Long Island Tennis Magazine May / June 2023

Distribution scheduled for 07/01/23

This edition will feature:

• Look Ahead to the 2023 U.S. Open

• LITM Summer Event Series

• LI Boys’ High School Recap

• Pickleball on Long Island

• And Much More!

Print distribution across New York at 300+ locations.

Digital distribution across website and social media pages, and the e-Edition will be e-mailed out to our full data base.

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine

July/August 2023!

Facebook-www.Facebook.com/Long IslandTennis Instagram-@LITennisMag • Twitter-@LITennisMag

Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by June 1, 2023

For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

(516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600

Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff

David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@usptennis.com

Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 brianc@usptennis.com

Joey Arendt

Art Director

Marie Santora-Lent Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 marie@usptennis.com

Emilie Katz

Assistant Marketing Coordinator

Barbara Wyatt

Contributing Writer

Rob Polishook

Contributing Writer

Luke Jensen

Contributing Writer

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.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600.

Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

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Across Long Isl

Across Long Isl

Pickleball Plus Fall Leagues Come to a Close, Look Ahead to Summer

Adelphi’s Jovanovic Wins NE-10 Co-Player of the Year

Last fall, Pickleball Plus, launched its league program, with options available for eight weeks and 16 weeks, as well as in Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Intermediate and Friday night Advanced Intermediate Ladder levels. Winners:

Beginner: Candice Dunne

Advanced Beginner: Amiel Sarion, Harry Ludwig, Lance Gordon

Intermediate: Eddy Wahl, Gene Desepoli, Larissa Klug

Advanced Intermediate: Jay Gordon, Maria Merani, Adam Funtleyder

Advanced Intermediate Ladder: Christopher Larke

Adelphi's Marko Jovanovic was named the Co-Player of the Year in the Northeast-10 conference this past season. Jovanovic shares the award with Southern New Hampshire’s Jesse Den Hartog, the first time in 28 years the conference has recognized co-players of the year. Jovanovic went 5-1 at No. 1 singles this season for Adelphi, leading the Panthers to their first-ever NE10 regular season title. He becomes the first Adelphi player since Matteo Cannavera (2015, 2016) to earn Player of the Year honors and is the third Panther to ever win the award (also Andreas Hammar in 2012). Jovanovic was also a First Team selection at No. 1 singles.

land land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community … News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

Yogumyan Captures L6 Title

Daniella Yogumyan, who is an Excel High Performance Player at Sportime Lynbrook, captured the title at the L6 Ramapo Rumble in Mahwah, N.J. Yogumyan won all of her matches in the Girls 12s singles division to take home the title.

Carefree’s Lin, Leek Find Success at L6 Event

Tiffany Lin won the singles event in the Girls 16s division at the L6 Long Beach Tennis Center Beach Vibes Classic. Lin also paired up with Ryan Leek, who both play at Carefree Racquet Club, to finish as runners-up in the Mixed Doubles 16s division.

Point Set Hosts Wine & Cheese Pickleball Event

Players came out to Point Set Indoor Racquet Club on a Saturday night to take part in a Wine, Cheese and Pickleball mixer. The event included pickleball drills and open play, and featured food and drinks. With the success of this event, Point Set plans on hosting more of these moving forward.

Rabman Wins J200 Woodbridge Title

Port Washington native Thea Rabman, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, took her talents north of the border to compete in the J200 Championship on the ITF Junior Circuit. Rabman paired with Anya Murthy of California and as the top seeds, the duo captured the title as they posted a 6-4, 6-2 victory in the finals.

across long island

continued from page 5

CLTA’s Indra Chivaratanond Finishes Runner-Up in Portugal

Chris Lewit Tennis Academy (CLTA) player

Indra Chivaratanond went to Portugal and competed in the Regional Championships of Northern Portugal. Chivaratanond beat the top three seeds in the event, all of whom are on the Portugese national team, en route to the championship match, and finished the event as runner-up.

