New York Tennis Magazine March / April 2020 by United Sports Publications

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New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.nytennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in New York Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. New York Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

MAR/APR 2020 • Vol 10, No 2

Table Of Contents

American Dream By Brian Coleman

Sofia Kenin powered to the Australian Open title to win her first career Grand Slam See page 28

Photo credit: Brian Coleman

Highlights 6 8 10 21 22 40 54 60 77

New York City Boys’ High School Preview At The Net with Hannah Berner 2020 New York Tennis Expo Recap Junior Player Spotlight: Kayla Moore, Gotham Tennis Academy By Brian Coleman Courts of Dreams: How One New Yorker Found a Tennis Haven in Vermont 2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Windridge Camps: A Family Affair By Brian Coleman Your 2020 Guide to Court Builders and Suppliers Rochester Students Honor Arthur Ashe and Spend a Day at the New York Open

Features 31 Summer Camp is for Juniors What Off-Season Training is for Pros By Liezel Huber 32 Tennis Industry Comes Together for Annual Eastern Conference 34 Englishman in New York: Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund Hoists New York Open Trophy 37 2020 New York Open Recap 56 2020 Australian Open Recap 59 Scoring Shots By Lawrence Kleger 62 Mastering the Mind: Mindfulness at 125 MPH…Part Two By Rob Polishook 64 The Jensen Zone: Work On Your Weakness By Luke Jensen 65 Importance of Tournament Support for Players in Development By Caleb Astwood 66 Come Back Stronger By Chris Nieves 67 Overlooked Aspects in Achieving Tennis Excellence By Marco Ranzi and Andras Putyera 68 The Tennis Guru: Slow and Steady Wins The Race By Dr. Tom Ferraro 70 UTR’s and More UTR By Lonnie Mitchel 72 Leaving a Void: Sharapova, Wozniacki Retire From Tennis 73 Metro Corporate Tennis League Recap 74 Pickleball is Here to Stay By Mike Puc and Scott Harper 75 When Teaching, Put Kindness First By Michael Forte 76 Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz 78 Control the Middle of the Net in Doubles By Max Wennakoski 79 USTA/Metropolitan Region March/April 2020 Tournament Schedule

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Across Metro Ne Liezel, Tony Huber Honored By PTR The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning’s Executive Director Liezel Huber, and Director of High Performance Tony Huber, were both honored by the Professional Tennis Registry this past winter. The two were named PTR Members of the Year for New York, and Tony was named the organization’s Touring Coach of the Year and it’s Humanitarian of the Year.

Centercourt’s Bojkovic Wins First Super Six Centercourt Tennis Academy full-time player Adam Bojkovic took home his first Super Six title by winning the L4 Eastern Super Six at Glen Head Racquet Club. The sixthseeded Bojkovic won four of his five matches in straight sets, including a 6-1, 7-5 triumph in the championship match.

Dhanwada Wins Boys 14s in Bogota

Roosevelt Island Hosts Valentine’s Day Tournament Roosevelt Island Racquet Club made sure that people were able to combine tennis and love on Valentine’s Day, hosting a Pre-Valentine’s Day tournament. The event was broken into multiple divisions, with Andrea and Leighton winning the Division II ladder, while Yann and Francois won the Division I tournament.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Anirudh Dhanwada captured the title at the L5 CourtSense in Bogota Winter Championships in the Boys 14s division. As a player who trains at CourtSense, Dhanwada used the home courts to his advantage and, as the tournament’s top-seed, won all of his matches in straight sets.

New York

… News and notes from across the New York Metro tennis community

Rabman Continues to Rack Up Titles Thea Rabman, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, has put together a successful winter as she competes in some of the USTA’s top tournaments. Rabman captured the title at the L3 Eastern Super Six at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness in singles, and followed that up with a doubles win at the National Level 2 Super Six in Minnesota.

College Wild Card Playoff tournament. Some of the top college players from the Northeast gathered to play for a spot in the New York Open’s main draw. In the end, it was Harvard freshman Brian Shi who won the tournament and the wild card berth.

MatchPoint’s Walsh Wins Again MatchPoint NYC player Thomas Walsh continues to rack up the titles. Walsh went up to the Bronx and won the title at the L7 February Open at Throgs Neck. Walsh was the tournament’s top-seed and made good on that designation, winning all of his matches in straight sets to claim the championship.

Elle Brown Reaches Multiple Finals It has been a good winter for Gilad Bloom Tennis student Elle Brown, who continues to advance deep into tournaments. Brown (pictured right) has reached the finals of multiple tournaments, including the L2 Mill Basin MatchPoint NYC Open and the L7 Open at Mill Pond.

National Tennis Center Hosts College Wild Card Playoff The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has been known to host some of the biggest local college events, and the facility did so once again this winter as it was the venue for the New York Open

Ross School Wins Multiple JTT Tournaments The Junior TeamTennis squads from the Ross School Tennis Academy continue to impress against the rest of the field. The teams competed against teams from other clubs and won both the Green Ball and Orange Ball divisions.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020

NEW YORK BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW By Brian Coleman

Teams to Watch Beacon The Beacon Blue Demons continue to stand alone atop New York City tennis. Last year, the school from the Upper West Side won its 12th straight PSAL New York City “A” Division title. It came via a 3-1 victory over Bronx Science, and the Blue Demons will be out to defend its title this season and make it lucky number 13. While third singles player Marcos Lee is gone to graduation, the Beacon roster is still full of contributing players from a year ago which will make it the team to beat this year. Joseph Wilkanowski and Sebastian Sec will lead the way at first and second singles, respectively, as Beacon aims to continue its reign top New York City. Bronx Science Over the years, no team has given Beacon a bigger test than the boys from Bronx Science, and the Wolverines will be out for revenge in 2020. Falling short in the city championship last year will only make the team more motivated, and with the return of all of its starters from that team, look out for Bronx Science. 6

Anchoring the lineup is Blake Frank at first singles, while Rod Rofougaran, who played second singles a year ago, and Paul Elghouayel, who played third singles, will be back to fill out the singles card. A young group of talented doubles players round out the lineup to make Bronx Science a deep and formidable opponent. Cardozo Despite losing its second and third singles players from its 2019 team, don’t sleep on the Judges from Cardozo this coming year. Leading the way at the top will be senior Maxwell Kachkarov, who as a junior did not drop a match all season and should be one of the best players in all of New York City this year. The first doubles combination of Eric Dubilrer and Peter Vanechanos add depth to make Cardozo a threat to make a deep run in the playoffs later this spring. Brooklyn Tech The Brooklyn Tech Engineers had a bit of a down season, by its standard, last year, as the squad reached the quarterfinals before losing to Bronx Science. But as a perennial championship contender, do not be surprised if the Engineers are one of

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

the last teams standing in 2020. Atop the singles lineup will be senior Jeffrey Yu, who went undefeated in the regular season last year. Ryan Sham, who played third singles last year, will most likely jump up to the number two spot left vacant due to Jonathan Glinsky graduating. The Engineers also return doubles players Steve Polishchuk, Milo Kessler and Justin Radist to fill out a deep, experienced squad. Townsend Harris As the fifth-seed a year ago, Townsend Harris advanced into the quarterfinals of the city’s “A” Division, and could be due to build on that success in 2020. The Hawks will be without its first singles player from last year, Aleksa Pljakic, which will mean the second and third singles players from that team, Justin Chen and Joshua Ashvil, respectively, will need to move into a bigger role. Noah Pearlstein returns at first doubles, despite losing partner Nicolas Oltean, but with another year of experience for this Townsend Harris team, the Hawks should be able to follow up on its success last year with an even deeper run this season.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

at the net wit h

hannah berner by bri an co l em an

Last year, Hannah Berner was added to the cast of Summer House, the reality television series on Bravo TV, which follows the lives of eight young adults as they work their jobs in New York City and spend weekends in the Hamptons. But this was not the first foray out into the Hamptons for Berner, who spent many of her weekends and summers on the East End of Long Island while growing up. “On the weekends my family would go to Shelter Island and I would watch my dad play his weekend doubles game,” recalls Berner. “And this doubles game was what he lived for. He talked about it all week, and they would talk trash to each other. It was just the center of his universe. I would sit there and make sand castles on the side with the clay while I watched. But eventually I was out on court playing with them, and I began getting tennis lessons when I was around sevenyears-old.” Berner would take lessons at what is now Prospect Park Tennis Center, and immediately had dreams of being a professional tennis player. “The pro there said that I was starting too late to be a professional tennis player, and my parents, for whatever reason, thought they should tell me that,” said Berner. “I was crying all week; my dream was crushed. But as a tough, little girl who didn’t like to be told that I couldn’t do things, I became determined that day to become a professional tennis player.” Her talent and work ethic were evident 8

from the very beginning, and resulted in her shooting up the junior rankings to the point where, at 14-years-old, she was ranked inside the Top 15 in the country and had a sponsorship with Dunlop. It was then that she was told in order to continue pursuing this dream of being a professional, she needed to go down to Florida to train. It was a hard experience for Berner who, despite getting better and achieving a higher junior ranking, started to become unhappy. “It was tough. I was away from my family; I was traveling to play tournaments which I knew was expensive for my parents. And I was starting to not enjoy it,” she said. “I was feeling a little burnt out from it. And at 16, I said I wanted to go home. I was in a tough place. I was dealing with some depression and anxiety, and I just felt lost.” Returning home to New York City helped Berner recapture her love for tennis, and began taking the steps to play in high school. She got into the Beacon School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but the school did

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

not have a girls’ team. Berner tried out and made the boys’ team, which in turn put her at the center of controversy. Many other teams were not thrilled with a girl being allowed to compete on the boys’ team, especially a girl who was as good as Berner as she won NYC Player of the Year and helped lead her team to multiple PSAL titles. “It was crazy, I remember the Daily News and New York Times coming to cover our matches. I remember getting so nervous about that,” she recalls. “The best part about all of this though was that after I graduated, PSAL granted Beacon funds to start a girls team, which my dad actually coached for a couple of years, and I got a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin.” In Madison, Berner played the top singles spot for the Badgers and was on her way to finalizing that dream of turning professional. “It was a great experience for me, and I got to the point where I really did want to play professional. And in my senior year, I remember thinking that if I don’t get all-Big 10, it’s probably a sign from the universe that I shouldn’t go pro,” Berner said. “And right before the Big 10 Championships, I got hit by a car while walking to one of our morning workouts. That put me out for about two months, and even though I got back on court in time for the conference championships, I ended up losing a few matches. And I had one of those moments where I thought the universe was telling me something, and I tried to be very logical in that moment.” Berner weighed the decision to turn pro, and contemplated whether or not it was worth it.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can burn through my wallet and travel to play this sport that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m feeling a bit burnt out with , and maybe make it into the top 700, top 600 in the world, or I could go back to New York City, and I really felt like there was something more to me,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told people who have asked me about transitioning into the real world is that if you are special in tennis and accomplished great things, you can and will be great at other things. You arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only successful because of your athletic ability, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because your mentally strong, and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what other things you can be successful at until you try.â&#x20AC;? Her first job would be in sales, where she used the same competitive spirit that made her a good tennis player to become a good salesperson. But despite being successful at it, she knew there was something more to her. She thought back to college when she had worked on some video editing projects, and even dabbled in sports broadcasting for Wisconsin athletics. She was put in touch with a social media company that was looking for a producer, and before she knew it, she was helping them make funny videos and was doing some writing behind the scenes.

During this gig, she got the chance to interview some of the cast members of Summer House and got to know them, and when the show did some recasting, her name was brought up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said to them, I only know how to be myself. This is who I am. If you want to show that women can be athletic, funny, leaders and more complex than just this hot mess, then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m down to do the show,â&#x20AC;? said Berner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They said they 100 percent support that. They actually have a tennis court at the house so throughout the season you can see me playing. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool about the show is you get to see us working during the week, so you see me launching my podcast, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Berning in Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and the on the weekend it shows more of the personal side.â&#x20AC;? So for the last year, Berner has been a star on the hit Bravo TV series, and Season 4 is currently airing this spring. And through her podcast, Berner has been able to use her tennis experiences to connect with athletes, comedians, entertainers and other guests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to meet people who I had previously put on a pedestal. These athletes or people from television, we think they must

have it all figured out. But through doing my podcast, I have figured out that we are all coping with the same confusing purpose in life. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten to meet so many people who have helped me realize that we are all similar.â&#x20AC;? Between her podcast, Summer House and her comedy career, Berner makes sure to keep herself busy. All of these projects require a certain level of dedication and work ethic, something she has had from a very young age thanks to tennis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tennis to this day is the hardest thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever done,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first time I did standup comedy, I did 10 minutes in front of 300 people at Carolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Broadway. Everybody asked, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;are you a maniac?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But talking on stage and expressing myself, making people laugh without the thought of a win-loss afterwards, that was just joyous for me. Tennis pushed me to so many limits both mentally and physically that I feel prepared for anything that comes my way.â&#x20AC;? You can learn more about Berner by visiting her website HannahBerner.com, downloading her podcast, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Berning in Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, or following her on Instagram and Twitter at @beingbernz.

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NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Expo Recap New York Tennis Expo is Largest Yet

ack and better than ever, the New York Tennis Expo presented by Pop Earth returned to NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. More than 6,500 people came out for the all-day celebration of tennis as we kicked off the third year of the New York Open with the nation’s largest tennis expo ever.

B 10

"The 2020 New York Tennis Expo was a resounding success," said David Sickmen, New York Tennis Expo Founder and Director."We have heard great feedback from both attendees and vendors, and were happy to once again kick off another year of the New York Open. By adding new activities and expanding our reach in the community, the Expo continues to grow from year to year, and we’re excited to keep on bring-

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

ing events like this to the area. Partnering with the New York Open and NYCB LIVE for the third straight year, and the addition of Pop Earth as the title sponsor this year, we were able to join forces and create a recordbreaking event.” For the seventh time, the Expo completely sold out its exhibit space and featured more than 70 vendors from all over the country, covering an array of different businesses as

well as providing exhibiting spaces for more than 10 local charities. “When you look around and see all the things happening at the Expo, a children’s birthday party, a 60-person standing room audience for one of the speaker sessions, a tennis group that drove down from Rochester, and more than 100 high school volunteers, it’s clear that Expo has become a scene and the place to be in early February,” said Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center. To start things off in the morning, Nick Bollettieri, founder of IMG Academy, the Farmingdale State Rams, and high school teams from Roslyn and West Islip, ran a clinic for members of Pop Earth, the event’s title sponsor that provide programs and holistic health services for those with special needs, on Stadium Court.

Throughout the day, there were clinics run by local college teams from Hofstra, Adelphi and Nassau Community, as well as tennis professionals from local clubs and players from high school teams on Long Island. Kids of all levels were able to go out on court and receive instruction from some of the top players and coaches in the area who created a welcoming atmosphere that was open to all Expo guests. Thanks to our partnership with the New York Open, new to the Expo this year was the ability for guests to watch the opening round of the qualifying tournament, where professional players competed for a shot at the tournament’s main draw. Prior to that, ATP stars such as Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic and Tennys Sandgren were practicing on court, and all Expo guests were allowed to grab a seat and watch how

these pros prepared for the tournament. In addition, there were games and activities for everyone to enjoy inside the Expo Hall, including the New York Islanders Slapshot Booth, the New York Riptide’s Lacrosse Shootout, a mechanical bull, bounce house, photo booth and more. “The Expo seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year. USTA Eastern was proud to help sponsor and coordinate our Net Gen programming with the event which allowed children of all ages to play on the black courts with college, high school and local club volunteers,” said Jonathan Klee, Regional Director for USTA Eastern’s Long Island Region. “Combining the Expo with the qualifiers was a win-win situation for everyone in that it brought the continued on page 12

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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 new york tennis expo recap continued from page 11

Long Island tennis community together with vendors in a carnival like atmosphere while also watching great quality tennis.” The Expo featured two separate coaching panels with industry experts, highlighted by the appearance of Bollettieri as well as current touring pros Jack Sock, Brayden Schnur and Tommy Paul. Guests were able to hear from these panelists on a wide variety of topics, and the sessions were interactive to allow audience members to ask questions directly to the speakers.

The New York Open’s Draw Ceremony once again took place on center stage at the New York Tennis Expo Broadcast Plaza, where the opening round matchups were revealed with a little twist, as multiple players from the tournament were on stage to answer questions from fans and Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs. Kevin Anderson, Reilly Opelka, Cameron Norrie and eventual champion Kyle Edmund were on stage to answer questions and take pictures with Expo guests. In all, the New York Tennis Expo was a

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celebration of the great sport of tennis, and was a vehicle to bring together so many different facets that make up the community. The array of business and charities that were on display, coupled with the local high school and college players, adults and juniors, and tennis fans and non-tennis fans, the Expo had something for everyone. It’s our hope that this recordbreaking event will be a springboard for continued success of tennis in our community in 2020.

