw again this year, so that gives you a chance to be lighter in your head and can solve the financial problem for a whole season.

So do you believe Swiss players are fortunate to come from a nation that can support their players better than others?

I think so. On the native side, we have a disadvantage in that maybe we are not as hungry as players from other nations. My job as a coach is to remind players how important it is to be hungry to fight for a ball, to fight for ranking points. This is an issue in Switzerland. I have this image of us being on a red carpet and it is useless to stand on this if you want to be at the highest level. You need to fight for everything in tennis. Always a friendly fight, but maybe we sometimes lack a fighting spirit in our country.

What do you bring from your playing career into your coaching approach?

I just try to help a player feel they need to have a lighter mentality and less weight on her shoulders. This is a game that should be played with pleasure. This is a tough sport and it can be lonely when you are out there on your own. Depression is a big issue in our sport. I saw it as a player and as a coach, I am a little more detached. I can see that many players are in a dangerous place, so we need to support them as much as we can. This can be both with their game and psychologically, so we have to take it very seriously. This is not just about their career. There is a whole life to lead after that and the scars from tennis can be big if you are not surrounded by strong people who can help you see it in another way, a lighter way.

How does coaching compare to playing?

This is where I am most happy. The attention is not on me, I am in the shadows and I like it this way. It is even more difficult today for players now with social media. With my personality, coaching is much better because it's not about me any more and it's all about the player I am working with.

What is the legacy of Roger Federer in Swiss tennis?

When you have a personality as big as Roger, it will always have an impact. He did everything so beautifully and not just in the way he played tennis. When you hear him speak, you can listen to him all day. He is like a book with so much wisdom. I had some beautiful practice sessions with him and shared some nice moments in the Davis Cup. Okay, so I was in his shadow, but it was a perfect shadow to be in.