Ross School Tennis Academy Hosts USTA Eastern Development Camp

The Ross School Tennis Academy (RTSA) hosted a USTA Eastern Early Development Orange and Green Ball Camp. The USTA camp pathway offers the next generation of young players additional player development training opportunities within the Eastern section.

PARSA’s picks

Real

estate on Long Island is some of the most sought after property in the world, and many of them are perfect for the tennis lover, especially those out in The Hamptons. With gorgeous landscapes, modern design and private tennis courts, among other amenities, these properties are truly one-of-a-kind.

With the help of Parsa Samii of Compass Real Estate, we wanted to showcase a current listing for sale. Samii is a former professional tennis player and coach who has transitioned into real estate, with a strong understanding of both the tennis aficionado and the home buyer.

As Compass puts it, “Parsa is the ideal professional to navigate the ever-competitive real estate market.” For more information, photos or to see more listings, e-mail parsa@compass.com or call (516) 965-7445.

137 Clay Pit Sag Harbor, N.Y.

$3,499,995

5 Bedrooms

5 Bathrooms

1 1/2 Bathrooms

6,000 Sq. Ft.

Welcometo the Hamptons Private Clay Pit Estate located near gorgeous Sag Harbor Village in this new constructed home!

This two-acre estate built by Terra Construction Group and ARCH&Co is located near Sag Harbor Village, and offers options of over +/- 6,000 square feet of living space on three levels. With 6 ensuite bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, a theater, and a fitness center, 20 x 40 gunite pool, pool house, and tennis court, it is the perfect retreat for relaxation and entertainment.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a private circular driveway that leads to a large front porch. The two-story foyer draws in natural light and offers a view of the two-acre estate surrounded by a wooded oasis. The open floor plan and seamless indoor-outdoor living space make it ideal for hosting your friends and family. This home comes standard with over 4,200 square feet which includes two primary suites, one on the first floor and one on the second floor,

providing flexibility and comfort. Some of the homes additional available options include: a 1,800 square foot finished lower level, a 20X40 gunite pool, a tennis court, a pool house with an outdoor kitchen, a third car garage, a third floor observation deck, a 200 square foot den off the family room, a 170 square foot sitting room off the primary bedroom, a deck off the primary bedroom, a cabana bathroom, a wine cellar in the living room, and more.

“For this price point to have both a new construction home and a tennis court for us tennis enthusiasts is incredible at under $3.5 million in Sag Harbor,” said Samii. “One of the positives of buying pre-construction is the ability to customize the home to you and your family’s taste and lifestyle.”

With so many options, this home will be tailored to fit your preferences, making it a unique opportunity to have a custom-built home designed according to your taste and style. Don't miss this chance to own Private Clay Pit Estate in the heart of Hamptons.

Saturday N Courts & 2023 COURTS &SLIATKCOC

Tennis, food and fun.

That, combined with a variety of cocktails and great people, are at the heart of what has made Courts & Cocktails such a popular event over the last couple of years. Since its inception, Courts & Cocktails has provided opportunities for a unique weekend

evening. The event is attended by couples, friends and young adults who are looking for an escape from the typical weekend activity. The tennis and social component featured at these events is an ideal mixture.

And that was no different in April as Long Island Tennis

Magazine, in conjunction with its charitable organization Grow Tennis New York, hosted the latest Courts & Cocktails event at Sportime Syosset.

Players came out to spend a Saturday night competing in various drills and games on the clay courts of Sportime Syosset as teaching professionals organized all the activity taking place on court. In the facility’s lobby, bartenders prepared different drinks including their take on the U.S. Open signature drink, the Honey Deuce, as well as array of other cocktails to create a festive atmosphere that combined both on-court competition with a laidback and fun environment.

“We had such an amazing time right from the start,” said Parsa Samii, who attended with his wife Britt. “The energy on the courts was infectious and everyone was smiling. There were great people in a very fun yet intense environment from every person throughout all the courts. It was a

Night Fun at Cocktails

great alternative to our normal date night, and we can’t wait for the next one.”