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See What They Are Saying ... “This year Pop.Earth was very excited to be the Title Sponsor of the NY Tennis Expo at Nassau Coliseum. We launched our new tennis initiative "Making a Racquet"! for Autism by hosting a tennis clinic that included our individuals and volunteers from the Roslyn and West Islip tennis clubs! It was a hit! Our team was able to bring autism awareness to all who attended and introduced Pop.Earth to a whole new audience! It was a win for all!” – Deb Stone, Founder, Pop Earth

“The magazine and this Expo make it fun for a lot of people welcoming them to the tennis world, whether it’s Future Stars or other exponents and Programs, it's good for all of us to come together and share the passion of this awesome sport, and the magazine and the Expo do a great job putting this together.” – Pablo Monesti, Vice President of Development, Future Stars Camps

“First off, I wanted to congratulate Dave, Joel, Brian and the entire team at NY/Long Island Tennis Magazine for putting together another outstanding Tennis Expo this year! It is amazing to be part of the largest tennis expo in history! The tennis community is wonderful and the Expo was a great chance to come together. SPORTIME is proud to be a part of this wonderful event, year in and year out. We look forward to making next year bigger and better than ever.” – Jason Wass, Director of Tennis and Sports, SPORTIME Kings Park

"The New York Tennis Expo is an outstanding event. We look forward to this event every year. It is a great opportunity to interact with the tennis community and connect with other tennis businesses. Organizers facilitate a great experience and make sure we are all set for success" – Nicolas Duarte, Tennis Director, Camp IHC

“The Expo seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year. USTA Eastern was proud to help sponsor and coordinate our Net Gen programming with the event which allowed children of all ages to play on the Black Courts with College, High School and local club volunteers. Combining the Expo with the qualifiers was a win win situation for everyone in that it brought the Long Island tennis community together with vendors in a carnival like atmosphere while also watching great quality tennis.” – Jonathan Klee, Regional Director, USTA Eastern Long Island Region “The New York Tennis Expo is an incredible event because it brings area tennis enthusiasts together with fun, excitement, education and service to the local community. The Expo grows the sport by raising awareness of the wealth of tennis opportunities in the New York area.” – Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director, Bethpage Park Tennis Center "The NY Tennis Expo was a wonderful opportunity to connect with young tennis players and their families.”– Louisa Childs, Head of School, Dwight Global Online School

“The New York Tennis Expo is an event we look forward to every year at the Evert Tennis Academy. The expo brings in tennis families from all across the state of New York and it is a great networking tool that we will use for years to come! The Expo staff was tremendous and it was overall another great experience!” – Andrew Parker, Director of Sales and Marketing, Evert Tennis Academy "The New York Tennis Expo continues to be a unique event that brings together the entire tennis world. We were once again thrilled to be a sponsor of the event, and were able to connect with players and parents from the Long Island and New York area, and Nick Bollettieri was thrilled to take part in the speaker sessions, clinics and autograph signings." – David Cotrone, Director of Business Development, IMG Academy “Point Set was proud to once again be a part of the New York Tennis Expo. The event continues to grow every year and there is no better way for us to showcase our programs and classes then by being able to sit down in front of the thousands and thousands of attendees that come out for the Expo. We look forward to coming back again next year!” - Lori Sarnelli, Club Manager, Point Set Tennis

“Amazing job by David Sickmen and his staff. It just gets bigger and better every year!” – Kathy Miller, General Manager, Carefree Racquet Club NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Pop.Earth Clinic at New York Tennis Expo he goal of Long Island Tennis Magazine, and specifically the New York Tennis Expo, is to provide an event that grows the game of tennis and encourages more people to become involved with the sport. Thanks to the Expo’s partnership with Pop.Earth, that mission was accomplished. To begin the Expo, Pop Earth members took part in a free clinic on Stadium Court led by legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, the Farmingdale State College tennis teams as well as players from Roslyn and West Islip High School. “Imagine a free event to teach over 50 autistic children the wonders of tennis, with more than 50 volunteers, both young and old, working together at a major ATP Tour event? Imagine that this event had Nick Bollettieri offering words of encouragement to each child alongside touring professionals and other prominent coaches,” said Steve Kaplan, founder of the non-profit Serve & Return which helped facilitate the clinic. “I didn’t imagine this! It happened with the support of Pop.Earth, Long Island Tennis Magazine, IMG

Academy and the amazing supporters who ensured that each and every child walked away with a huge smile on their face.” Pop.Earth is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing holistic health services and options for those with special needs, including Autism and other developmental disorders. The organization is based on Long Island but has partners all across the United States. The clinic served as the official launch of

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Pop Earth’s new tennis program, “Making a Racquet”, which it plans on running first on Long Island and then growing it throughout multiple locations. There were stations set up on the main court used by the professionals for the New York Open, where instructors worked with the kids on basic technique through a variety of different of drills. “The reaction from the parents and kids was 100 percent positive! Some kids came not even wanting to try tennis but ended up doing just that and loving the experience!” said Deb Stone, Pop.Earth’s Founder and Executive Director. “Pop.Earth will be bringing this program to Long Island first at low cost to free, and then slowly rolling it out across the tri-state area. We hope to have programs pop up across the country and get more kids involved with this great sport.” The clinic was the perfect way to begin this year’s New York Tennis Expo and was made possible thanks to the organizations involved, the volunteers and, of course, the kids who came out to play tennis. You can learn more about Pop Earth, and its new tennis programming, by visiting www.PopEarth.org.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Scenes From 2020 New

Sunday, February 9, 2020 l NYCB LIVE

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

m the w York Tennis Expo

VE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Credit photos to Owen Kassimir and Sydney Beall III

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

SPECIA AL THANKS TO T OUR

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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

C O M I N G I N M AY 2 0 2 0

Distribution scheduled for 05/01/20

This edition will feature: • Tennis in the Hamptons • French Open Preview • Guide to New York’s Top Tennis Apparel Stores • Mental Tennis Roundtable

Distribution across New York at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Restaurants and health food stores • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Supermarkets and • Many more!

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The Hindrance Quiz: By Barbara Wyatt

hindrance. Continue playing. However, if you are—truly and sincerely—distracted by the The Hindrance Quiz checks unintentional action of a hat flying off your understanding of the and unable to make the shot, don’t ITF and USTA rules of attempt a return, and immediately hindrances. Correct stop playing. Replay the point. The answers are the simple quick answers, not Code #36. burdened with a barrage of what-ifs or 2. Ball falls out your pocket. You nearly embellished with nuances on the court. trip on it. You stop play. Yes, that’s a A “yes” means the action was a hindrance. You lose the point. When hindrance, and a point is awarded or reyou stop playing because of your played. A “no” answer means there was no unintentional act, you lose the point. hindrance and all players should focus on The Code #36. the match and continue playing. 3. Ball falls out of an opponent’s pocket accidentally. No hindrance. Hindrance : Yes or No? Play on! It is to your advantage to stay 1. Hat flies off an opponent’s head. in the point. However, if you are—truly Hindrance? Yes or no? and sincerely—distracted by the 2. Ball falls out your pocket. You nearly unintentional action of an opponent trip on it. You stop play. Yes or no? and unable to make the shot, don’t 3. Ball falls out of an opponent’s pocket attempt to return the shot, immediately accidentally. Yes or no? stop play, and call hindrance. Replay 4. Playing outside, ball hits a bird. Yes or the point. And if the ball falls out no? again? That is a hindrance and you 5. A ball from an adjacent court is flying earn the point. The Code #36. high. You think the opponent is 4. Playing outside, ball hits a bird. Yes, hindered. Yes or no? that’s a hindrance. A bird flying overhead is not predictable. Re-play Answers the point. International Tennis 1. Hat flies off an opponent’s head. No

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Part One

Federation (ITF) Rule 26. Case 3. 5. A ball from an adjacent court is flying high. You think the opponent is hindered. No hindrance. Keep playing. If you stopped play, it is a hindrance and you lose the point. When a player stops play because they thought the opponent was being hindered, the player loses the point. ITF #26, Case 2. Hindrance means to stop, delay, or obstruct an action. A hindrance in tennis could be deliberate (loud yelling to distract the opponent), unintentional (shoe falls off once) or a simple stoppage of the game (dog runs on court). A deliberate hindrance results in the loss of a point. An unintentional hindrance and stoppage of play may result in replaying the point or loss of point. Barbara Wyatt is a writer, photographer, USTA official, and mobile app developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

J U N I O R P L AY E R S P O T L I G H T BY BRIAN COLEMAN

KAYLA MOORE • GOTHAM TENNIS ACADEMY Brooklyn fifth-grader Kayla Moore is a dedicated young tennis player who trains at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center in the Bronx. And despite her age, Moore has already set lofty goals for herself as she pursues a tennis career. “My goal is to become a professional tennis player,” said Moore. “And I’m just going to work hard every day, and continue to try and get better in order to do that.” Moore is already one of the top-ranked players in the country, ranked 14th nationally and second in New York State for girls in the Class of 2027, according to TennisRecruiting.net. With a big serve and solid groundstrokes, impressive for a girl her age, Moore has the game and desire to make consistent progress as she goes through her training. That work ethic has already made her one of the jewels of Gotham’s program. “Kayla has evolved greatly as a player and matured a lot as a person over the last couple of years,” said Andy Stuber, Program Director for Gotham Tennis Academy. “She has become an inspiration for our other Academy players.” Moore has trained at Gotham for about the last three years, and says she has seen a lot of improvement in her game during her time there. “There are a lot of other great kids there that you can play with,” said Moore. “It’s always fun, and the coaches are really good. I love getting to meet new people. There is always someone better than you there, and it’s a great challenge to be able to play against them so you can continue to get better and better.”

Moore began playing tennis after being inspired by her older brother, Michael. She went to watch him practice one day, and the more she watched, the more she wanted to play. “One day, he bought me a racket and started to teach me tennis!” she recalls. That teaching was effective as Moore quickly took to the game, and has only continued to improve as she has transitioned into formal training. She idolizes both Serena Williams and Roger Federer: “They both play so aggressive and go for everything,” she said. “They are the best out there, and I want to be good like

them.” In addition to tennis, Moore does some boxing training, which helps her become more aggressive and also builds up cardio and fitness. The dynamic between boxing and tennis is a similar one, as in both you are going one-on-one against someone, and you need to utilize both physical talent and mental strength in order to succeed. Moore has translated her training into success on the court. Towards the end of 2019 she won a number of different tournaments, including consecutive titles at the L1B Fall Challenger and L1B Challenger, both played in her home club at Gotham Tennis Academy. Tennis has also provided Moore the opportunity to travel around the country, something she says she really enjoys. “I love travelling to different places, and being able to see new things and try new food,” said Moore, who has played tournaments in many different spots including Florida and Pennsylvania. Moore is well on her way to a successful tennis career, and is a prime example of what the Gotham Tennis Academy is all about. “Kayla’s best qualities on the court are her work ethic and her tenacity,” said Eric Faro, Gotham's Director of Tennis. “For a player her age, she is able to generate extraordinary power. Off the court, she is a regular, goofy kid. She has a sparkling personality, and she also gives back by committing time each week to teach young tennis players in the community.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Courts of Dreams How one New Yorker found a tennis haven in Vermont By Brian Coleman

ave you ever driven past an empty plot of land, or a vacant building, and thought of all the ways you could transform it? New York City native Chris Lewit had this idea. As a young tennis coach, he recalls constantly driving past an abandoned tennis club in rural Vermont. “I really thought it was a gem,” said Lewit. “Years later, I had the opportunity to buy it. And after a long negotiation, we took control of the club in 2016. The place had been essentially abandoned. It was almost defunct with no programming, and one of the coaches was actually living there with his cat. But I just saw the potential in the place. It has indoor courts, a gym, clubhouse and most importantly, 15 acres of land.” And it was precisely that which led Lewit to making the purchase on the place. With a vast landscape to work with, including 1,000 feet right on a riverfront, Lewit had found the dream location for his summer camp.

“I fell in love with the land, and I thought that this would be a great place to put my camp,” said Lewit. “I had been running a camp in New York for 10 years, and I thought, if I could turn this place around, that this would be its new home.” So Lewit went to work, quite literally. The amount of renovations needed was seemingly endless. “They had these old Har-Tru courts that were basically a cabbage patch at this point. The foundation was there and they were laid out nicely, but there were just weeds everywhere. I mean, I’m 6’3 and they were taller than me,” recalls Lewit. “My whole family was back there pulling weeds and there were somehow also these giant boulders embedded into the dirt. We had to get rid of all of that and bring in all new red clay. It was my dream to have red clay courts like they do in Spain.” So with the help of his family and a little elbow grease, Lewit turned what was

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

once just a dream project of his while driving to work into a tennis haven in the beautiful Vermont wilderness. Now entering its fourth year of operating, Lewit’s camp has grown in each year of its existence. He trains players who are preparing for Nationals, Super Sixes, Zonals and other major tournaments, as well as young players he calls “little prodigies”. “They are talented and athletic, and a lot of them are just beginning their tournament experience,” he said. “They’re young, but I’ll coach any kid who is taking it seriously.” The tennis instruction is rooted in the Spanish system, one that Lewit has been trained in significantly throughout the years. He has combined the models and methods of Luis Bruguera, Emilio Sanchez and Pato Alvarez, and recently began taking a course studying the Toni Nadal method, to formulate his own system of teaching. “People can come here and train in this beautiful setting with an authentic

Spanish style, and you don’t have to go across the ocean to get it. We have players from all over the country coming to us now.” As a result of that, a large emphasis is placed on injury prevention and physical training, and the numbers are kept down in order to ensure a small coach to player ratio to maximize the individualized instruction. “We wanted to do something very different than most summer camps. People thought I was crazy to buy that place four years ago,” said Lewit. “Maybe it was a big risk, but I had this Field of Dreams moment. I saw what it could be. Every summer now when I see all the kids here, it makes me realize that I made the right decision.” Being a native of New York City, Lewit says he now has the best of both worlds. He spends the majority of his year in New York, and then heads north, accompanied by his wife and children, to Vermont to spend the summers at his camp. “I’m a city mouse, I’m a country mouse. I love both places,” he said. “My

Chris Lewit turned this abandoned piece of property in Vermont into his dream tennis academy

family lives up there during the summer, so the kids get to spend those months out in nature. I was born in Manhattan and grew up in New York City, and sometimes

it’s nice to get out into the country and see the beautiful scenery. We all enjoy getting out of the city, and it’s a little bit of heaven in the summer.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Metro Region USTA Eastern Metro Region Update: March/April 2020

The USTA Metro Region Adult League is heating up, with the winter leagues beginning to wrap up which gives way to the spring and summer months. Below are the winners and captains of the USTA Leagues that have finished:

Currently, we have the following USTA Leagues running: l Queens Mixed Doubles l Bronx Mixed Doubles l Metro 40 & Over Mixed Doubles l Metro 4.0 Tri-Level Make sure to read the May/June 2020 edition of New York Tennis Magazine for results from those divisions.

Manhattan Mixed Doubles l 6.0: Scott McHugh l 7.0 Lisa Bernstein/Jeff Linderman l 8.0 Sue Robichek l 9.0 Maria Salnikowa l 10.0 Karen Garfield/Samantha Lieb

The following are starting in the spring: l 18 & Over Manhattan l 18 & Over Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island

The Metro 40 & Over division finishes in early March, so check back in the May/June 2020 edition of New York Tennis Magazine for those results.

Are you interesting in playing for a team, or captaining a team? Want more information? Contact Christopher Dong, the USTA Eastern Metro Region’s Adult League Coordinator at cdong@eastern.usta.com.

Grants Still Available The USTA Eastern Metro Region still has grants available! All organizations, including CTAs and NJTLs are encouraged to apply for the Metro Council Regional Grants, which may be applied anytime during the calendar year. Grants are as high as $1,000. For additional information, contact psierra4@gmail.com to find our more and how to apply.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA Metro Region Volunteer Recognition Night Coming in April

The USTA Eastern Metro Region will be hosting its 2020 Volunteer Recognition Night at The West Side Tennis Club on Wednesday, April 22. All Community Tennis Associations (CTA) and National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) organizations are encouraged to save the date. The evening will be a fun night while we recognize the organizations and volunteers that do so much to promote

the game of tennis, and also an opportunity to hear from the organization about future plans, and a chance to network and build working relationships. If interested in attending, please contact Pablo Sierra at psierra4@gmail.com, indicating what organization you are from, a contact person, e-mail and telephone number. Following that, you will receive a formal invite to the event! NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Metro Region Metro Region Celebrates at Conference

The annual USTA Eastern conference is a great gathering for all the different regions to come together and celebrate all the success we had the year before, and discuss new ways on how to continue growing and improving the game in the year to come. The Metro Region was on hand for this, and we were happy to take part in the Awards Ceremony where Gregory Muhammad was named the Metro Region’s Volunteer of the Year. 26

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Gleneagles Country Club A Destination for New Yorkers ith perfect temperatures year-round, every day feels like a vacation when you are a member at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Florida. With 20 Har-Tru night-lit courts, one hard court, and four pickleball courts, the Gleneagles Tennis Center is a tropical paradise where former world number one ranked resident pros Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf honed their craft. The USPTAcertified staff offers private and group lessons for all ages. Never worry about finding a game, as our tennis concierge will place you in games and monitor your satisfaction. If you are looking for competition, you can play on one of 18 teams in six different leagues for both men and women at various levels. After your game, enjoy a complimentary beverage and relax on the patio. If shopping is on your mind, the Pro Shop

has the latest styles at member-friendly prices. In addition to tennis, Gleneagles members enjoy some of the best amenities in South Florida with a larger than 92,000 square feet main clubhouse that features three restaurants and two bars, a brand new Healthy Lifestyle Center encompassing a spacious fitness center, tranquil spa, and resort-style pool, in addition to 36 holes of championship golf. Set in the charming seaside town of Delray Beach (named America’s Most Fun Small Town by Rand McNally) between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Gleneagles Country Club is close to award-winning restaurants, shopping, museums, beaches, and a vibrant downtown. The new Delray Marketplace, an outdoor promenade with popular restaurants, live entertainment, and

stores, is just a mile away. More than $30 million has been invested into the Gleneagles clubhouse and community in recent years. A variety of real estate is available at this mandatory membership residential country club community comprised of 1,082 residences, including a variety of single-family homes, garden residences, and one midrise building. Infused with Mediterranean design, the architecture emphasizes the natural beauty of the area. Balconies and over-sized porches bring an airy, open feeling and offer sweeping views of 404 acres of fairways, lakes and green space. Gleneagles Country Club is located at 7667 Victory Lane in Delray Beach, Fla. You can learn more by visiting www.gleneagles.cc, calling (561) 8608794 or e-mailing membership@gleneagles.cc.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