The event featured catered dinner which included pizza, pasta, salad, wings, garlic knots and more, as well as assorted desserts for the players to indulge in when they were taking a break from playing, or after they finished their on-court time. The events create social interaction for people to hang out with old friends and make new ones.

“These events in a competitive yet relaxed environment really encourage people to use tennis as a vehicle to socialize in a different way and the fun atmosphere just brings it all to the next level,” Samii added. “Such a well run and impressive night!”

The next Courts & Cocktails is scheduled for Saturday, May 20 at Sportime Syosset.

“Our latest Courts & Cocktails reinforced the need for social tennis options,” said David Sickmen. “We love being in the

community and bringing together players of all levels. The night allowed for everyone to meet new people and get away from the monotony of the typical Saturday

night plans. It was another soldout event, and Mike Kossoff and the Sportime Syosset staff were perfect hosts. We want to thank them for helping us put this on.”

spotlight Junior Player

Ty Nisenson Point Set Racquet Club

Dealing with and overcoming adversity is something that all tennis players must deal with. As you go through your tennis career, whether it is tough training sessions or difficult matches against strong opponents, all players are required to overcome obstacles if they want to be successful.

For Ty Nisenson, that adversity began at an extremely young age, and has laid the foundation for who he is today. Nisenson was born premature, arriving into this world 26 weeks early and weighing less than two pounds.

“My wife was due on December 11, but we awoke in the middle of the night on September 11 when my wife’s water broke,” said David Nisenson, Ty’s father. “Hours later, I found myself in the delivery room with a full staff of doctors wondering if Ty was going to make it. Once the delivery was successful, he required two blood transfusions to basically save his life, and the only blood match in our family to get this done was my dad, Ty’s grandfather.”

Steve Nisenson, Ty’s grandfather, was an all-American

By Brian Coleman

basketball player at Hofstra who was drafted by the New York Knicks.

“We always joke about Ty’s competitive spirit because he has my dad’s blood,” David added.

As Nisenson continued to grow, however, his tennis journey would slowly begin. He would often accompany his father, David, and uncle, Brett, who were teaching professionals at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside.

“I was always with them at the club,” he recalls. “I really loved to be on the court and that’s where my love for the sport began. We had an old squash court there, and I would rally thousands of balls a day off the wall while my dad and uncle were on-court teaching. When they were done, I would go to the tennis court and train with them.”

So from an early age, Nisenson was engulfed in the world of tennis, and would soon begin playing in Point Set’s 10-and-under program. He already had a head start in his tennis development with all of those hours spent hitting against the wall and the private instruction from his dad and uncle.

Ty with his Uncle Brett (left) and father, David (right), after winning a tournament when he was younger

“The combination of training on court and hitting on that wall really built my rally consistency to a very high level,” he said. “I was very lucky to have Point Set at my disposal because indoor tennis is very expensive, and I had the opportunity to play whenever I wanted to for free.”

When it came time to decide who would be Nisenson’s primary coach in his training, the family decided that his Uncle Brett would take the lead with his dad more in a supporting role.

“They thought that dynamic would work best—like Rafa and Uncle Toni,” Nisenson says, a bit tongue-in-cheek.

And that dynamic did work as Nisenson climbed up the USTA junior rankings and became the top-ranked player in the Eastern Section in the 10-and-under division. As he grew older, he was able to stay atop the rankings in the 12s and 14s divisions,

which is when he and his family came to a decision to help further his tennis development.

“My uncle and I decided to move

down to Florida, so at this time I kind of stopped playing junior tournaments, and was focusing on a lot of training and working on my game, as well as building my fitness level,” said Nisenson. “This was such a great move because training outdoors in that heat made a huge difference in my conditioning. If you really want to find out what your made of, train in Florida for a summer. My game has a lot to do with my athleticism, and in indoor tennis you can get away without much defending if you have a big serve or forehand, but outdoor tennis requires a good amount of defending and it’s more difficult to hit through players. And that really suits my game style.”

For the last few years, Nisenson has put his body to the test training in the Florida heat, and he says he has noticed a drastic difference in the

continued on page 12

shape he is in, and how it has helped him prepare for matches. He regularly competes in a UTR tournament called the Battle of Boca, which is close to where he trains, and the event features top college players and top juniors, as well as players with ATP rankings.

“Competing in this environment has really helped my game progress because you get some real quality matches,” said Nisenson. “My best result there was making the semifinals. I have seen players from the Northeast, who train mostly indoors, come down to Florida for tournaments and don’t have great results. Indoor tennis is just different.”

That conditioning has become a staple of Nisenson’s game, and his dedicated work ethic has been on full display throughout his tennis journey. He is always looking to test his tennis abilities in other settings and learn from other tennis styles.

“I recently traveled to India to train

at Neon Tennis Academy which is run by a good family friend and coach Suresh Maurya,” said Nisenson. “I was there for a month and it was a great experience. I plan on going back again soon to train there and travel to nearby countries to compete in ITF events.”

While his game has taken off since being in Florida and competing in other parts around the world, the foundation for his success was laid from an early age. He knows just how much those early, formidable years have helped make him the person and player he is today.

“All the coaches at Point Set, including Tonny van de Pieterman and Claudio Eulau, as well as club manager Lori Sarnelli, always supported me and helped me as much as they could. It was always a real

family atmosphere,” said Nisenson. “The coaches all came from different backgrounds and have different strengths, that combination was a huge help in my development as a player.”

Nisenson is now ready to take the next step in his tennis career, and has goals of continuing to compete in ITF events and prize-money tournaments. He and his family are many years removed from the adversity they endured in the first moments of his life, but have never forgotten what it took to get Ty to where he is today.

“Ty came into this world as a fighter, and he has really kept that fighting spirit on the tennis court throughout his whole career,” said David. “I have never seen him give up or tank a match, and it’s a real testament to who he is as a competitor and a person.”

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine . He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines The Machine With Muscle

SilentPartner Tennis, a division of Deuce Industries Ltd., was founded in 1989 by Dr. John Bassili. A recreational tennis player and psychology professor, Dr. John had a dream. He sought a reliable tennis partner. One that would play on his schedule and help improve his game. Meanwhile, John's son was progressing through the ranks as a junior. His son needed a partner that could amp up the pace, but was also consistent enough to groove his strokes. So John built a tennis ball machine.

Today, Silent Partner Tennis is a leading ball machine company in North America. It has served the U.S. from Buffalo, N.Y. for over 30 years. The company remains independent and family-owned.

With advanced features catering to all levels, from beginner to pro, the machine’s portability allows

players to put them in their cars and bring them to their local court. The machines are also great for clubs and coaches, who can position themselves right beside their students and control the machine by remote. The machines are especially useful for group lessons, as several lines of players can be fed at once. Some machines come with programmable sequence settings and even match simulation.

There are a number of reasons to invest in a tennis ball machine. First, tennis ball machines provide a consistent shot so that you can benefit from repetition and really "groove" your strokes. Even the best teaching pro can't feed you the ball the exact same way each time. This is a must if you want to put a stroke into your DNA. You know you've made it when you become more consistent than the machine.

All Silent Partner Ball Machines are lightweight, compact and easy to transport. These are truly portable machines that can be easily wheeled to nearby courts or loaded into the trunk of a car. Further, all machines come with the highest speeds on the market. Standard in all models are necessary features for a productive practice like topsin, backspin, drives and lobs and a random oscillator to get you moving around the court.

Because Silent Partner only sells factory direct, it offers a wide selection of machines for the best deals on the market, and service is provided by the people who know the machines best.

Check them out at SPTennis.com to learn more and see all the different machines that are offered.