American Dream Sofia Kenin Wins First Career Major Title By Brian Coleman

ver the last couple of years, we have seen the new generation of stars in women’s tennis succeed on the game’s ultimate stage and win Grand Slams, including Sloane Stephens, Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu. And now we have one more name to add to that list: Sofia “Sonya” Kenin. The 22-year-old Moscow-born Kenin hoisted her maiden Grand Slam title at the beginning of this year, winning the Australian Open by coming back to defeat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 62, 6-2. “When I saw Naomi win, Bianca win a Grand Slam, I was super excited. That young age and winning a Slam, I mean, super exciting. You get so much attention,” Kenin told WTA Insider following her victory. “I remember I was just like, ‘you know what? What if it would be me? How incredible would that be?’ I’m just super happy and it’s an honor just to be on that beautiful trophy with so many great champions there. And it will forever be there. So it’s just incredible.” That envisioning has been a part of Kenin’s DNA since she was young. By now, most people have seen the videos

of her as a little girl talking about returning Andy Roddick’s serve, and her getting a tour of a WTA tournament from Kim Clijsters in 2005. From the beginning, Kenin’s parents put in the necessary sacrifices in order to give Kenin a platform to succeed. Her parents, Alexander and Lena, had moved to the United States briefly, before returning to Russia for Sofia’s birth so that her extended family could assist in raising her. A few years later they would move back to the United States, where Kenin began playing tennis at the age of five and immediately showed signs of promise, most notably working with famed tennis coach Rick Macci at his academy in Florida. From the beginning, Macci recognized there was something special about Kenin. “She came to me at five-years-old and the very first lesson I gave her, her ability to focus and just the way she was locked in mentally already was really startling,” said Macci. “For most players, that’s the last piece of the puzzle, so that was the first thing that jumped out to me. Even continued on page 30

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american dream continued from page 28

though the racket was almost as big as her, I had her take the ball right off the bounce and she did it so easily, it was innate timing. You can teach people timing, but it can be hard to take in. So right after that I’m going, ‘what is this?’ Mentally, there is a focus that I have never seen in a child this young and her hand-eye coordination just to take the ball right off the bounce. I said, ‘this girl is the scariest little creature I’ve ever seen’. I knew it straight away, and then as time went on I said she’d be top 10 in the world by age 20 and win many Grand Slams. I was a year off, but I think the age-eligibility rule that held her back a little bit.” In addition to the unparalleled natural ability she had, Macci recalls Kenin having a relentless drive to play and compete. “When she started competing, even at age seven, her thirst for competition was just so uncanny. She was competitive and she would say, ‘I never lost, I just ran out of time’”, he said. “Every time she lost, and I had her play boys a lot even though 30

she was a little pip-squeak, the next day or that afternoon she’d want to play them again. It was like a mosquito that wouldn’t leave me alone; but you want that, you want people to feel pain and want to come back for more. To already have that inside of you, to be all about the competition that is how you handle pressure better, and that has been in there since five-years-old, so this doesn’t surprise me at all.” From the onset, Kenin had a desire to win and a drive to be great that you simply can’t teach, and that was evident from an early age for the young phenom. And coupled with that desire to win was an unrelenting toughness, something her father said was a result of her upbringing. “I think it gave her some toughness. I don’t think she realized all the sacrifices we had to go through but she knows about them and when we got to this country. It was very, very, very tough,” said Alex Kenin. “I had to work at night, and go to school in the morning. Without speaking English, just driving in New York

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was tough. It’s amazing the things you do when you need to survive. She knows about them, but thank God she didn’t have to experience them.” It’s a natural instinct for parents to do whatever it takes to provide the best possible life for their children, and often times they try to shield their child from the necessary stress and struggles in order to do so. But Kenin is well-aware of the immense sacrifices that her parents made for her, and so from the very beginning she was determined to succeed. And that is why there is no one who is harder on Kenin then herself. This is evident when you watch her play; she is a firey player who is not shy about leaving all of her emotions and energy out on the court. For a two-week stretch in late January, Kenin channeled all of that into dominating tennis in Australia with an unwavering determination to be the last player standing. “I mean, all of this,” she said when WTA Insider asked her what the “American Dream” means to her. “Winning a Grand Slam, I’ve always wanted to. I wanted to be a name on the trophy with those great champions and I’m forever going to be on it. It was just super exciting.” And Kenin still carries a chip on her shoulder, something that probably won’t be removed any time soon. “All the hard work I’ve done is really paying off,” she said. “And yeah, I’ve been overlooked. But you know what? I proved them all wrong. And this is just incredible. I did this for myself and for my family. Sharing this with them is everything to me.” Despite being born in Moscow and raised in Florida, it’s safe to say that Melbourne has rented out a permanent spot in Kenin’s heart. “I’m on cloud nine. I still can’t believe what just happened,” she said. “This is just so surreal. My dreams came true and it’s just super exciting…It’s going to be pretty emotional for me to leave. It’s been a great past two weeks. I love Melbourne. I love coming back here.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

Summer Camp is for Juniors What Off-Season Training is for Pros By Liezel Huber o me, summer camp training for juniors is like off-season training for professionals. Over my many years on the WTA world tour, I never missed this opportunity to improve my game. Just like touring professionals, young players can spend a full day on the court during the summer to work on their hand and eye coordination and build technical skills. The longer days provide more one-on-one training windows and allows for more match play to practice

new learned skills and improve tactical development. Off-season training for me, during my professional life was a time to build my body, focus my mind, expand my weapons, and lay the foundation for my game plan the following year. Summer camp is that same opportunity for juniors. I recommend to all my students that they take this training season seriously, and to set development goals as well as tournament goals. This is a time for juniors to experiment with their games, explore new strategies and get strong! Now that I have retired, it has only strengthened my belief that a wasted

summer for a junior player is equivalent to a wasted year. Liezel Huber is executive director of tennis for the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx, N.Y. A former number one-ranked doubles player, Huber won 57 WTA Tour doubles titles including seven Grand Slam titles and three year-end championship titles. Huber was also a threetime Olympian and a member of both the United States and South African Fed Cup teams. She was a WTA Player Council Representative for seven years, and is the founder of Liezel’s Cause, a non-profit organization she created to assist families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis Industry Comes Together

he top industry professionals and tennis leaders in the Eastern section gathered for the annual USTA Eastern Conference earlier this winter. Once again, the weekend-long event was held at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel, and featured a variety of activities, workshops and meetings as the section prepares for another year of growing tennis. “The 2020 conference was easily one of our best!” said Jenny Schnitzer, USTA

Eastern’s Executive Director & CEO. “We love bringing tennis leaders from across the section together. Watching so many creative minds meet and bounce ideas off each other is always such an energizing start to our year, and we really are ready to roll up our sleeves and find new, innovative ways to serve our mission of growing the game in our section.” The conference is the perfect way to not only recap what was accomplished in the previous year, but also to look ahead

to the coming year and beyond. The Eastern Section honors those who made a positive impact on the game in our area with its Awards Dinner, and this year also featured the Eastern Hall of Fame celebration. Throughout the weekend, there are workshops and seminars designed to demonstrate different teaching techniques or ways to grow, and this year included one on how to incorporate team-based drills into your practices, as

www.inphormnyc.com

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r for Annual Eastern Conference

well as one on how to use basic instruction to make your facility welcoming to more people in your community. The latter was led by Emilio Sanchez, the former seventh-ranked player in the world, who also put together a demonstration with his sister, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 14-time Grand Slam champion, on their experiences and success playing on tour together. One of the final workshops of the

weekend focused on tennis in the 21st century and how to make sure tennis leaders are using technology and the digital age to their benefit. “We’re very mindful of the current state of the game as well as where we think it’s heading,” added Schnitzer. “I was thrilled to have Heather Hawkes, USTA’s Senior Manager of Digital Serves for Community Tennis, lead an incredibly informative session on all the digital upgrades taking place over the next few years. Those very

exciting changes are going to make a big impact on our tennis community, and I was so glad someone as smart as Heather could come to the conference to break everything down for us.” The annual Eastern Conference is the unofficial start to the new year of tennis ahead in the section, and the 2020 edition of the event proved once again how much progress can be made in local tennis when industry leaders come together with the same goal in mind.

A PREMIERE TENNIS CAMP FOR KIDS Join Nick Bollettieri & Steve Kaplan for an exclusive tennis camp experience at a premiere summer camp in the beautiful mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The IHC Tennis Academy (IHCTA) offers the best of both worlds—A tennis academy program combined with an uncomparable summer camp experience. We offer a variety of 3 and 5 day programs for kids, adults and families. • Incredible, highly skilled & caring staff • 15 indoor & outdoor state-of-the-art courts • Fully equipped ﬁtness center & yoga studio • Lakefront watersports and pool • 5-part zip line & ropes course

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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

comeback complete continued from page 20

Englishman in New York Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund Hoists New York Open Trophy for Second Career ATP Title By Brian Coleman

t started at the New York Tennis Expo and finished on center court at trophy presentation, and Kyle Edmund will always remember his week on Long Island. The 62nd ranked man from Great Britain captured the New York Open singles title inside NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, defeating Italy’s Andreas Seppi 7-5, 6-1 and leaving New York with his second career ATP Tour title. “When I get things going in my way, and put my game up on court, and focus on the two or three things I do very well and really concentrate on that and take them up to a big level, that’s when I become a better player, and that’s what I did this week,” said Edmund, who began his week taking part in a Q&A during the New York Tennis Expo on the tournament’s opening day. “I was very aggressive, and in key moments I didn’t give opponents opportunities, and established my authority as much as I could.” He would put down his authority late in the first set against Seppi in the finals. With both players trading holds of serve through the first 11 games of the opener, Edmund got the first real look at a break when he went ahead 40-15 as Seppi was serving to force a tiebreak. He would capitalize on it, hitting a blistering backhand winner up the line to secure the break and win the first set “Winning the first sets in matches always helps, but in the final, when you get that sort of first stamp of authority, you get a leg up in the match--it always helps. It forces the opponent to come up with answers to get back at you,” said Edmund. “You don’t have to force 34

Long York Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com New Tennis Magazine • January/February March/April 2020 •2020 NYTennisMag.com •on NYTennisMag.com continued page 36

Credit photos to Pat Mosquera

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the issue as much, you just really have to keep that momentum going. And I knew winning that first set, and breaking him, I would have to serve first in the second set and be in the lead.” That’s just what Edmund would do. After holding to open up the second set, the eighth-seed broke Seppi to establish the early advantage in the second set. Later in the set, Edmund would break one more time following a long rally to jump ahead 5-1. He then calmly held serve to win the second tour-level title of his career. “I had one I thought back to,” Edmund said of his goals for this year. “I won three matches at the end of last year, but I hadn’t won four matches in a row for awhile. So that was a goal, just to win four matches in a row. I won four in a row, I was like, ‘Ok, let’s make it five’, which I hadn’t done in awhile. Obviously, winning titles is always a goal. In terms of ranking, it was just to get high up the rankings. That doesn’t just happen. You have to cut it down and look at how can we get high up the rankings, and that’s by just winning matches.” Playing a dominant week and winning matches will certainly be reflected in the rankings, and Edmund has shot up 17 spots to 45th in the world thanks to his week on Long Island. He earned $120,635 for his title. “Obviously, first of all, very happy to win my second career title in the ATP,” said Edmund. “When you’re young and training or playing tennis, these are the sort of things you imagine, wanting to win professional titles…I came out, played my game, didn’t get what I wanted straight away but kept at it, and broke him in that 6-5 game, and then after I got that first set I really just settled in and sort of won that second set quite comfortably.” The title, while important in and of itself, will go a long way to reinforce the work Edmund has put in over the last year. After breaking through in 2018, 36

climbing inside the Top 15, being the highest ranked player from Great Britain and reaching the Australian Open semifinals, Edmund’s 2019 was not as kind. Last year, Edmund lost more matches than he won, posting a record of 17-22, and falling to as low as 75th in the world rankings. But towards the end of 2019, Edmund won all three of his singles matches while representing Great Britain at the Davis Cup, and while he sputtered in his first three tournaments of the season, entered the New York Open feeling good about his game. He started off his week with a basic approach, and made sure to learn from some of the losses he suffered throughout the last year. “The reasons you get to right now— with the trophy—and what makes it nice is because you experience all those downs, and then it makes you realize that you just can’t take the success for granted,” said Edmund. “You get the success from having the downs because you learn from that, and the low points mentally, and the disappointments of losing matches and those help you get to the happy times, the success and the winning of matches.” Despite the famous black courts of the New York Open playing slow, according to most players, Edmund’s game was not affected. His blistering forehand, one of the best on the tour, was his biggest weapon throughout the week, and his aggressive style helped him out in some of the most crucial moments. “He’s obviously been on the tour for a

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

long time, he’s experienced—he knows what to do on the court,” Edmund said of Seppi. “So yeah, it was tough. But the way I’ve been playing, I knew that I would have opportunities, especially with my forehand, to get in the points.” Edmund now hopes to use this title as a catalyst to success in the rest of 2020, similar to how former New York Open champions, Kevin Anderson and Reilly Opelka, did after winning the title on Long Island. “We just have little goals here and there—working on my game, improving it,” said Edmund, looking ahead to the rest of the season. “Obviously, a big goal in mind was to get back to where I want to be and when I’m physically in a good place and playing intensely, my game rises. So those are the big goals, but lots of little goals have gone into that. I’ve been working on that…I want to be playing more matches like these and move higher in the rankings.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at.

2 0 2 0 N E W YO R K O P E N R E C A P

Pickleball’s Best on Display at New York Open

ne of the new elements added to the New York Open in 2020 was the enacting of the New York Open Pickleball Championships. The tournament featured a multitude of divisions in varying age and skill levels, with the top three finishers in each earning medals. Below are the gold medal winners from the first annual New York Open Pickleball Championships:

l Men’s Doubles 3.0/3.5 (19+): Sim Singh & Brian DeMasi l Men’s Doubles 3.0 (50+, 60+): Brian Fajans & Eric Peskin l Men’s Doubles 3.5 (50+): Joseph Walsh & Timothy Carroll l Men’s Doubles 3.5 (65+): Brian McDermott & Rick Fishman l Men’s Doubles 4.0 (19+): Manual Boya & Gino Riggio l Men’s Doubles 4.0 (50+, 65+): Alfonse Calato & Dave Liell

l Men’s Doubles 4.5/5.0: Alex PopMoldovan & Eden Lica l Men’s Singles 3.0/3.5 (50+): Philip Benigno l Men’s Singles 3.0/3.5 (65+): Robert Lessard l Men’s Singles 3.0 (19+): Andrew Brechner l Men’s Singles 3.5/4.0 (19+): Adam Brechner l Men’s Singles 4.0/4.5 (65+): John Hursh l Men’s Singles 4.0 (50+): Ricardo Romero l Men’s Singles 4.5 (19+): Matthew Stevens l Men’s Singles 5.0 (19+): Eden Lica l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (19+): Kristin Schad & Alex Ellison l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (50+): Beverly Jaycox & Steve Jaycox l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (65+): Beatrix McKane & Allen Faust l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (19+): Regina Prete & Bryan Lillis

l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (50+): Francine Avena & Anthony Avena l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (65+): Katherine Hedden & Michael Rotblatt l Mixed Doubles 4.0 (19+): Joanna Sapir & Michael Kazin l Mixed Doubles 4.0 (50+, 65+): Lucille Conklin & Jack Callanan l Mixed Doubles 4.5: Debbie Drum & Frank Sciacca l Mixed Doubles 5.0: Sari Lee & Scott Golden l Women’s Doubles 3.0: Joan Newton & Maite Gonzalez l Women’s Doubles 3.5 (50+): Maddie Cunningham & Ellen Naidus l Women’s Doubles 4.0 (19+, 50+): Monica DiPinto & Michelle Crismali l Women’s Doubles 4.5/5.0: Katie Taylor & Sara Maher l Women’s Singles 4.5 (19+, 50+, 65+): Tina Cressent

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 NEW YORK Inglot, Qureshi Triumph in New York he British-Pakistani pairing of Dominic Inglot and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi captured the New York Open doubles title, downing the American duo of Reilly Opelka and Steve Johnson 7-6(5), 7-6(6) inside NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. “I think it was, in the end, it was the experience and self-belief,” Qureshi said of the team’s success this week. “I think we’ve been working very hard—last year as well. And me and Dom both sat down and had a very serious conversation about what our goals are this year, and where we both of us as a team.” The week prior, the two came up short in the finals in Montpellier, France, but entered the New York Open feeling confident about their game. After winning the opening set in a tiebreak on Sunday, the pairing went ahead a break in the second set, and had a chance to serve for the match on Qureshi’s racket at 5-4.

Credit photo to Pat Mosquera

But Johnson and Opelka had one last fight in them, breaking serve and forcing the set into another tiebreak. A volley winner from Johnson would save one match point at 5-6, but

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Inglot and Qureshi would win the next two points to close out the match and win their first title together. “I believe in his game and he believes in mine. I think I bring a lot of energy on the court, where he brings a lot of power,” Qureshi said of why the duo has found success together. “For me, obviously I’ve been on the tour a little bit longer than him, so a little bit of experience there as well from me. He’s younger than me. I needed somebody to be a little bit younger. He has more fire is more driven also to do well in the slams and the big tournaments. He’s hungry to win more titles, which pushed me also to work harder, to be in the gym more, and look after my diet and everything like that. We didn’t have the best start in January, but it’s just about believing in the process and each other. I’m very happy. The last two weeks have been really great, and we’ve been clicking so far.” Qureshi also added that he was appreciative of the crowd support he and Inglot received throughout the week, especially in the semifinals and finals when he had a few friends in the stands. “They’re very close friends of mine and sometimes they get over the top, so I had to quiet them down,” he said, half-jokingly. “One of them…got offended that I asked him to quiet down, but luckily he was here again for the finals, so I’m happy for that…and the crowd, I feel like they know their tennis and they respect the good points and the good shots. As a tennis player, it’s really nice to see that. It feels good, and I’m thankful to the crowd. I think it was a great crowd for a final today.”