Fre Hits

Special Olympic athletes along with other special needs individuals were treated to a free clinic at Bethpage Park Tennis Center which was run by Long Island Tennis Magazine’s (LITM) staff and intern team, as well as volunteers from the Special Olympics and Roslyn High School’s boys varsity tennis head coach KerriAnn Jannotte.

With the Special Olympics set for early May, local athletes are deep into their preparation for the annual games. And on one recent Sunday, those athletes along with other local organizations, were provided with a fun and exciting afternoon of tennis.

LITM staff and interns organized drills and games on court to keep all the kids active and having fun, while helping to teach and introduce tennis to many of these young kids. All the players

practiced their serves, forehands, backhands and volleys, as staff and interns guided all the kids through the basic fundamentals of the sport.

“It was an amazing opportunity to work with kids and to help teach them how to play tennis,” said Kayla Castellano, an intern who plays for Garden City. “Working

with my fellow interns to help give back to the community was an amazing experience.”

Andrea Vases, an intern who plays for Manhasset High School, added:

“It was such a great experience. We were able to help the kids and saw them get more comfortable and enthusiastic as we continued to play with them. The athletes hit some great shots and we were able to rally long points which was amazing to see.”

The Special Olympics athletes competed in King and Queen of the Court towards the end of the clinic, with the players in the programs teamed up with local varsity high school tennis players who are also Long Island Tennis Magazine interns to compete in doubles pairings. While the activity was a fun one with tons of laughs, it also brought out the competitive side in everyone, especially the special needs athletes.

“We strongly believe that all special athletes, just like everyone else, needs to learn the basics of

ee Special Needs Clinic ts Bethpage Park

the sport and its fundamentals,” said Valerie Slonecki, one of the coaches of the Special Olympics athletes. “The difference with our group is there are more allowances for skill increases, repetition, and a little less pressure on competition. That being said, they clearly do enjoy competition.”

This clinic was unique in the fact that it consisted of special needs individuals from multiple local organizations and those with a variety of needs. Jannotte, who runs a group called Roslyn Buddies in addition to our high school coaching, is a strong proponent of using tennis as a way to provide fun but also help build selfconfidence.

“Tennis is for everyone at every level. Sometimes the goal is a win or a championship and sometimes it's just watching someone try something new,” said Jannotte. “I love tennis and have been playing since I was a kid and want to get rackets into the hands of as many people as possible. The USTA Long Island Junior Council was thrilled

to be a part of this great event and I was proud to be there with them.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine looks forward to continuing to

partner with local organizations and groups to maintain its objective of providing tennis opportunities to all.

The Top Ten Tennis Tips of All-Time Part Nine: The mental talents of a champion

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Itis clear to athletes and sports fans alike that the champions in every sport, including tennis, possess a combination of both physical and mental talent. I am no expert in the area of physical talent but thanks to treating professional athletes in a variety of sports, I know quite a bit about mental talent and the mental traits that separate the champion from the rest. One way to demonstrate the differences between the champion’s mental talent and that of the amateur is to compare and contrast them. So let’s go down the list of the key mental talents one must possess if one is to win tournaments:

Focus

The talent of the champion is found in

their outstanding ability to focus on the play at hand and not on internal worries or doubt. Invariably, the amateur mind is filled with distraction and not focused on the play at hand. I first saw this difference in the paddock of horse racing before the race. My family owned horses and I got to meet

both famous and not so famous jockeys prior to a race. The successful jockeys like Pat Day, Angel Cordero and Jose Santos would not be distracted by chit chat with the owners but instead spend their focus on watching the horse they were about to mount. Was the horse calm or skittish? Was it broken out in a sweat or relaxed. On the other hand, the lesser talented jockeys would always be willing to chat with the owners and seemed to ignore the horse. The champion tennis player is focused on the game they are about to play and not on the fans, the audience or any other irrelevancy.