RK OPEN RECAP Theme Nights and Special Events Fill New York Open Week Credit photo to GF Sports

major highlight of the New York Open this year was the tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus once again on providing community-driven events and promotions in order to engage the local area and bring everyone together. So beyond just the great tennis played on court throughout the week, it also featured many special events, promotional nights and workshops both to add entertainment value and also to create a positive environment for all members of the community. That began with the New York Tennis Expo and the New York Open qualifying tournament on the opening Sunday. That day provided thousands of guests a wide array of activities, seminars and free professional tennis that kicked off the tournament week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Combining the New York Tennis Expo with Family Day presented by PGA Tour Superstore was an ace for the tournament,â&#x20AC;? said Peter Lebedevs, New York Open Tournament Director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had over 6,500 people attend the day and everyone walked out with a smile.â&#x20AC;? The New York Open once again held its College Night, which featured

Harvard freshman and Long Island native Brian Shi compete in the first match of the nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s session. Prior to that, Hofstraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shawn Jackson and Ostap Kovalenko competed in the doublesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; main draw, and all college students received discounted admission to attend that dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We kicked off the week with a great turnout at the New York Tennis Expo, and College Night was once again a

success,â&#x20AC;? said Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was our new community events, however, that really brought our event to the next levelâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; from our Veterans and Diversity Hiring Expo to our STEM Education School Day and GF Sports Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elevating Experiences Leadership Brunch. Total attendance for the week is up 20 percent from last year; we are headed in the right direction.â&#x20AC;?

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NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine

2016 Guide to the Top Clubs/Programs for New York Tennis Players

Camp Guide

Advantage Junior Tennis Camp at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) 281 Main Street l Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Contact: Steve O’Keefe l (212) 935-0250 l AdvantageCamps.net Advantage Junior Tennis Camp is “tennis heaven for kids”–giving players ages seven to 17 more drills, more skills and more time on the courts! Directed by Xavier Luna, it’s the City’s oldest and most-established junior tennis program. Girls and boys learn from a team of pros—including some of the finest coaches in the East. Campers use 12 Har-Tru indoor courts and three outdoor courts to improve their game with instruction, match play and cross-training. And if you’re looking for more tennis instruction, we can arrange a private lesson with the RIRC coach of your choice during your Camp week. While the focus is on tennis, campers go swimming, too! Choose single or consecutive weeks—and ask about the sibling discount! We even offer individual days with our 10-, 20-, 30-pack option. Camp is at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, easy to get to by tram, ferry, subway or car.

Advantage QuickStart Tennis Camp West Side: Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street l New York, N.Y. Contact: Gabe Slotnick l (212) 594-0554, ext. 20 l AdvantageCamps.net East Side: Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street l Roosevelt Island, N.Y. (212) 935-0250 l AdvantageCamps.net Advantage QuickStart Tennis Camp delivers a super summer for kids ages four through eight, with tennis customized for age, ability—and fun! During half days from 9:00 a.m.-noon, campers love playing with smaller rackets and slower-bouncing balls that make the game accessible. Engaging drills and games mean there’s always something new to learn and enjoy. Camp is led by an all-star tennis pro who specializes in teaching kids. And our coaches receive intensive specialty training in teaching the Net Gen 10 & Under curriculum. Enrolled campers also benefit from free unlimited Play More Sessions that make practice fun and Athletic Zone Sessions that help develop agility, balance and more. Choose only the weeks you need– and the more you choose, the lower the weekly rate! 40

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 2020 Summer Camp 1720 Crotona Avenue l Bronx, NY 718.247.7420 l caryleedsinfo@nyjtl.org l caryleedstennis.org Summer Camp at the Cary Leeds Center Led by seven-time Grand Slam Champion and Executive Director Liezel Huber, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning offers Summer Camp from June 15 to August 28 for juniors ages five to 18 years old. All levels are welcome from beginners in the development level program to advanced players in the competition level program. Players will train to develop necessary tennis technique, improve consistency and create basic patterns of play for effective point construction. Included is a fitness component designed to improve players’ footwork, balance, speed and overall strength. Camp hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and round-trip transportation is offered from convenient pick up and drop off points or door-to-door. Summer will be closed from August 17 to August 21. The Cary Leeds Center will be hosting FREE Open Houses on March 21 from 12-2:00 p.m., April 26 from 12-2:00 p.m., and May 9 from 2-4:00 p.m. Register on our website today! NYJTL Community Tennis Programs The Cary Leeds Center is the flagship home of New York Junior Tennis & Learning and offers free programming as a part of its commitment to the community. The summer Community Tennis Program begins the week of June 6 to August 28. NYJTL offers free programming throughout all five boroughs. For specific program days and times, please visit nyjtl.org to find a location near you. NYJTL’s mission is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. All proceeds from the Cary Leeds Center fund its mission.

WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED Play tennis year round under a Farley bubble. The Farley Group is the world leader in air-supported structures and has provided over 20 tennis bubbles in New York and Long Island. Contact us today to learn about how you can turn your outdoor courts into a year round facility.

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1-888-445-3223 NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Centercourt Tennis Academy – Elite International Tennis Programs & Camps Short Term – Mid Term – Annual Programs Plus Weekly Camp Options Chatham l Florham Park l Drew University l Gillette l Just 25 miles from Manhattan (862) 308-3029 l CentercourtAcademy.com l Conrad@CentercourtClub.com A commitment to excellence! Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy has quickly earned the reputation as one of the sport’s premier destinations for player development in the Northeast. With multiple world-class facilities from clay- to hard-court, indoor and outdoor, our players experience top-tier tennis Development & training in all key aspects of the game. We offer Homestay and Transportation Options for those in surrounding areas also. Centercourt’s points of difference l International tennis professionals lead daily programs in our cutting-edge environment l Attention to detail allows athletes to improve in multiple dimensions: Technical, Fitness, Mental and Tactical l Centercourt’s official UTR events offer opportunities for athletes to apply what they learn after training and improve their rating l Centercourt is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each and every one of its players l Centercourt’s players are among some of the leading Sectional- and Nationally-ranked competitors from around the country l Centercourt puts the needs of the player first, in a development-focused model of training l Athletes are grouped in level by UTR; featuring small group training, match play, individualized fitness plans, mental coaching and video analysis l Tournament, supervision, coaching and travel are available l Players who commit to Centercourt’s training will see themselves develop life skills that will enable them to become champions, both on and off the court. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy provides a superior junior player pathway that satisfies the needs of Sectional- and Nationally-ranked juniors. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and Summer Camp from June 10-Aug. 31. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy provides a superior junior player pathway that satisfies the needs of Sectional- and Nationally-ranked juniors. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and Summer Camp from June 10-Aug. 31. Chris Lewit Tennis Academy 3997 VT-100 l Londonderry, VT (914) 462-2912 l ChrisLewit.com l Chris@ChrisLewit.com Chris Lewit Tennis Academy (CLTA) Summer Camp is a serious high performance sleepaway and day camp set in the natural paradise of Vermont. Players have the opportunity to train personally in very small groups with Chris Lewit, one of leading high-performance junior development coaches in the United States. Chris is known as an expert in technique and biomechanics, and in Spanish training methods. He has developed numerous top 10 nationally-ranked juniors, many of whom are now graduating to the pro circuit. He also has experience building the foundations of many young prodigies. The camp focuses on players from ages 8-18, from serious beginner to national and ITF ranked players, and offers day or full boarding options. Campers live in a charming Vermont Inn and have exclusive use of a private tennis club, CLTA Vermont, which offers both outdoor red clay courts and indoor hard courts in the event of rain, gym, yoga studio and clubhouse, all set on 15 picturesque acres with a majestic river for swimming onsite. The camp features daily morning yoga and mindfulness training from a certified master yoga instructor and an injury prevention program overseen by a NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach who is training for the Olympics in Track and Field. 42

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide CLTA offers a unique hybrid teaching system based on the Toni Nadal, Pato Alvarez/Sanchez-Casal, and Bruguera Methods from Spain, as well as other European influences based on Chris Lewit’s travels abroad. Author of the best-selling book, The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, Chris has spent the last 14 years studying with many of the legendary coaches in Spain and Europe. He is the only coach in the US certified in three distinct Spanish styles: Nadal, Bruguera, and Sanchez-Casal. Chris brings the most cutting-edge training methods from Europe back to the U.S. for his students. New this year is a character building and mindset training based on the teachings of Toni Nadal! All students receive personal coaching and mentoring directly from Chris Lewit, and are supported by his highly trained staff of top college and ATP players. For more information, contact Chris directly to discuss your player’s summer development plan by e-mail at Chris@ChrisLewit.com, or text/call/WhatsApp (914) 462-2912, or visit ChrisLewit.com. You can also learn more about Chris’s philosophy at his Prodigy Maker Blog, and podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show. Visit ProdigyMaker.com for the blog and show links.

CourtSense Tennis Training Center at Bogota Racquet Club 156 West Main Street l Bogata, N.J. CourtSense at Ramapo College 505 Ramapo Valley Road l Mahwah, N.J. (201) 489-1122 l CourtSense.com l Info@CourtSense.com With CourtSense, you’ll achieve your personal best, because our training is of the highest professional caliber and easily tailored to suit your age and skill level. We use tennis as a vehicle to teach life lessons by tapping into the spirit of every player, with lots of passion, expertise and character. Students have access to 32 outdoor and 15 indoor tennis courts and to CourtSense’s revolutionary PlaySight smart court system. High Performance Summer Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club and/including Overnight option at Ramapo College. This camp is geared towards High Performance Tournament and high level High School players. CourtSense has trained and is currently training players who have become ATP- and WTA-ranked players, U.S. Olympians, as well as many college scholarship athletes. CourtSense’s International High Performance Coaches, in collaboration with its fitness staff and a sports psychologist, have developed a program that maximizes all athletes’ strengths, both on and off court. ++Full Day High Performance Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club runs from Monday-Friday, June 29-Aug. 28 (nine weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio. Weekly dual matches with other academies, and mental toughness training are also included. Transportation service provided from Bogota Racquet Club. ++Sleepaway Option at Ramapo College runs from Monday-Friday, June 29-July 17 (three weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio on a beautiful college campus. Campers will have access to an indoor swimming pool and lunch is provided at a brand new, air-conditioned cafeteria. Two players per fully airconditioned room with their own shower and bathroom. Round-trip transportation service from Tenafly and Bogota Racquet Clubs.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Ed Krass’ 32nd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics Brandeis University: Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28 Lehigh University: Sunday-Thursday, July 12-16 & Saturday-Wednesday, July 18-22; Sunday-Wednesday, July 12-22 (10-day program) Harvard University: Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26 (813) 684-9031 l CollegeTennis.com Coach Ed Krass’ 32nd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, for ages 14-18, are taught exclusively by head college coaches who will work with you on-court to improve your singles and doubles match play strategies and provide college recruiting advice. Instructional drills and match play competitions will be conducted in the same style and intensity as a college team practice. The two-day College Tennis Exposure Clinics will be offered at Brandeis University, Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28 and at Harvard University Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26. There will be four-day residential College Tennis Exposure Camps at Lehigh University Sunday-Thursday, July 12-16 and Saturday-Wednesday, July 18-22, and a 10-day residential camp session Sunday-Wednesday, July 12-22 for players seeking maximum instruction, match play and double exposure to head college coaches. The residential camp at Lehigh University includes airconditioned dormitory accommodations, healthy cafeteria meals and 24-hour adult supervision. Each camp session features a different instructional staff of head college coaches. Coach Ed Krass, Founder and Director of College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, has coached varsity tennis teams at Harvard University, Clemson University and the University of Central Florida prior to founding the College Tennis Academy. For more information, call Coach Krass at (813) 684-9031 or visit CollegeTennis.com.

Evert Tennis Academy 10334 Diego Drive Southt l Boca Raton, Fla. (561) 488-2001 l EvertAcademy.com l Evert@EvertAcademy.com The Evert Tennis Academy is located in sunny Boca Raton, Fla., and is considered by many as one of the best tennis camps in the country. John and Chrissie Evert set out to continue their father’s legacy 22 years ago by installing core values: Excellence, Resilience, Integrity and Leadership. “Our core values are the roadmap to coaching every student-athlete towards reaching their full potential.”–John Evert Evert Tennis Academy clinics will focus on technical development, tactical training and competitive settings. Players will experience a typical Evert program that includes tennis lessons, strength and fitness conditioning, mental conditioning and competitive match play against players from all over the world. Players will get a coach’s evaluation during their stay here to review at home. Top five reasons why to attend this summer (Monday-Sunday, May 31-Aug. 15): 1. Coaches/program: Our coaching staff continues to put a program together that is second to none. Each program is designed so that each player will get the personalized attention needed to improve his or her game while having fun. Whether you are an intermediate player looking to fine tune your game or a high-level nationally ranked player we have the program for you. 2. Facility/boarding: Evert Tennis Academy is one of the only academies to provide boarding services for any student wishing to stay only steps away from the courts. Its eight-acre facility provides a safe environment nestled in the beautiful and secure Mission Bay residential neighborhood, surrounded by lakes, manicured lawns and lush Floridian foliage. 3. Competition: The Evert Tennis Academy provides match play for each student every day. The Evert Tennis Academy will also be hosting three UTR tournaments (June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 8-9) this summer for any player looking to get match play prior to 44

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide the Clay Court & Hard Court Nationals, Zonals or just get access to players of equal playing level. All levels are welcome. 4. College Showcase: The Evert Tennis Academy will be hosting the USP College Showcase on July 25-26 (Saturday and Sunday). Any student that signs up for the Showcase can get a 25% discount on the Training Week and also a $150 rebate on the entry fee of the Showcase. 5. Location: Located in the beautiful town of Boca Raton, Fla., the Evert Tennis Academy is located only a few minutes away from the beach and only 30 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach airports making it an easy trip from the northeast.

Future Stars Summer Camps (914) 273-8500 FSCamps.com Purchase College SUNY 735 Anderson Hill Road l Purchase, N.Y. l (914) 273-8500 The College at Old Westbury 223 Store Hill Road l Old Westbury, N.Y. l (516) 226-CAMP (2267) Farmingdale State College 2530 Broadhollow Road l Farmingdale, N.Y. l (631) 769-CAMP (2267) Future Stars Tennis Club 1370 Majors Path l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 287-6707 St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue 155 West Roe Boulevard l Patchogue, N.Y. l (631) 572-0232 Future Stars Summer Camps offer the finest weekly tennis day camps at five outstanding locations: Purchase College SUNY, The College at Old Westbury, Farmingdale State College, St. Joseph’s CollegePatchogue and Future Stars Tennis Club in Southampton, N.Y. Programs are directed by experienced and qualified teachers and coaches who share a passion for working with children. Weekly programs are offered for boys and girls entering grades K-12. Tennis camps offer the perfect mix of match play, drill work, strategy sessions and off-court activities to challenge players of all levels. The program is designed to improve every facet of the game, including technical, tactical, physical and mental components under the guidance of our experienced and enthusiastic tennis professionals. Campers will be carefully grouped according to skill level and age and will be encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills organized play, target training, fitness routines and more. At Future Stars Summer Camps, we play with confidence, enthusiasm and a genuine love of the game! Stop by our regular on-campus open house events to view the facilities, meet the directors, and take advantage of enrollment savings.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Gilad Bloom Tennis Summer Camp Riverdale Tennis Center l 3671 Hudson Manor Terrace l Riverdale, N.Y. The Gilad Bloom Summer Camp begins on Monday, June 29 and runs four times a week, Monday-Thursday, for 10 weeks until Thurs, Sept. 3. Summer Camp Hours: 12:00pm-4:00pm. Schedule: 12:00-2:00 p.m.-Group session 2:00-2:30 p.m.-Snack/Lunch break 2:30-4:00 p.m.-Match Play l l l l

Gilad Bloom Tennis also provides: Private lessons before and after the group session. Match play before and after group session. Fitness sessions before or after the group. Tournament travel available seven days a week.

Come learn and train under Gilad Bloom and his program which enters its 20th year. Bloom played on the pro circuit for 12 years and reached a career high singles ranking of 61st in the world and reached the U.S. Open fourth round in 1990. Bloom scored victories over Jimmy Connors, Petr Korda, Brad Gilbert, Mark Philliposis and Marcelo Rios among others during his career, and represented Israel in Davis Cup for 11 years and is a two-time Olympian (1988,1992). For more info please go to GiladBloom.com.

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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Gotham Stadium NYC Summer Camps at Mill Pond Park Next door to Yankee Stadium (718) 665-4684 l StadiumTennisNYC.com l Info@StadiumTennisNYC.com Stadium Tennis Center offers a unique array of summer camp programs designed for tennis players of all levels to experience. Through a partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy, some of the most talented and engaging tennis pros in New York City have been assembled. The pros share a passion to work closely with players of all levels and ages to help them develop to their fullest potential. Stadium Tennis Center offers two distinct summer tennis camp experiences to choose from: l The Summer Elite High Performance Tennis Academy: Designed for those juniors who are ranked in the top 30 or better in their Section. It includes a low player-to-coach ratio, on-court drills, match play, video analysis, mental toughness training and an extensive fitness program to prepare for sectional and national events. l The Junior Summer Tennis Development Program: Designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced players. Ages five through 14 are welcomed to enroll. Your child will learn proper stroke production fundamentals, strategy, match play, conditioning and footwork. Round-trip transportation from points in New York City, Westchester and New Jersey may be arranged.

Gotham Tennis Academy Morning Summer Camp at Equinox Sports Club/NY 160 Columbus Avenue l New York, N.Y. (646)-524-7069 l Info@GothamTennis.com l GothamTennis.com Dates: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting in June, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon The Gotham Tennis Academy Morning Summer Camp at Equinox Sports Club/NY (Upper West Side) is a great way to keep your child active and improve his or her tennis in a fun and supportive indoor atmosphere. Indoor tennis offers a safe, sun/rain/bug-free environment so children can really enjoy the sport! The Gotham QuickStart Tennis Program emphasizes skill development and fun on a specially equipped tennis court at the Equinox Sports Club/NY. In friendly, small group tennis lessons, Gotham Tennis Academy’s certified professional instructors utilize foam balls and pressure-free balls, mini-nets, and age- and level-appropriate miniature rackets to accelerate the development of early muscle memory. In no time, your child will learn to swing the racket and move his or her feet like a tennis prodigy! For beginners and advanced beginners between the ages of three to nine, you can expect your child to have fun, develop self-confidence and learn tennis fundamentals.

IHCTA Tennis Camp (914) 345-2155 l www.IHCTennisAcademy.com l Nico@CampIHC.com Join Nick Bollettieri and Steve Kaplan for an exclusive tennis camp experience at a premiere summer camp facility in the beautiful mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The IHC Tennis Academy (IHCTA) offers the best of both worlds—A tennis academy program combined with an uncomparable summer camp experience. We offer a variety of 3 and 5 day programs for kids, adults and families. The IHC tennis camp is an all-inclusive unique opportunity, designed to help your child learn and improve their tennis skills whilst also helping to develop their independence through an amazing sleep-away summer camp experience in Pennsylvania. It is also an exceptional experience for adults. You can spend time on the courts improving your game or soaking up the sun and relaxing at our beautiful lakeside facilities. Our program welcomes a wide variety of player experiences and skill levels, from a tennis enthusiast just starting to show interest in the sport, to the advanced player aspiring to play college tennis or competitive leagues. Everyone has a place at IHCTA, no matter the ability or skill level, they are going to fit in and have fun. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Our one-of-a-kind program includes: Drills, stroke production, game analysis, on/off court conditioning, and nutritional guidance Competitive and recreational UTR certified matches Nick Bolletieri and Steve Kaplan led clinics, Q&A, motivational speeches, and on court coaching Alternative activities such as: Yoga, zip-lining, water skiing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, swimming, ropes course, flag football, basketball and more IHCTA’s top-notch campus includes 15 tennis courts (4 indoor), gym & fitness center, 8-lane heated swimming pool, 35 Acre spring fed lake, unlimited outdoor spaces for adults, and more! At IHCTA, we take pride in providing the tools to prepare our campers not only for tennis competition, but to deal with life situations through instilling the importance of work ethics, discipline, consistency, goal setting, respect, team work, responsibilities, accountability, and compassion. We truly believe that there is no other tennis program or summer camp like the IHCTA, but the IHCTA would mean nothing without the team of coaches we have to make the academy special. We’ve got a mix of former top 500 players, national champions, state champions, PTR, ITF & USTA qualified coaches, LTA coaches, D1 college players. Visit IHCTA at www.IHCTennisAcademy.com for dates, rates and more information. IHCTA offers pick-up and drop-off from airports in the New York and Long Island areas. l l l l

Joel Ross Tennis Camp (914) 723-2165 l JoelRossTennis.com l Info@JoelRossTennis.com No need to go to Florida for a summer camp! Joel Ross Tennis Camp in Kent, Conn. will host many ranked players this summer including more than a dozen nationally ranked juniors and several number one sectionallyranked juniors from the East, New England and Middle States. This is our 30th year! Our tennis facilities include 12 tennis courts, including four indoor and eight new outdoor hard courts. The campers drill in the morning and play matches in the afternoon and on alternate evenings. Private lessons are given each night after the matches have concluded. Some of the electives are swimming in our indoor pool, canoeing and kayaking on the Housatonic River, squash in the new squash center, archery, golf on our driving range, basketball, soccer, etc. Joel Ross, Owner and Director, is a native Long Islander, having grown up in Westbury, N.Y. He won the New York State High School Singles Championships two consecutive years and earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he captained the team and played number one singles. In 1971, Joel was Big 10 Singles Champion and was featured on the cover of Tennis Magazine. His best circuit wins include John McEnroe and Tom Gullikson. He currently resides in New Rochelle, N.Y. with his wife, Ellen. Their four grown children each attended and worked at the camp. Contact Info@JoelRossTennis.com or visit JoelRossTennis.com for more information.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide John McEnroe Tennis Academy Summer Tennis Training Camps SPORTIME EXCEL Tennis Camps (888) NY-TENNIS (888) 698-3664 l Camps@SportimeNY.com l SportimeCamps.com l SportimeCamps.com/JMTA Locations on Long Island, in Manhattan and Westchester No one knows tennis training for juniors better than SPORTIME! And, with multiple tennis camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, aspiring tennis players can enjoy John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME tennis training programs across the region, throughout the summer. SPORTIME’s and JMTA’s training methods are fun and fast-paced and feature technical and tactical training. Innovative tennis training techniques are rooted in competitive games and tennis-specific conditioning regimens. Newer players learn and enjoy the sport in age and level appropriate groups. Higher level training prepares serious juniors for the physical, mental and emotional demands of match and tournament play. SPORTIME’s international coaching staff is dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths and strengths into winning games. For our youngest players, ages 10 and under, campers work through clearly defined stages of development that follow an internationally accepted progression of court sizes (red 36’, orange 60’), ball types (red, orange) and net heights that make it possible for kids to actually play tennis from the moment they step onto the court. With our fun and unique “gamification” approach, our junior players don’t just take lessons—they get sent on missions, acquire skills, collect points and achieve milestones. Campers also enjoy instruction and competition in a variety of team sports activities. Visit SportimeCamps.com to find the SPORTIME EXCEL or JMTA Summer Tennis Training Camp nearest you, or e-mail Camps@SportimeNY.com to find out more. Programs vary by location.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide New York Tennis at Shelter Rock Tennis Club 100 Long Island Expressway l Manhasset, N.Y. (516) 233-2790 l NYTAGN.com l Info@NYTAGN.com The New York Tennis Academy at Shelter Rock Tennis Club is under the Direction of Brian Stein and Chris Tasso. For more than 20 years they have both developed and coached some of the top juniors in the Long Island/New York City area. They will be sure to look after every junior’s personal needs, as well as instill a real competitive presence at the camp. In addition to their leadership at the camp, Brian and Chris are also the Directors of Junior Tennis at New York Tennis at Great Neck. The coaching staff at the camp will feature a highly accomplished set of former ATP, ITF and NCAA players, as well as current college players that were once juniors in the program and fully understand the hard work philosophy. The camp is hosted at a beautiful facility of Har-Tru courts, a large pool that campers can enjoy in the afternoons, and is centrally located right off of the Long Island Expressway in Manhasset. On days it rains, the camp utilizes several indoor courts located on-premises to keep up the tennis fun. Finally, the New York Tennis Academy’s mission is that every junior player loves going to camp and has an incredible summer tennis experience. The entire staff will be dedicated to giving campers a summer they’ll never forget.

Nike Tennis Camps (800) NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) l USSportsCamps.com/Tennis Come join the fun and get better this summer at a Nike Tennis Camp! With more than 80 locations nationwide, both overnight and day options, there is a camp for everyone. Nike Tennis Camps provide young players the opportunity to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun. Dedicated camp directors have a passion for teaching and a gift for helping you take your game to the next level. Locations include: Stony Brook School (Stony Brook, NY); Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY) Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.); Randy Mani Tennis Academy at Hardscrabble Club (Brewster, NY); Colgate University (Hamilton, NY); Amherst College (Amherst, MA.); and Curry College (Milton, MA). Who says that only kids can go to camp? The Nike Adult Tennis Camp at Amherst College has hosted more than 30,000 adult tennis players since 1972. This year, the camp is moving to Mount Holyoke! Camp Director Reiny Maier is an outstanding teacher who inspire all players to get better and love the game.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy 142 Montauk Highway l West Hampton, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 l (914) 234-9462 l WestHamptonBeachTennis.com l PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationallyranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic, newly-renovated and highly-honored Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane, 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The Grassmere’s 22 guest rooms all have air conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and private bathrooms. Ideal for families, are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast is included daily. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. Most participants seek a less intensive program of three to five hours of instruction daily. Visiting tennis pros bring students with Kaplan’s staff available to supplement the pros. Here, you can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. We are the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. And we are annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Packages, including accommodations, breakfast and instruction, begin at $99. Also, we will once again be offering partial and full scholarships to both adults and juniors, for our tennis academy. These are for beginning tennis players who have made contributions to their community, and are in the names of two of Peter Kaplan’s Cornell roommates.

Ross School Tennis Academy and Sports Camp 20 Goodfriend Drive l East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 l Ross.org/Tennis l TennisAcademy@Ross.org The Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) is a beautiful tennis facility in the Hamptons that is open to the public and located on the Ross Upper School campus in East Hampton, NY. The tennis center features six Har-Tru courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for year-round play. There are also two hard courts for junior tournament training. The courts are directly adjacent to the state-of-the-art Field House, featuring amenities such as locker rooms, lounge, snack bar, and ping-pong tables, and the staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success. Tennis Academy - Summer Monday-Friday, June 22-August 28: From specialized U10 programs with orange and green dot balls designed for developing competitive tennis players, to our highperformance training with live ball drills and match play series for players entering middle and high school, this 10 week all-encompassing summer program is our most intense and complete junior tennis education offered and is considered the best in the Hamptons. We are excited to take this level of training offered to our newest program additions: Soccer, Basketball and Multi-Sport. Visit us at ross.org/sportscamp for more information. Players considering the tennis program should be serious about their commitment, consistently practicing at least three days per week year-round. All training in each age and development level includes daily fitness, match play and gourmet lunch in our renowned café. Players age 7 – 15 can sign up for this weekly, but space is limited. Tryout required (videos accepted). Boarding available certain weeks for grades 7th through 12th. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide SPORTIME Summer Camps (888) NY-TENNIS (888) 698-3664 l SportimeCamps.com l Camps@SportimeNY.com Locations across Long Island, in Manhattan, Westchester and Schenectady “Last year, I had the best summer ever!” Who said that? Every kid who attended a SPORTIME Summer Camp last summer! That’s because at SPORTIME summer camps, our staff of teachers, coaches and counselors makes sure that every camper has a positive and memorable experience. SPORTIME knows how to make camp fun! How does SPORTIME do it? Our experienced, certified, international staff are skilled at providing camp programming that is challenging, innovative and educational, all at facilities that are state-of-the-art, safe, and easily accessible. From preschoolers to pre-teens, kids who enjoy tennis, sports, friendship and fun love coming to SPORTIME summer camps, which offer programs and events tailored to every age group and interest. With camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, we’ve got your summer covered! Go to SportimeCamps.com to find the perfect camp for your child or e-mail us at Camps@SportimeNY.com. Programs and facilities vary by location. Elite-level tennis, volleyball and hockey camps are also available.

The West Side Tennis Club–Summer Camp 2020 One Tennis Place l Forest Hills, N.Y. (718) 268-2300, ext. 127 l JuniorProgram@ForestHillsTennis.com l TheWestSideTennisClub.com The West Side Tennis Club offers a fun-filled Rock N’ Roll Summer Tennis Camp led by French Open Champion Luke Jensen! Our Camp boasts top-notch coaching at the most historic tennis venue in the United States. Former home of the U.S. Open, The West Side Tennis Club still maintains eight grass courts, three synthetic grass courts, three hard courts, two red clay courts, 21 Har-Tru courts and the Forest Hills Stadium court. The Club facilities also include a Junior Olympic Size Swimming Pool, the beautiful Rose Garden and of course, the historic Club House itself. The 2020 Rock N’ Roll Summer Tennis Camp starts on June 15th and runs for 11 weeks. Camp is open to junior players of all ages and levels (ages four through 17; beginners through tournament-level players). Camp days run Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. A camp day starts with warm-up drills and stretching, followed by tennis instruction from certified professionals. A snack and lunch will be provided each day by the West Side Tennis Club’s renowned restaurant. After lunch, campers can either challenge each other at match play, challenge themselves at advanced training, or cool off in the pool. Advanced training is also offered in the afternoons via The West Side Tennis Club’s Tournament Training Program. The Club’s elite coaching staff will work with tournament level players from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. with high intensity drills and physical conditioning. The program is offered for Regular Ball tournament players, as well as Green Dot Advanced players.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadow-Corona Park l Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 l NTC.USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center will once again offer fun in the sun tennis day camps starting in June. Enrollment will soon be available online and you may choose registration for one, two or as many as seven weeks. The weekly program runs Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break or a twilight session from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Campers work on the development of tennis techniques, tactics, sports conditioning, multi-sports and strategy geared toward maximizing the learning experience in a fun presentation. As the juniors develop, they are advanced to more challenging groups. Tennis activities include Stroke of the Day, team games and competitive match play. The camp also offers cross-training activities, such as soccer, softball and basketball in the park or at the Corona Park multi-purpose recreational facility, off-site field trips include ice skating, Mets games, and more, and full access to the many fun activities on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The program accepts junior players, ages four- through 10-years-old for the 10 & Under programs. Recreational players 11-yearsold and up are enrolled in the Junior Camps (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Advanced High Performance Tournament training campers will also be invited to participate in an intensive Tennis Academy training program. The National Tennis Center has 22 outdoor courts, 12 indoor courts, and four stadium courts. Also on-site are ping-pong tables, ball machines, a fitness center, and other age-appropriate fun activities like arts, multisports, arts and crafts, and other engaging sporting events. The primary focus will be on developing tennis skills, while offering other activities to enhance the learning and summer camp experience. Also offered are junior evening and weekend programs, as well as adult daytime, weekday evening and weekend camps. Detailed information will be available soon at NTC.USTA.com. You may contact the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at (718) 760-6200 for more information about year-round and summer day camp programs.

Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps 1215 Roxbury Road l Roxbury, Vt. (802) 860-2005 l WindridgeCamps.com l Misha@WindridgeCamps.com Windridge ... a tradition of tennis, soccer and horseback riding and so much more for over 50 years. Located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camp stands unique in that they feature specialized sports programs within the framework of a traditional New England camp setting. Since 1968, children have come to Windridge from most of the 50 states and more than 30 countries to share in the Windridge experience. Campers make a commitment to hard work, good sportsmanship, and wholesome fun and laughter, within a warm and friendly environment. Windridge offers two-week and four-week coed sessions from June through August, serving ages seven through 15. Windridge’s 4:1 camper-to-counselor ratio is an important factor in its warm and nurturing environment. In addition, we offer two 10-day Rookie Camps for 7-10-year-old first-time campers. Windridge offers “majors” in tennis, soccer and horseback riding. Campers will develop skills in their chosen major each day while rounding out their schedule with electives like golf, mountain biking, archery, a ropes course, basketball, volleyball, arts and crafts, and more. Windridge adds to this a wide variety of exceptional evening activities and special events, such as Carnival Day and Teela-Games to create a wellrounded experience for each camper. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Windridge Camps A Family Affair By By Brian Brian Coleman Coleman

or the better part of the last decade, Windridge Tennis & Sports Camp founder and owner Ted Hoehn has been in search of a successor. In 1968, Hoehn and Alden Bryan founded the Windridge Tennis Camp in Jeffersonville, Vt. After six years, such a long waiting list had developed that a second facility was purchased in Craftsbury Common, Vt. As that camp flourished and developed a long waiting list of its own, Hoehn and Bryan purchased the Teela-Wooket Camp in Roxbury, Vt., an all-girls riding camp, in 1985, and transformed it into a co-ed tennis, soccer and horseback riding camp for youngsters ages eight through 15. After developing a legacy and reputation for the camp over the last 50 years in Roxbury, Hoehn wanted someone who strongly believed in the same core values and tent poles that he built the camp on. “Those values include honestly and integrity; hard-work and good sportsmanship; kindness and fairness; and developing skills and mental toughness that lasts a lifetime,” said

Hoehn. “And most importantly, being passionate about what you teach.” During the search, Hoehn had many potential buyers, including people wellversed in this industry, but was unable to find the right fit. “We had one particular person who owned other camps, not sports camps, and he didn’t have a real knowledge of what Windridge was and what our core values are,” he said. “So it was something that was flattering, to have someone come to you and interested in buying your camp, but I wanted to have the assurance that the camp is going to flourish in the same fashion that I’ve worked 50 years to build up.” With all of that in mind, Hoehn had sort of an epiphany one night last summer, and realized the best person to take over would be his son, Ramsey, and his wife, Nifer. “There is no such thing as the perfect situation, especially when you are dealing with a family business, but I thought this was as close to a perfect situation that we could get,” said Hoehn. “I made him a proposal, he spent a few days looking it over with his family, and they said yes.”

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

As someone who has been a part of Windridge for his entire life, Ramsey Hoehn was thrilled when presented with the offer. “Tennis and Windridge have been a part of my entire life, and to be able to keep Windridge in our family after my dad started it more than fifty years ago is a dream come true,” said Ramsey Hoehn. “We live in Vermont, have strong roots here, and are excited to be in Vermont for business and pleasure, continuing on the Windridge experience.” Ramsey is someone who grew up as a camper at Windridge before becoming a counselor and an assistant tennis director. He then moved on to become a tennis director at clubs such as Fisher Island and Hay Harbor. Not only is Ramsey cognizant of the values of Windridge, but also has a multitude of experience running and operating programming and camps. “It feels good to know that we are in good hands,” said Ted Hoehn. “That is very comforting. And it’s not only the Windridge legacy, but the Hoehn legacy as well. My father was also in the tennis business, so this is the third generation of

Hoehns that are involved in this industry, and making our living in something that we are passionate about. One of the first things that Ramsey said to me within a week of making the agreement was that after they are finished running it, his hope was that one of his sons will take it over. That’s very heartwarming to hear that early on in the transition.” He will not be alone in this process, though, as Norbert Auger, the full-time Camp Director, and Misha Monticciolo, the Assistant Director, will help guide the transition. “Since the day I stepped foot at Windridge, everyone already familiar with the camp took me in like family,” said Monticciolo. “In my opinion, this is the best thing that could for Windridge and its future. Windridge has had a positive impact on so many people around the world for so many years, to have someone in the family come in who deeply understands Windridge’s core values and traditions, and can therefore continue to impact

generations to come, will make for an easy and highly successful transition.” So as Ted and Nanny Hoehn prepare to spend one final summer at Windridge fulltime, they can look back at the company they built and know that it is in the right hands. “I think the emotions will run high,” said Ted. “It’s been my life’s passion and work. I love it there, but I also feel like the time has come. It will certainly be tough when it comes to say goodbye to being there on

a regular basis and pass the torch. My wife and I love to play golf and tennis in Florida during the winter, and we love to travel. That’s what we intend to do. I think it’s going to be fun for both of us. We are both healthy right now, knock on wood, and we hope to have a pretty good period of time to enjoy life.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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2020 Australian Open Kenin’s breakthrough

years, and was just one set away from claiming that elusive major title. “You were very close to winning it, and you definitely have a lot more time in your career,” Djokovic said to Thiem during the trophy presentation. “I am sure you will get a Grand Slam trophy, more than one.”