Forgiveness

Uniformly, the mental talent of the champion means that they are extremely forgiving of themselves after a bad point. They may get temporarily angry like a John McEnroe but very quickly they refocus and forgive themselves for any misstep, bad call or bad stroke. On the other hand, the amateur and especially the young amateur tennis player will chastise themselves for any mistake they make. They have an inability to let go of the mistake and this only serves to destroy their flow, confidence and focus.

The Ability to Seperate

The greatest champions have an outstanding ability to separate from others and be alone with themselves. This may be their greatest strength. Pete Sampras was a good example of this quiet loner type of guy. Tiger Woods in golf has an extraordinary ability to be

Focus is one of the traits of the champion

separate from others. I recall years ago I was standing alone with him on a putting green at Shinnecock Golf Club during the US Open and his focus and separateness was so strong that it was the first time in my life that I actually felt invisible. This skill is valuable for the champion because it allows them to excel, stay focused, not waste energy of social niceties and leave others behind without feeling guilty. An athlete I work with is slandered with the nickname TFO (Table For One) but I always tell him that his independence got him to the top of his sport so do not change a thing. His character trait of independence is one of his greatest weapons. On the other hand, amateurs often will have the compulsion to be nice and friendly which often induces guilt if they try to beat their opponent. They are often dependent on others for approval and seek it out.

Belief

The talent of the champion is connected to self-belief. The champion often has

unwavering belief that they are the best and are destined for greatness. This is intimately connected to the concept of forgiveness. do not destroy their own belief with self-attack. The amateur is often filled with doubt and lack of confidence. This is partly due to constant self-attack which serves to empty self-belief and destroy it.

Having a Plan

The mental talent of the champion is having a plan of action and sticking to it. They live by “Murphy’s Law” which states that whatever can go wrong will go wrong so you had better have a plan for it. They carefully strategize their game plan against an opponent and stick to their plan. It is almost like a planned military operation and they know what they want to do and when to do it. On the other hand, the amateur

comes into a match willy-nilly and kind of wings it. They do not have a clearly thought out action plan and so are often controlled by the opponents. I have watched and listened to Tiger Woods plan every shot he was about to hit that day, factoring in wind direction and distances, and then practice these shots on the range. He learned this strategy from his dad who was a Green Beret in the military. If you want to win a tennis match, treat it like a military operation and have a plan that you stick with.

Summary

To win in tennis you need to have mental talent of the pros. These talents invariably include focus, forgiveness, the ability to separate from others, protect ones selfbelief and have a plan that you develop and stick to. Do this and I guarantee you win more matches.

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.

Stefanos the Great

Tsitsipas aims to win first major title in France

By Brian Coleman

Twoyears ago, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Paris, France, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas was on the verge of having his greatest day as a tennis player. He was competing in the finals of the 2021 French Open, and while his opponent was the great Novak Djokovic, Tsitsipas was in full control of the match as he aimed to capture the first major title of his young career.

Tsitsipas had won the opening set in a tiebreaker, and then compiled a dominant second set to win it 6-2, and move within one set of the Roland Garros title.

But that’s when the wheels fell off, and whether it was Djokovic raising his level or Tsitsipas dropping his, what started out as a potential career day for the Greek star turned into one of the worst losses of his life.

“What I learned today is that no matter what, in order for the match to be finished, you have to win three sets and not two,” Tsitsipas said following his 7-6(6), 6-2, 3-6, 26, 4-6 defeat. “Two sets doesn’t really mean anything. It’s still one away from winning the entire match. I don’t think I relaxed. I don’t think I changed much…He came back to me like a different player suddenly. I don’t know. I have no idea. He played really well.”

That confused and puzzled reaction to a Djokovic masterclass performance is not uncommon. And while the loss was no doubt devastating, Tsitsipas tried to walk away from that match and tournament with a positive outlook.

“I don’t think I have regrets. I could have easily cried, but I see no reason for me crying because I tried everything. I couldn’t come up with anything better,” he said. “I believe I’m able to play for titles like this. Despite my loss today, I have faith in my game. I very much believe I can get to that point very soon. I was close today. Every opponent is difficult. There’s a small difference between the player I played today and the ones from before. But I think with the same attitude, I see no reason for me not to be holding the trophy one day.”