Gauff continues to impress

The story of the 2020 Australian Open was young American Sofia Kenin, who hoisted her maiden Grand Slam trophy in dramatic fashion. The 21-year-old came back from a set down to defeat two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza in a thrilling championship match. Long considered a prodigy, Kenin has shown steady results over the last two years which planted the seed for the result that blossomed Down Under. “It was such a battle and it was very physical,” said Kenin. “I’m on cloud nine right now; I just can’t believe this.”

Djokovic dominant once again While the women’s singles draw featured a first-time winner, the men’s winner was a familiar face. Novak Djokovic added to his resume with his eighth title in Oz, and 17th major overall. And he came to this title in dramatic fashion, coming back from twosets-to-one down to beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. “Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I am still competing and still playing a full season, trying to obviously get the historic No. 1,” said Djokovic. “That’s the other big goal. I put myself in this position that is really good at the moment.”

More thiem heartbreak One man’s triumph is another man’s pain. And unfortunately for Austria’s Dominic Thiem, he falls into the latter category once again. Thiem was competing in his third major final, having lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open finals each of the last two 56

American teenager Coco Gauff continued her impressive play over this last year, showing that her Wimbledon and US Open results from last year were no fluke. Gauff knocked off defending champion Naomi Osaka and reached the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, as the young American keeps demonstrating her consistency, and maturity. “I’m definitely going to savor this and continue to build and get better to work for moments like this, moments like that last match,” Gauff said after she fell to Kenin, the eventual champion. “Even today, even though I lost, I still had a lot of fun. I mean, now looking back, I’m not as disappointed anymore.”

Wozniacki says goodbye While Gauff is an example of seeing the beginnings of a promising young career, this year’s Australian Open also gave us the final glimpse into a Hall of Fame career. Former champion Caroline Wozniacki competed in her final tournament as a professional, bringing an end to her decorated career, that saw her reach multiple Grand Slam finals and spend time as the topranked player in the world. The Dane won her first two matches before falling to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third-round.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Takeaways By Brian Coleman

“From a little girl with a big dream, to this moment, standing on the court today living out my tennis dream one last time in front of the world,” Wozniacki later tweeted. “It has been everything I could ever have hoped for! The farewell I got today was absolutely incredible.”

ability to rise to the occasion is pretty special. Obviously he’s an incredible athlete, too. Those two things for me stick out.”

Ram earns first men’s doubles title

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza has been an enigma over the last several years. She is a two-time major champion, but outside of the big events, Muguruza doesn’t seem to put together consistent results, and that resulted in her being unseeded for the Australian Open. But Muguruza put it together over the fortnight, knocking off three Top 10 seeds en route to her reaching the first Grand Slam final since she won Wimbledon in 2017. Despite losing the finals in three-sets, her time in Melbourne is a good indicator on what we can expect from Muguruza moving forward.

Rajeev Ram won a Grand Slam Men’s Doubles title for the first time in his career, pairing with Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury to defeat the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Luke Saville 6-4, 62 in the finals. Ram won a Mixed Doubles title at last year’s Australian Open, and now has a men’s doubles title to his name as well. “He doesn’t show it outwardly, but he’s incredibly competitive, especially on the tennis court,” Ram said of his partner. The duo has been playing together for the better part of a year. “His

Muguruza back to grand slam form

continued on page 58

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2020 australian open takeaways continued from page 57

Zverev’s best grand slam showing

using his serve as a weapon en route to reaching the semifinals. It was his best result at a Grand Slam, and could be a sign of things to come for Zverev.

American struggles While Kenin hoisted the women’s singles trophy and Ram won men’s doubles, the Australian Open proved to be a struggle overall for Americans. There was just one woman and one man who reached the quarterfinals, Kenin and Tennys Sandgren, in each draw. As the hard-court season transitions to grass and clay, it will be interesting to see how some of the top Americans fare at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Bellis back on big stage One of the most encouraging and heart-warming storylines to come out of this year’s Australian Open was that of CiCi Bellis’ return. The young American has missed nearly two years with injuries, but returned in the start of 2020 as she embarks on her comeback to the tour. Bellis, still just 20years-old, reached the third-round Down Under. It was a fantastic result for someone who has missed years due to injury, and just being back out there competing was victory enough for Bellis. The knock on Alex Zverev in recent years has been his performance, or lack thereof, in the world’s four biggest tournaments. He has been a mainstay in the top 10 for the last couple of years and despite back-to-back quarterfinal showings at the French Open, there was a narrative that the young German was unable to come through on the biggest stage. His serve struggles were also a major talking point entering the Australian Open, but he quickly dispelled any of those concerns,

“I think a year ago at this time I didn’t know if I was going to play again, so just being here is so special to me, let alone winning,” she said. “I just feel lucky to be here.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com

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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Scoring Shots By Lawrence Kleger Scoring Shots are shots hit when an opponent’s ball lands harmlessly somewhere around the service line or closer to the net. These can be easy groundstrokes, put away volleys or overheads. The goal when hitting any of these shots is to hit the ball so that it cannot be returned by your opponent. Scoring Shots differ from approach shots or set up shots by their intent. As players progress in the effectiveness of their groundstrokes and baseline tactics, they will be spending more time playing shots in the midcourt. Improvement in midcourt shots (approach or set up shots) will yield more opportunities to finish points closer to the net, which are Scoring Shots. Since Scoring Shots generally decide the point, we want players to be extremely competent and confident in their execution. Missing an easy shot close to the net can turn a match around or least change momentum in favor of the opponent. The way we create competency and confidence in Scoring Shots is to help our students determine their best shots from every spot in the scoring zone, i.e. service line to the net. Top players do not come up to a Scoring Shot chance and say to themselves, “Let’s try hitting an inside out backhand angle groundstroke because last time I had this shot, I hit a winning forehand cross court (my best shot!), and I don’t

want to do the same thing twice in a row.” A top player will hit that cross court forehand virtually every time that same shot comes up unless one thing happens…can you guess what that is? Correct! The only time that a top player will go off his best shot is when the opponent has moved into a position to defend that shot. Now the player will go to Plan B which probably requires a lower level of execution given that the opponent is out of position. When a player has the confidence in knowing that he/she is about to hit their best shot, he moves to it a little quicker, positions in the right stance a little better and executes the shot A LOT BETTER! When I ask my students, “what is your

best shot from this spot?” I give them that shot over and over again to see if they are correct in their assessment. Sometimes they are spot on, but many times they discover that, in fact, what they believe to be their best shot is anything but. That’s when I see real progress! Lawrence Kleger is co-director of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy. He is recognized as one of the top developmental coaches in the United States. He has trained more ranked juniors than anyone in the history of the USTA Eastern Section. His students have won numerous National and Regional Championships, and 20 USTA Eastern Year-End Sportsmanship Awards.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Century Tennis

Har-Tru LLC

56 Brook Avenue Deer Park, N.Y. (631) 242-0220 CenturyTennis.com Since 1965, Century Tennis has been dedicated to the growing sport of tennis by building quality tennis courts and providing a specialized service to the tennis club industry, as well as the private community. By maintaining a high-quality of service and customer satisfaction over the years comes a trust that is ever so hard to attain. “We simply want to be the best at what we do.” In order to build great tennis courts, you have to start at the bottom with an understanding of soil conditions and converting it to a good base. Laser-controlled road graders enable Century Tennis to build with accuracy. Building Post-Tensioned Concrete, instead of the old asphalt type courts, are proving to be a great alternative for “crack-free” tennis courts. Whether it is a hard court with the softness of Deco-Turf or Classic Turf Rubber or whether it is a soft court like HarTru or Hydro Court, or a surface that offers a little of both like Nova Synthetic Turfs … Century Tennis can deliver. The company is a member of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI). Century Tennis’ building techniques meet and or exceed those of the ASBA and the USTA and with its “Certified Tennis Court Builder” staff assures this quality. The company’s intention is to deliver the very best tennis courts for the most demanding players and tennis club owners. “Expanding the game of tennis, one court at a time.”

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Har-Tru, LLC is a global tennis company based in Charlottesville, VA. It is the world’s leading one-stop shop for tennis court surfaces, tennis court consultation, court equipment and accessories. The company strives to help others build and maintain the best courts in the world, leveraging its products, knowledge, and experience to most effectively meet the needs of each customer. Har-Tru stays active in the in the industry as an advocate for the sport and a sponsor of tennis related activities.”

The Farley Group– Air-Supported Structures 6 Kerr Crescent Puslinch, Ontario, Canada (888) 445-3223 TheFarleyGroup.com The Farley Group has installed more than 20 tennis bubbles in the New York City and Long Island areas, helping tennis facilities extend their season into the winter months. For seasonal or permanently installed tennis bubbles, The Farley Group is your number one source for

VelveTop Products 1455 New York Avenue Huntington Station, N.Y. (631) 427-5904 Velvetop.com VelveTop Products is a family-owned and operated business since 1968. VelveTop is a stocking distributor of a full line of tennis court materials and equipment, including: l Deco Turf: The Cushioned Tennis Surface of Champions l Har-Tru: Developing Champions Since 1932 l Douglas Sports: Nets, Windscreens, Divider Nets l RiteWay Crack Repair Systems l Deep Root: Tree Root Barriers l Hadeka Red Clay For more information, call (631) 427-5904, e-mail BWalsh@VelveTop.com or visit VelveTop.com.

quality, service and dependability. As a manufacturer, supplier, installer and service provider of air-supported structures, The Farley Group works with you from conception to implementation and beyond. The company’s philosophy is built around the belief that a customer never leaves The Farley Group—from project planning and installation to ongoing service and maintenance—we become a trusted member of your team. The company’s expert staff of sales consultants, designers and highly-skilled production and service professionals are well-experienced in all facets of air structure technology, ready to help you through every phase of your tennis bubble project.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Mastering the Mind Mindfulness at 125 MPH ... Part Two By Rob Polishook Mindfulness and sports go hand in hand. Look no further than George Mumford’s classic book, The Mindful Athlete, and Jerry Lynch’s newest book, Win the Day. Both authors speak to how mindfulness is helpful. If you think about it, beyond the score, the game is all about adversity management, emotional energy management and managing what you can control. Meditation is a great tool for all of this. In his book, 8 Minute Meditation, Victor Davich simply answers the oft asked question: “Why should I meditate?” Davich says, “It’s common sense, when you are relaxed and in an allowing state, you are less mentally agitated.” This is certainly a good thing for tennis players and all athletes in competition. Maybe this is why players such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Bianca Andreescu, and others use some type of meditation practices. So what happens if you don’t

incorporate some type of meditation into your training? In my experience working with tennis players of all ages and levels, it’s a definite disadvantage, like trying to take a tree down without a saw! In a recent New York Times article about Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open Winner, Rick Macci, one of her childhood coaches, emphasized the

importance of the mental game: “It’s not always about how big, strong and super fast you are, it’s what’s under the hood.” The following are three match situations that actual clients of mine have approached me with, and by incorporating a meditation practice, they were able to improve, get less agitated and ultimately see their way

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through the challenge. The first client was always screaming at herself, “OMG, I can’t believe this!?” or worse, “I suck, how can I be so bad?” Clearly, both of these forms of negative self-talk are not helpful and usually lead to a downward spiral. Meditation taught her to be more patient and kind to herself. The second client shared with me that he loses focus on things he cannot control, ie. weather, line calls, the opponent, or thinking about the result. Meditation helped him to recognize these thoughts as a loss of focus. Through this awareness, he was able to refocus on what he could control. The third client would lose matches which she was capable of winning. She would come off the court and have no idea what happened other than knowing the score. Through conversation, we recognized that she allowed her opponents to dictate the match and use their style of play. For example, if an opponent didn’t hit with

any pace, she stopped playing her normally assertive/aggressive game style. If an opponent hit a lot of loopy shots, she allowed herself to get pushed back beyond the baseline. Meditation helped her become better aware of her strengths and individual game style, and then how to bring this style to the court. Through the practice, she became more comfortable playing her game and not playing tentative or defaulting to her opponent’s style. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us can relate to these three situations. In the heat of the moment things seem to speed up. What’s key is that we need to take a step back and not get caught up in what we cannot control. The good news is that meditation is a useful tool to circumvent challenges like the three mentioned. It’s free and not hard, but requires dedicated and consistent practice, five to ten minutes a day. It’s a great way to relax, release and reset. In next month’s article, I will outline

the key steps for an athlete to begin a meditation practice. But for now, try this: Find a spot where you are comfortable and won’t be distracted. With your eyes half-open, gaze forward. Bring your attention to your breath as your mind wanders (it will!), label it thinking and bring it back to attention on your breath. Do this for five minutes a day. Until next month, breathe on! Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes helping them to unleash their mental edge through mindfulness, somatic psychology and mental training skills. Rob is the author of two best-selling books:Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, or following on Instagram @insidethezone.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Work on Your Weakness By Luke Jensen he first quarter of the 2020 season is upon us and there are so many compelling story lines on the pro tour. On the women’s side, Coco Gauff is taking off! I was concerned about her Forehand at her big splash at Wimbledon 2019. That shot is often short and hit to the middle of the court. Coco played predictable patterns with her big groundstroke weapon being her backhand cross court. What I saw in her last fall with a run at the US Open and winning her first WTA event was next-level good. What I witnessed from a 15-year-old at the 2020 Australian Open was next level AWESOME! The forehand was much deeper on her rally ball and she could drive it down the line when needed. The Gauff serve is explosive going into the 118 MPH range, one of the top three fastest servers in the women’s singles draw, but her second serve can get a little “cray cray” at times. Because Coco is not seasoned enough to have learned how to self correct, the second serve will stay a mystery like it has for legends like Maria Sharapova, who has never conquered the double-fault demons. Do you have the double fault demons? Is there a shot in your game that you AND your opponents quickly realize is your weakness? All players play on instinct. From the very first ball we hit to the last ball in every rally,

whether you know it or not, you are picking up multiple messages as you track the ball. In the case of the second serve demon, it happens when you are about to hit a second serve. The best natural instinctive player is the one who NEVER thinks. That is EVERYONE’S zone; what we are all trying to achieve. Everything flows and the opponent has no way of stopping your game. For me personally, my overheads and backhand passing shots were always automatic even under the highest pressure situations. Most of my game was not. My second serve was an area of my game that I had to constantly monitor in matches and correct several times in practice sessions throughout my tennis lifetime. I was fortunate to absolutely love serving practice. Setting up the three targets of T, body and wide serves in both boxes was one of the most enjoyable parts of my training. I grew up in a football culture so a consistent routine of punting, passing and kicking 100 footballs each taught me very deliberate training discipline that spilled over to my serving training when I became ambidextrous. Most of my football skill training was done on my own or with my younger brother Murphy. Mom and Dad were still coaching their varsity teams after school and Murphy and I would practice our football skills. Based on accuracy and distance, it took us a little over an hour to get all 600 punt, pass and kicks done. That same approach helped me in self correcting service training. Try this, tweak that; I was building tools for a tough would-notbreak-under-pressure serve.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

I still use so many of those developed skills in my serving today. When I see Coco Gauff, I see the tennis world is about to be dominated by a wonder kid that we haven’t seen since 15-year-old Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who was nicknamed after the powerful World War II Battleship Missouri. From beginning tennis at the age of 10 to when she turned 15-yearsold in 1947, “Little Mo” won 50 tennis championships. Three years later, at the age of 18 in 1950, “Little Mo” was the first woman in tennis history to win the calendar grand slam: all four major titles in the same calendar year. The similarities are amazing but unless Coco learns how to self correct that second serve, the double-faults will haunt her throughout her career. All of you are stepping into spring tennis and competitive league play…are you ready?!? Be ready for the pressure that can either break you or make you awesome. I know I am! Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently director of racket sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 403-0752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