So with that mentality, Tsitsipas did not let the stinging defeat to Djokovic consume him, but instead put his head down and continued to go to work. He would win two titles in 2022 and recorded the 250th match win of his career, but was unable to make any deep runs at the four majors.

But at the beginning of this year, Tsitsipas reached the finals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career, and while he was defeated by Djokovic once again, Tsitsipas indicated that he feels he’s close to winning that elusive Grand Slam title.

continued on page 20

Photo credit: Tennis Australia/Hamish Blair

stefanos the great

“I’m just happy that I’m in another Grand Slam final. Of course, I was dreaming about the trophy, lifting that trophy. I even dreamt it last night in my sleep,” he said in his post-match press conference. “The desire is really there. I really, really want it badly. But just dreaming about it won’t make it happen. You got to act. You got to do something out there. You got to be present even more and do better. Today, I felt like there were moments that I was close, but the tiebreak didn’t really show that. Just bad starts. So I’ll just eliminate it, take the good things, and move on from there.”

He will use that approach and take that mentality into this spring’s French Open where he hopes this trip to Roland Garros will be the one that pays off. He began the clay court season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, an event he has won twice before in his career.

His ability to play on clay is one of the biggest strengths of Tsitsipas’ game. In his career, he’s posted a record of 80-26 on clay, with four of his nine career titles coming on the surface. Heading into this year’s

clay-court swing, Tsitsipas explained why he likes playing on clay, and how he has been successful.

“I think it’s deeper than people think. There is a lot of strategy involved,” said Tsitsipas. “You’re not

expecting to hit crazy winners on a surface like clay. You’re dealing with much patience when you’re playing. It involved more around unforced and forced errors. The way you can open up the court. The main priority isn’t to hit a winner, but be precise and open the court.”

Tsitsipas’ graceful movement on the court makes his playing style suitable to clay, and he is an extremely cerebral player on the court which allows him to strategize successfully during matches.

All of that leads us to this year’s French Open and with Tsitsipas as one of the tournament’s favorites. According to oddsmakers, he is listed as the fourth favorite, behind Djokovic, Alcaraz and Nadal, respectively. His preparation in the lead-up tournaments will go a long way in helping him feel confident, which includes potentially winning in Barcelona, which the Greek star says is one of the most difficult

Photo credit: Tennis Australia/George Sal

events on the calendar.

Tsitsipas opened up about that, and how he feels about his Grand Slam chances.

“I hope I can play a good level here. I have played the tournament several times, and it is a very long road to the final, a real marathon, winning this tournament is one of the biggest challenges on the circuit,” he said. “This year, after playing in the final in Australia, I had that injury that has prevented me from competing well in upcoming

tournaments, so next time I’ll have to level up a lot if I want to win. I have to improvement my preparation.”

He also indicated that a player like Alcaraz coming onto the scene makes that task even tougher, but creates a challenge that he is excited to try to overcome:

“I know that I am really close, I just have to continue on this same path, giving myself the opportunity to continue fighting until I stand up again in another final. It is a long road to reach that goal, now I am

working to be more consistent and return as soon as possible to stand up to an opportunity like this. Of course, the arrival of Alcaraz makes this objective a bit more complicated than it already is, but I love that the challenges are difficult. Few things are more satisfying than overcoming a really complicated challenge.”

Tsitsipas will aim to overcome that challenge this spring and summer as he continues his push for the first major title of his career.

Photo credit: Tennis Australia/Vince Caligiuri

In the Kitchen

An in-depth look at Pickleball on Long Island

Aspickleball fever continues to spread throughout our area, the country and the world moreover, Long Island Tennis Magazine will be bringing readers the latest news, including features, profiles, product reviews and more, on one of the fastest-growing sports here in our community. Each edition we will bring you more content covering pickleball on Long Island.