Importance of Tournament Support for Players in Development By Caleb Astwood

potential opponents to give their players an At the end of the day, the goal of a upper hand early in the match or they can Tournament Support Program is to give Tennis is one of those help strategize to develop game plans and players more feedback to create a wellunique sports in that for the winning patterns of play. However, by being rounded player. If you do not have enough majority of a junior’s at tournaments and watching their players coaching for all areas of the game, you’ll competitive career, the only play under pressure, they are able to see end up with a player that has severe people who consistently watch them play another side of their players. This last part is deficiencies. By having coaches go to are their parents. Unlike team sports where often overlooked, but is the most important tournaments with players, we have the the coach is with the team at practice and part of the game. ability to develop the competitive side of matches, tennis coaches often coach their Seeing players play in stressful situations the game. Practice and lessons can only do hour-long private lesson and go home. That gives coaches a whole new insight into how so much, but true match play can never be isn’t to say that coaches do a bad job, but their player competes, and what they need recreated in practice. it’s more of a criticism of player development help with on the mental side of the game. Learning a players habits, strengths and as a whole. Take any weekend to go to a But what is more valuable, and something weaknesses, or what makes them USTA tournament and you will find a sea of that most coaches overlook, is the shared nervous/confident, are aspects of the game parents more confused about how to keep experiences players and coaches will have; that the Tournament Support Program score than trying to analyze their child’s these experiences build trust. This is much deals with first hand. This is where huge game. At best, most parents have played more important than one may think as improvements can be made in a specific tennis at the recreational level. They don’t having a player that doesn’t trust in the player’s game, but also where have the depth of understanding needed to coaching staff may lead to arguments and improvements can be made in junior really help their children progress in the many wasted hours on the court. Learning development as a whole. sport, which is why they spend so much what a player likes off the court and being money on tennis lessons. This is part of the able to connect with them beyond tennis will Caleb Astwood is a tennis coach and the reason why Tournament Support Programs create a much stronger player-coach bond Tournament Support Director at are such a vital necessity. To fully develop a and a stronger mentor- trainee dynamic. To Centercourt Tennis Academy. He is an player at every level of the game, there fully understand what shortcomings a player alumnus of Centercourt’s High Performance needs to be coaching at every level of the has when it comes to the mental Full Time Tennis program, and played game. development of the game, a coach has to be collegiately at Wittenberg University. He is Having a tournament support team for able to get into the head of the player. an ATPCA Level One Internationally junior players immediately gives these Shared experiences and spending time with Qualified Coach, and he serves as players an upper hand compared to players the player is how this is done, and will give Centercourt’s Match Charting and Lead that don’t. For coaches, watching their coaches a much better idea of how to help Analytics Coach. Astwood can be reached player compete in this environment gives that player on the other side of the game. at caleb@centercourtclub.com. them a first-hand look at the product of their development. All players and coaches will tell you that tournament play is completely different from practice and, more often than not, the player’s performance will differ vastly from practice in the early stages of development. The ability for coaches to see the difference between practice and match play will give them a lot of insight into what • Groups, Private lessons, Tournament Travel, 7 days a week their player needs to improve on. • Certiﬁed ATP coach with 22 years of HP experience For players, the benefit is having a coach • 13 years on the pro tour playing ATP, Davis Cup and Olympics there who can give feedback immediately after the match when it is still fresh in their • Former 3 time Israeli singles champion minds. Even though parents can give some • Indoors Winter & Spring sessions at NYTC Indoors feedback, they are less likely to give the in(Throgs Neck) depth analysis needed that a coach can provide. However, there is more that can be Call 914-907-0041 or E-mail BloomGilad@gmail.com provided than just the analysis of the GiladBloom.com player’s performance. Coaches can scout NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Come Back Stronger By Chris Nieves Every athlete will encounter some type of defeat and experience disappointment. Not getting the result you want after much hard work and dedication can be frustrating. Losing stinks! Nobody likes to lose. All athletes experience this at some point, and the goal for any athlete who just had a bad performance should be to come back stronger. The first step in coming back stronger is learning from the previous performance. This starts with honestly reflecting on what went well and what didn’t. I recommend writing these things down. The more you can identify what went well and what didn’t, the more clarity you’ll have about your performance. Learning from your last performance also means seeking out feedback. Be open-minded. Never be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your coaches and people you trust and ask for their perspective and opinion. Sometimes they may see things from a different vantage point and can provide you with valuable feedback.

When I was competing, one of the best ways I assessed my performance was by videotape. My parents would always videotape my performances, which was extremely helpful as I was able to see exactly how I performed. So if your match isn’t televised or filmed by a coach, it would be helpful if a family member or someone else could record it. I believe that if you are not learning from any past performance, either good or bad, you are not going to get better or take your game to the next level. It is also important to accept a loss. After a loss or bad performance, it can be easy to stay angry or depressed. It can also be very tempting to blame others for the loss. Many athletes I have consulted with have struggled overcoming a devastating performance and are sometimes ready to give up completely. Remember you cannot go back and change a past performance, but you can learn from it! The sooner you can accept the loss and be ready to move forward, the sooner you’ll be on the road to come back stronger. Applying what you have learned from a loss is crucial. A loss or disappointing performance should motivate you to get

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better! It is important to understand that sometimes a loss can be a blessing in disguise and can help you elevate your overall performance. Learning from that disappointing effort could mean getting into better physical shape, working on developing a stronger mindset or improving an aspect of your game. It’s all about turning that disappointment into a positive. Another way to come back stronger is to set attainable goals. Many athletes I know do not set goals for themselves or even keep track of their progress. Goals can serve as a blueprint for what you want to achieve and can also hold you accountable and keep you focused. Coming back stronger also means being aware of the things you don’t have control of such as officiating, court/weather conditions, and your opponent. You ultimately have to let these things go and not be focused on them, but instead adapt to them. Focus on things you have control over such as your preparation, effort and mindset. Finally, learn how to be resilient. Resilience is defined as the ability to overcome adversity and remain confident. Becoming resilient starts with a positive mindset. So stay positive, don’t let a bad performance get you down but instead use it as motivation to get better, and come back stronger. Chris Nieves, MS is the founder and director of Empower Mental Training, which provides mental skills and sport psychology training for athletes. As a former Division I athlete, Chris learned the importance of mastering the mental side of sports. From this experience, he decided to pursue a career in helping athletes learn how to develop a winning mindset. Chris strongly believes that your mindset is the key to being successful in sports, overcoming adversity and ultimately reaching your peak potential. To learn more about Empower Mental Training or to set up a free 20minute consultation, please visit EmpowerMentalTraining.com.

Overlooked Aspects in Achieving Tennis Excellence By Marco Ranzi and Andras Putyera

he main tendency of most tennis instructors is to develop the individual by covering the tennisspecific components of technical, tactical, physical and psychological areas of the sport, while simultaneously intertwining these with factors of social, parental, educational and competitive experiences. These widely accepted aspects of training generally compose the framework in the prototypical development of a tennis player. Suppose then that you are coaching an individual who is falling short in terms of his/her performance results. Yet, this person excels in physical conditioning, has efficient technique, adapts well to different match situations, and demonstrates mental toughness during practice and in competitive play. What other factors that contribute to development and performance could be holding them back? Prioritizing sleep to achieve ample rest and recovery is an essential factor in overall performance and can be an athlete’s secret weapon. The amount of sleep an athlete gets greatly impacts their reaction time, attention, and concentration. Resting also plays a key role in injury prevention. The body restores itself during sleep, so it is necessary for physical recovery from intense training. For example, during tournaments, Roger

Federer sleeps 11-12 hours per day. A general rule of thumb is children ages six through 12 should sleep between nine and 12 hours per night, and teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. Another equally important, and often overlooked, facet of optimal performance is nutrition. Focusing on meals consisting of real, whole foods, and limiting processed and refined substances will drastically reduce recovery time, increase energy levels and boost cognitive capacity. Along the same lines, proper hydration should be achieved through drinking mostly water while supplementing with sports drinks with electrolytes when necessary. Aim to limit or avoid sports drinks with heavy amounts of artificial sugars and additives. Hours before a match, players should center their meals around high quality carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Carbohydrates are the body’s ideal fuel source and are stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. Making sure your glycogen stores are topped off prior to competition is vital to sustain balanced energy and fend off fatigue. Upon finishing a match, adequate protein consumption is necessary to build and repair muscle. While animal products are typically

favored when it comes to protein, plantbased proteins should also be incorporated as they contain all the essential amino acids and are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients. No matter the sport, athletes have greater physical and mental needs, from their demanding training routines to hectic schedules that disrupt their internal body clock. Whether a tennis player is still developing or is already playing at a high level, nutrition, hydration and sleep are critical components on the path to unleash their full potential. Marco Ranzi is a Tennis Coach with CourtSense at Tenafly Racquet Club. He is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University and in the process of obtaining a Master's degree in Nutrition and Human Performance from Logan University. Andras Putyera is a Project Coordinator and Assistant to Director of Coaches at CourtSense. He worked in tennis, holding several roles within the industry. Prior to joining CourtSense, he worked for IMG at the Itau Open in Miami as a sponsorship coordinator and the International Tennis Federation, first as a development assistant for Wheelchair Tennis, and later on as content editor/research assistant for the coaches education department in Valencia, Spain.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Tennis Guru Slow and Steady Wins The Race

By Dr. Tom Ferraro This article is the second part of Dr. Ferraro’s series, The Tennis Guru. To read the first part, visit www.NYTennisMag.com or read the January/February 2020 issue. Yin awoke early the next day and was excited to get going. This was the big day, the day he would get to meet The Tennis Guru. He quickly brushed his teeth, put on his best tennis outfit and 68

ran down stairs to eat a fast breakfast. He was up so early that no one else in the house had risen. He chugged down a coffee with milk and sugar and grew restless, waiting for his older brother Yang to get up and come with him. He went back upstairs to wake Yang and he saw that Yang was still sleeping like a baby. He pushed Yang on the shoulder to wake him and slowly Yang opened his sleepy eyes and said, “let me sleep another ten minutes.” Yin went back to the kitchen, made

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Yang an extra strong cup of coffee and brought it back upstairs. At this point Yang had gotten up and looked at his younger brother with a combination of annoyance and worry. He said, “Boy, what’s the rush? Don’t you know this is going to be a long journey?” “Come on, come on” said Yin, “Let’s just get going. I want to get there as fast as I can.” And with that, off they went along the familiar path that led to the mountain which would lead to the Tennis Guru’s

Academy. Yang knew that it would be a very long day and walked along at a steady pace. Yin, on the other hand, dashed ahead impatiently and soon left Yang far behind. As Yin ran along, he looked back to see how far ahead he was and all of a sudden he tripped on something and went flying head over heels. When the dust settled, Yin looked up to see a tortoise starring right at him. Yin, in a state of embarrassment, looked back at the tortoise and shouted, “What do you think you’re looking at!?” “Well young man, I’m looking at you. Are you okay?” “Of course I am! And why were you crossing the street? Can’t you see I was in a hurry?” “Well,” the tortoise replied. “If you must know, I was on my way to see my girlfriend Kristen. Do you need any help getting up?” “Of course not,” yelled Yin. “I don’t need any help at all. And besides, I am

on my way to see the Tennis Guru to learn how to win. He works at the top of that mountain over there.” “Well haste makes waste. The way you’re rushing about I doubt that you’ll make it anywhere near to the top. Don’t you know there are many ledges and cliffs and steep passes on the way up? There is danger at every turn. One must be very careful.” At this point, Yang had caught up with Yin and was as relaxed and happy as ever. He asked, “Hey what happened?” The tortoise explained, “Well it looks like this young man was in such a hurry to get along that he tripped right over me as I was crossing this path on my way to see my girlfriend Kristen.” “Yikes,” said Yang. “Hasn’t Mom always told you that ‘haste makes waste’ and haven’t I always said the race is not to the swift.” With that, Yin turned to Yang and asked, “Do you know any short cuts to

the top so we can get there faster?” To this the tortoise said: “Young man, I see you have much to learn. Perhaps you would like me to accompany you on this perilous journey so that you have a better chance to get there in one piece.” Yin turned to Yang and Yang said, “Why yes, that is kind of you. Why don’t you two go on from here? I’m sure you will do just fine together.” Soon after, Yang turned and went home leaving. Yin and the tortoise were on their own. Yin shrugged his shoulders, the friendly tortoise just smiled and off they went together on their way along the path to the mountain to see The Tennis Guru. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

UTR’s and More UTR F By Lonnie Mitchel

or the last several years, Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) has been integrated into the way tennis talent might be measured. It seems as though the potential college talent is on an endless chase to get the best UTR and spark coaches interest for recruiting purposes. So what does it all mean? A pursuit for the holy grail of UTR number of 16+. Up to recently and only a few years ago I, as a head collegiate tennis coach, would rely on student’s results in high school, USTA tournaments, a recommendation from a high school coach and personal teacher, and they had to pass the eye test. Guess what? Now I look at another statistic: UTR. The interesting thing for me as 70

an active recruiter is the UTR might be the last statistic I research. If it’s available, of course I will have a look. Quite frankly it disturbs me that when I speak to parents and aspiring collegiate players they boast ‘UTR this’ and ‘UTR that’. The junior players compete in tournaments and they communicate with comparisons of UTR trying to move up this talent thermometer and pass their peers. From speaking with coaches at showcases, conventions or even at dual matches, we’ve concluded that UTR’s are good but really does not tell the story for many college coaches. Does the player pass the eye test? What is his or her character? Results in USTA tournaments? The overall player and his or her ability to travel to tournaments preventing a UTR to increase is almost as important of a variable.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

I have a player on my collegiate team at Oneonta State whose UTR was not higher than five. The student’s coach, with whom he took many lessons with at the Binghamton Tennis Center and who also is a former coach at Division I coach at SUNY Binghamton, called me one day and said I should take a look at this player. I looked at his UTR of five and some of the results he had through his high school contests with a little skepticism. Who would look at this player with a UTR of five? If we relied on the figure alone the story for this young man would end without a look from most college coaches. As it turned out, after a drive to Binghamton, N.Y. to meet him, I found it he had limited means to travel, parents who work weekends that cannot take him to competitions and no car of his own. His parents paid for lessons to give

him an exposure to a sport that most people in his high school community do not play in order to help him standout. Fortunately, the story fortunately does not end there, I continued to recruit him and we now find this young man playing collegiate tennis and playing against players on our team and our opponents where the average UTR is between eight and 10. The UTR, in this case and in many others, does not tell the whole story. A young man of high character almost fell through the cracks without having collegiate coaches look at him if it wasn’t for a caring pro at a random club in Upstate New York. The UTR is just a number and does not tell the story of young aspiring juniors who seem to be on the endless road of UTR number chasing. Once you get to college, the UTR means very little. Therefore, I spend little time studying UTR’s just using it as a small variable statistic. The character, desire, willingness to impress a head

coach and compete hard in college is tantamount to almost everything. For parents and the students who want to be recruited, here is what most college coaches beyond the UTR would ideally want. To quote Billie Jean King who once said that, “Sport teaches you character, it teaches you to play by rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and loseit teaches you about life”. Does UTR measure those qualities? The UTR says “that you should be able to compete with another player closely if the comparable UTR’s are within one point. In my experience, that is often the case but not always. When I say “not always”, I mean not even at 85 percent in the Division III college ranks. Student’s character, maturity and brain development cannot be overlooked as students come into college as girls and boys and leave as women and men. I will close out this perspective by stating what I have written many times

before. While working on your results on the tennis court, also work on your character and the UTR will take care of itself. What drives winning is something another anonymous coach taught: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” A UTR does not measure that. Lonnie Mitchel is head Men’s and Women’s Tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an assistant coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Also coached for Team USA in Berlin and Chile in 2015 and Team USA Maccabiah for the Open Division working with Division I players and professionally ranked in the Israel Games in 2017. Was also named “Coach of the Year” in 2015 for State University of NY Athletic Conference. He may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Leaving a Void Sharapova, Wozniacki Retire From Tennis s we move into a new decade of tennis, the sport will be without two of its biggest stars from the previous decade. Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki both announced their retirements from the WTA Tour as each brought an end to their respective hall of fame careers. Sharapova retired by writing a heartfelt essay for Vogue and Vanity Fair. “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?” the essay begins. “How do you walk away from the court you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love—one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys—a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years? I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis—I’m saying goodbye.” Sharapova, 32, captured the first of her five Grand Slam titles when she was just 17-years-old at the 2004

Wimbledon Championships. She would go on to win the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008, and the French Open in 2012 and 2014. The Russian would reach the top of the world rankings in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012, but in 2016, received a twoyear suspension by the ITF for testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance. The suspension was reduced to 15 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport concluded there was “no significant fault” by her. But Sharapova walks away from the game as one if it’s all-time greats, and is ready to begin the next stage of her life. “Tennis showed me the world—and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth,” she wrote. “And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing. Prior to this year’s Australian Open, Wozniacki announced that it would be

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

the final tournament of her career. The former Aussie champion and two-time US Open finalist would reach the third round before falling to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. “I had a dream when I was kid. I wanted to win a Grand Slam, I wanted to be No. 1 in the world,” said Wozniacki. “People thought that I was crazy, being from a small country, but I made it happen. I worked so hard for it every single day. I’m very, very proud of that.” Wozniacki reached the US Open finals in 2009 and 2014, and lifted the Australian Open trophy in 2018. She won 30 career WTA titles in all, and finished the year as the top-ranked player in the world in both 2010 and 2011. “I’ve always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it’s time to be done,” said Wozniacki. “In recent months, I’ve realized that there is a lot more in life that I’d like to accomplish off the court.”

he Metro Corporate Tennis League presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs is an initiative of the Metrotennis Community Tennis Association (MCTA). The league is divided into three levels of play, Intermediate (3.0-3.5), Advanced Intermediate (4.0 – 4.5) and Advanced (4.5+). The Metro Corporate Tennis League now also offers a Hi-Five program for teams that are not ready to compete but want to get into the sport while getting a great workout. The league will feature more than 60 teams for the Winter 2020 season. The following are the respective teams and division for the upcoming season:

Advanced Division l Bloomberg (Ming) l NYJTL l Ernst & Young l Credit Agricole l BNP Paribas l The Corcoran Group l PwC l Proskauer Rose LLP l Bloomberg (Vighnesh) l Moody’s Advanced Intermediate Division 1 l Bank of American l Mizou Bank l Bloomberg l Societe Generale l BNP Paribas l Sullivan & Cromwell LLP l Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP Advanced Intermediate Division 2 l Nielsen l White & Case l Natixis North America LLC l Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP

l The Corcoran Group l Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP

l Moody’s l Macquarie

Intermediate Division 1 l CVC Capital Partners l Angelo, Gordon & Co. l Bloomberg (Aces) l HBO 1 l Neuberger Berman l Barclays

Intermediate Division 4 l Ropes & Gray LLP l Deutsche Bank l HBO 2 l PwC l D.E. Shaw & Co l Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson

Intermediate Division 2 l D.E. Shaw & Co. l NYCEDC l BNP Paribas l Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison l Barclays l Sidley Austin Intermediate Division 3 l Deutsche Bank l Societe Generale l ING l Bloomberg l Rabobank

Hi-Five Division l Bloomberg (Fischler) l Havas l Penguin Random House l Bloomberg (Sai) l Penguin Random House l Bloomberg (Brett) l Bloomberg (Dylan) l Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP l The Corcoran Group l Sullivan & Cromwell LLP l BDT Capital Partners

The season will run until April, culminating with an end-of-season party at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. Please welcome new teams, Rabobank and BDT Capital Partners, to the Metro Corporate League. For more information regarding the league, visit us www.metrotennis.com under tab labeled, “Corporate”, or e-mail Luis@metrotennis.com. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Pickleball is Here to Stay By Mike Puc and Scott Harper

“Pickleball is here to stay, so don’t ignore it!” These were words of advice given to me four years ago from a fellow Tennis Director in South Florida whose club I visited looking for pickleball court design and programming ideas for the four courts we planned to build at Gleneagles Country Club. He was so right in his advice. As the fastest growing sport in the United States, pickleball has become a staple of activity at our club and the entire area. Our staff programs pickleball, as we do tennis, with social and competitive leagues, lessons, referee certification classes, lectures, tournaments, round robins, complimentary ball machine and clinics with a concierge who organizes daily social play and a dedicated Pickleball Pro Operational Manager. Participation has sky rocketed! Not only have tennis players accepted pickleball, they have migrated to play pickleball which has improved their tennis game as much as tennis has helped their pickleball game. Here are some thoughts from tennis player’s perspective of how pickleball has translated into their tennis game: l Since a winning pickleball game demands moving to the net to volley, this diminishing shot on the tennis court has been resurrected and players are moving to the net more just as they do in pickleball. l The dink shot is crucial in pickleball as it keeps the ball low in close exchanges waiting for the high ball put-a-way. The dink is again resurrected in tennis requiring a soft feather touch to change pace in close quarters adding more tools to one’s arsenal. l Tennis players are able to visualize tennis strategies and tactics on the smaller Pickleball court and translate them to tennis. The open court, the middle shot, partners moving together and offensive and defensive tactics are visually easier to comprehend on the pickleball court, simply a smaller version of a tennis court. l From a tennis player’s perspective, 74

pickleball is a natural transition since many skills easily transfer. The court dimensions are different, but the basic geometry is the same, which makes tactical decisions natural. l Deep crosscourt on the return of serve is a good basic tactic in tennis, and also in pickleball. Driving the ball through the middle to create uncertainty in your opponents is also a tennis tactic that works well in pickleball. l When it comes to technique, players who learned “old school” tennis strokes have an instant introduction to proper pickleball groundstroke motions. The body turn, stepping into the shot, the continental grip, the level forward swing with extension through the ball and out toward the intended target are hallmarks of the tennis strokes of old. These traits are found now in the proper groundstroke motion in pickleball as well. The proper volley motion in tennis is also a solid foundation for the volley in pickleball. The hands stay in front, the grip remains continental, the paddle face remains open, there is no backswing, and the volley finishes with a short follow through and with the paddle face pointing at the intended target. l There are differences, such as the lack of forward footwork when volleying at

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

the non-volley zone, but the similarities are enough that tennis players can walk on a pickleball court and be immediately competitive. l Using basic tennis doubles tactics can transition over to pickleball such as a team moving to proper position in relation to their shot to cover the opponent’s possible angles, the player diagonal to a ball travelling through the middle takes that ball, and partners switching places to cover lobs are all applicable to both tennis and pickleball. Pickleball is here to stay! So, get a paddle, find a pickleball pro and join the legions who are enjoying the hottest sport in America. Mike Puc, USPTA, has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach Florida since 1998. A winner of 15 National titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in 9 leagues while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round robins. Scott Harper, USPTA. PPR, is the Head Tennis and Pickleball Professional at Gleneagles Country Club, since 2019. A college tennis player, Scott instructs players of all ages and abilities in tennis and Pickleball.

Put Kindness First By Michael Forte “I made it to the final of my tournament last week!” “I got a baby puppy this week!” “My AP History class is killing me!” These are just a few of the phrases I hear on a weekly basis from students during lessons/programs, and it’s easy to assume they are being talkative or only desire attention. From my experience and observation, there is so much more to it. Why do students feel the need to tell me (or really, any of their coaches) these random, mostly unrelated thoughts? Are their fellow classmates not giving them enough attention? Maybe—but when these instances occur, I feel I am succeeding as a coach. Too often coaches go through the motions, repeat the same drills, yell thoughtless feedback (“bend your legs” or “hit out in front!”) from across the net; these things are not necessarily bad. But I believe, for juniors especially, coaching is about being a role model and a positive influence in their life. I think back to how Jaime Marsella, my coach as a junior, made tennis an enjoyable and safe space, genuinely cared about me and wanted to see me succeed both on and off the court. I believe this to be the true meaning of a coach, in any sport. Even if students don’t show improvement, and there will be those that don’t, the most important thing is creating a fun, safe environment for them. A student recently told me, “I was looking forward all week to playing today!” I did not understand the weight his words held at the time, but his comment stuck in my mind. We, I and the other coaches, have created and maintained an environment such that the student spent

his whole week looking forward to this 90minute class. I remind myself that I have no idea what a student is going through during the times when I’m not coaching him. The very least we can do is have a positive impact on their life. Another thing I find particularly important is maintaining a level of honesty and level-headedness with students. Of course, we are all human and will sometimes get frustrated when a student isn’t following instructions well enough. These times will happen, and it is important to apologize to the student when they do. It feels strange to have to put this idea into words I’ve seen and been on the receiving end of this when I was a junior player, coaches who yell at students for unimportant reasons and not think twice about it. When I’ve lost my composure with students, I always make sure to explain what happened and apologize; they’re human too, after all! Additionally, a

coach should never show frustration or impatience with a student who is not improving or isn’t “getting” a new technique right away. Again, it’s strange to put this idea to text! Having a student succeed on the court by winning a tournament, beating a top seed or improving a stroke is definitely a satisfying reward for the many hours of hard work. What is equally as rewarding is knowing that you made a positive impact on the life of a student. Tennis is so much more than winning or losing; life skills are developed through the sport and it’s our job as coaches to initiate and guide that process. Michael Forte is a certified USPTA Professional and USPTR 10 & Under professional who currently works at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He is a journalism/philosophy double major at CUNY Lehman College where he plays #1 singles for the men’s team.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Keys Creates Kindness Initiative

Dubai Duty Free Championships. Clijsters, 36, would fall to Garbine Muguruza in the opening round of the tournament, but it was the first step of many as the former world number one returns to professional tennis in 2020.

Kournikova, Iglesias Welcome Third Child

featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter as American Tennys Sandgren cracked the program’s famous Top 10 segment, featuring the 10 best plays from all across sports on that day. During his match against fellow American Steve Johnson, Sandgren backtracked and hit a tweener winner cross court. The shot checked in as the No. 2 play of the day on SportsCenter.

Pospisil Hydrates With…Maple Syrup? American Madison Keys has always been vocal in speaking out against bullying, and to further that mission of hers, Keys announced the start of her own initiative, “Kindness Wins”, which aims to spread kindness on and off the court. The program will look to highlight people who show kindness and spotlight them on its social platforms and Web site.

Clijsters Makes Return to Tour

International Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters officially began her comeback to the WTA Tour when she competed in the 76

Former tennis star Anna Kournikova and international music star Enrique Iglesias welcomed a baby daughter to the world earlier this winter. Kournikova gave birth to the couple’s third child, after having fraternal twins back in 2017.

Sandgren Makes SportsCenter Top 10

The New York Open was prominently

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis players, like all athletes, have their own personal routines that they like to stick to, even if, to the rest of us, it may seem odd. During the Montpelier finals against Gael Monfils, Canadian Vasek Pospisil went into his bag to rehydrate and pulled out a bottle of maple syrup. He popped the cap and chugged down the syrup; Monfils would go on to win the final 7-5, 6-3.

Rochester Students Honor Arthur Ashe and Spend A Day at the New York Open n early February, more than 2,000 students from the Rochester City School District took part in a tennis workshop to commemorate Arthur Ashe Legacy Lives Day. The event came on the heels of the district learning about the USTA’s Tennis in Schools program, which provides equipment and instruction to local schools so they can introduce tennis programming into their curriculum. “I was invited to a regional training workshop, and on the last day they brought everyone out to some tennis courts for a discussion,” said Nurse Bowick, who has been integral in getting tennis into the Rochester School District and wanted to do something to bring tennis to the kids in the district while also honoring Ashe’s legacy. “A gentleman from the USTA gave a talk about tennis in the schools, and he said that a child will only touch a racket maybe six times between kindergarten and graduation. I couldn’t get that thought out of my head, and I said I’m going to change that.” So with that inspiration, Bowick began to put together the tennis programming to be introduced into the district’s 57 schools, and implemented a rap contest where kids would put together a rap to honor Ashe and his legacy. These had to include his name, his college, his wife’s name, his daughter’s name, some of his tennis accomplishments, and the country that he was fighting for just prior to his death, Haiti. “Those were the components that had to be in it. We offered New York Open tickets to the winners, which made it a big draw,” said Bowick. Bowick, contest winners and some of their parents then planned a trip down from Rochester to Long Island on the day of the New York Tennis Expo, to enjoy the free day as their love for tennis continues to grow. Bowick fundraised in order to get funds for a Greyhound bus down to Port Authority in New York City, and then a

shuttle bus from Port Authority to NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Despite the hectic travel and all the logistics that needed to be worked out, it was all worth it. “Every single one of those kids wants to play tennis, and these were kids that were not playing before Arthur Ashe Legacy Lives Day,” said Bowick. “And the moment they put on their designer sweatshirts and got their bag of tennis equipment, they were amazed. One of the boys came up to me and said, ‘I’m a celebrity’. And I felt like watching them walk a little bit taller that day made every sleepless night I had putting this together worth it. I could see the kids transform, the wide eyes as they were looking out onto the black courts and actually able to walk on them.” The kids were honored prior to the afternoon’s second Speaker Session, with their names being read aloud to a round of applause from the audience. They were also treated to a special clinic from legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who took the time to work and speak with the kids.

“He didn’t just come down and say hi, he was interacting with them and teaching them for a half-hour,” said Bowick. “At one point during the Q&A part of the panel, I told him that I was introducing a group of brown and black kids into a predominatly white sport, and what do I need to do as a coach to prepare them for this. Mr. Bollettieri said you have to be honest with them, and you have to tell it to them like it is. And whatever incidents they may face, give them the opportunity to talk through it. And then give them support and the encouragement to continue on.” That piece of advice will go a long way for these special kids who were able to come down to Long Island and experience a day like that. With tennis being incorporated into all the schools in the Rochester School District, it will be amazing to see the impact the sport has on those kids, and is proof that the legacy of Arthur Ashe still lives. “When you think about that little wooden racket and those strings, and the impact that it has on 22 people from Rochester, N.Y. in just one day,” said Bowick. “It’s truly amazing.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

Control The Middle of the Net in Doubles and Win More

By Max Wennakoski The game of doubles has evolved a lot during the past decade, with the surfaces being slowed down and players hitting bigger serves and better returns. In this article I will focus on a tactical component of doubles that you will see being used more and more, moving up from the club level all the way to the professional level, and that I guarantee will improve your doubles game: controlling the middle 70 percent of the net. Today on the ATP and WTA tours, you will often times see the serving team starting in the I-formation, where the server usually starts serving close to the middle line, and the server's partner is crouching somewhere along the middle of the net (there are a few variations to this position). Traditionally after the serve, the server's partner may take one side and the server will cover the other, but it is now common to see the server's partner stay in the middle, very close to the net, and take away the middle 70 percent from the returner and force the receiver to try to go around the net player with 78

their return. At this point, many of you are asking the question, “in doubles, aren't you traditionally supposed to cover only one side while your partner covers the other, and only during a switch or a poach will that change? While this is true, the benefit of this modern I-formation, as I’ll call it, is controlling the middle 70 percent of the net and being able to put away more balls at the net. In this formation, usually the server’s partner will be very close to the net to attempt a put away volley from close to the net, which is crucial for the net player’s success. In recent years, perhaps the most famous example of this strategy we’ve seen on the professional tour is Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez, with the latter standing in the middle of the net and the former standing on the baseline after the serve ready to cover the remaining part of the court. While nobody might be able to cover the baseline like Nadal, or hit a topspin forehand like him to set up his partner at the net, this strategy can also be used at the club level. But for it to be done successfully, the location and accuracy of the serve are critical, as is the net

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

players positioning to the net and the alertness of the net player. Most often the server in this position will serve towards the "T", or "body of the receiver", to take away the angle from the receiver, and the net player has to be very alert and focused on keeping his or her racket in front of the body. By doing so, they will be able to control the direction of the volley and make it easier to hit successfully. The other main benefit of this strategy is that the receiver will not know which way the opposing net player is going after the serve. It also takes away the middle of the court from the returner as a large target, as long as the net player has confidence in their volleying ability and is close enough to the net that just the threat of the net player can result in an unforced error from the returner. This is caused by the increased pressure applied from the serving team through their positioning. With this note I'm wishing you all a happy spring practicing your doubles game for the upcoming tennis season! Max Wennakoski is currently a professional tennis coach who spent time on the ATP World Tour. He can be reached at max.wennakoski@gmail.com.

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2020 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. MARCH Tuesday-Thursday, March 23-26 L7 SPORTIME RI Spring Break 2020 Challenger Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@SportimeNY.com or call (212) 427-6150. Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L6 APTC March Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600. Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29 Youth Progression Green L1 NY Tennis Club Indoors New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919.

Saturday, March 28 Youth Progression Orange L1 Fresh Meadows Cunningham Tennis 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $52.10 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail VCaraballo08@aol.com or call (718) 740-6800.

Saturday-Sunday, April 4-5 Youth Progression Green L1 Fresh Meadows Cunningham Tennis 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $56.40 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at 11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail VCaraballo08@aol.com or call (718) 740-6800.

APRIL 2020 Friday, April 3 L3 Eastern Empire Cup at Bensonhurst Matchpointnyc (Girls 12) Matchpoint NYC Bensonhurst 9000 Bay Parkway Brooklyn, N.Y. Divisions: Level 3 Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (917) 579-1674.

Sunday, April 5 Youth Progression Orange L1 at Cary Leeds The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Park Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (entries open Thursday, March 5.)For more information, e-mail cleon@nyjtl.org or call (718) 247-7420

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L7 SPORTIME at Randall’s Island April 2020 Open Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail Matthew Trumino TournamentsRI@SportimeNY.com or call (212) 427-6150.

Friday-Sunday, April 17-19 L6 Championships NY Tennis Club Indoors New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, April 12 at 11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2020 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, April 17-19 L6 APTC Spring Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $65.00 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, April 12 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.

Saturday-Monday, April 18-20 USTA National L3 - The Bronx, NY The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Park Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Level 3 Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (FIC-R16) Level 3 Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $145.63 per player (entries open Thursday, March 26 at 11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail cleon@nyjtl.org or call (718) 247-7420

Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 L4 Eastern Super Six at Alley Pond Alley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.

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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

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Peter Kaplan's Westhampton Beach

Tennis Academy "One of the World's Best Tennis Camps" Fr

$99 pp/double

Overnight Camp / Instruction Packages Include: Accommodations, Breakfast & Beach pass 1 hour private instruction pp/day (Additional private instruction available at $49/hr)

USTA, Team and Family Discounts with flexible schedules • Half day and/or full day programs: 1-7 days • The only tennis academy in the world selected to be part of the USTA members’ benefits program to both juniors and adults

THE HIGHLY HONORED GRASSMERE INN!!! 7 Beach Lane • Westhampton Beach, NY • 914-234-9462 peterkaplan2002@yahoo.com • 631-288-4021 NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2020 • New York Tennis Magazine 108

www.westhamptonbeachtennis.com

www.sp portimecamps.com

SPORTIME SUMME ER C CA AM MPS JMTTA A SUMME ER TRAIN NING C CA AMPS MPS

PRESCHOOL UNDER 10 TENNIS T TENNIS & SPORTS EXCEL TENNIS JMTTA A GREEN & YELLOW BALL TRAINING JMTTA A MA M C RED & MAC ORANGE BALL VOLLEYB BALL HOCKEY MORE! R Regist er TTo oday!

(212) 427-6150

www.SportimeCamps.com

Camp locations in NYC, We C Westchester and Long Island,, including in th he Hamptons. We’ve got your summer tennis training a and fu un covered! Visit us online at www.SportimeCamps.com,, to ﬁnd the V e camp ne earest you.. Email us at camps@sportimeny.com for m more in nformation.

109 New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2020 • NYTennisMag.com

Programs and services vary at each SP PORTIME Camp location.

New York Tennis Magazine March / April 2020

Articles inside

Control the Middle of the Net in Doubles By Max Wennakoski

Rochester Students Honor Arthur Ashe and Spend a Day at the New York Open

When Teaching, Put Kindness First By Michael Forte

Pickleball is Here to Stay By Mike Puc and Scott Harper

Leaving a Void: Sharapova, Wozniacki Retire From Tennis

Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz

Metro Corporate Tennis League Recap

The Tennis Guru: Slow and Steady Wins The Race By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Come Back Stronger By Chris Nieves

Your 2020 Guide to Court Builders and Suppliers

2020 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide

Scoring Shots By Lawrence Kleger

Importance of Tournament Support for Players in Development

2020 Australian Open Recap

The Jensen Zone: Work On Your Weakness By Luke Jensen

2020 New York Open Recap

Courts of Dreams: How One New Yorker Found a Tennis Haven in

At The Net with Hannah Berner

Junior Player Spotlight: Kayla Moore, Gotham Tennis Academy

2020 New York Tennis Expo Recap

Tennis Industry Comes Together for Annual Eastern Conference

Summer Camp is for Juniors What Off-Season Training is for Pros

New York City Boys’ High School Preview

Englishman in New York: Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund Hoists New