Q&A With Michelle Stoerback of Sportime Pickleball

I was forced to try it by a colleague that had a vision of the sport taking off prior to COVID-19, and so I decided to try it out. And since then, I have been running Tournaments at SPORTIME in Kings Park for over three years.

As someone who plays other racquet sports as well, why do you think pickleball has taken off in popularity the way it has?

It's an inclusive sport: Pickleball is a relatively easy sport to learn and can be played by people of all ages and skill levels. It's also a low-impact sport, making it a great option for people who want to stay active but can't engage in high-impact activities.

It's social: Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles and is often played in a social setting. This makes it a great way to meet new people and make friends.

pickleball may not be as physically demanding as some other sports, it still provides a good cardiovascular workout and can help improve balance, coordination, and reflexes.

It's fun: At the end of the day, people play sports because they enjoy them, and pickleball is no exception. The game is fast-paced, strategic, and competitive, making it fun to stay active and engaged.

When did you first begin playing pickleball? How did you get into the sport in the first place?

It's accessible: Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors and requires relatively little equipment. All you need is a paddle, a ball, and a net, making it an affordable sport for people of all income levels.

It's a good workout: While

How has Sportime embraced pickleball, and what are some of the things you guys are doing in the pickleball world as we head into the summer? Sportime has fully embraced the explosion of Pickleball by adding more courts, more programming and more events heading into the summer. Our outdoor facility at Hempstead Lake Park, which features 10 outdoor courts, will host a series of events this summer including level based tournaments and instructional clinics. We will also continue to offer plenty of court time and events at our indoor clubs in Kings Park, Bethpage and Port Washington, all summer long.

What would you say to someone who is a tennis player or other racquet sport player that isn’t sure if they want to start playing pickleball?

As a tennis player, I would highlight the similarities between tennis and pickleball to encourage pickleball players to try tennis but also emphasize the unique qualities of pickleball that make it a fun and engaging sport on its own.

To encourage pickleball players to try tennis, I would point out that both sports share some similarities in terms of hand-eye coordination, footwork, and strategy. However, tennis requires more running and a larger court, making it more physically demanding.

At the same time, I would emphasize the unique aspects of pickleball that make it a great sport in its own right. For example, pickleball is easier to learn than tennis and can be played in smaller spaces. It's also a more social sport, making it a great way to meet new people and build relationships.

Overall, I would encourage pickleball players to try tennis but also stress that pickleball has its own unique qualities that make it a great sport to play and enjoy.

Rick Black Stops at Pickleball Plus As Part of Country-Wide Pickleball Tour

journey of trying to play pickleball in as many states throughout the country as possible. He was immediately impressed with Pickleball Plus’ layout and the way it set up its programming and open court play.

“I loved Pickleball Plus when I went there. I arrived in New York and was looking for a place to play, and am lucky to have been able to find Pickleball Plus,” said Black. “I love the way they differentiate by skill level, and the courts are nicely spread out. I’m already looking forward to going back there again when I return to New York.”

Black’s love for the sport began a few years ago. As he worked his marketing job in the healthcare field, he oftentimes found himself planted at his desk, and as he puts it.

Last fall, as Rick Black was visiting his family who lives in Rosedale, Queens, he walked into Pickleball Plus in West Hempstead to bring his pickleball prowess here to Long Island.

Black, who was born in New York and currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, had just recently begun his

“I became a bit sedentary, and my wife even pointed out to me that I was gaining weight. So I needed to find something that would help me get active.”

Enter pickleball. He and his wife began going down to the local parks near their Richmond home, and Black was hooked. He embraced the

continued on page 24

simplicity of picking up the sport, as well as the tight-knit community he noticed existed within the pickleball world.

The sport would eventually save his life as well. Not only because it helped him become active and exercise again, but also because playing pickleball one day would literally save his life. While playing in a local game one Saturday morning, Black began feeling some minor chest pains and tightness.

At first, he thought it was indigestion so he initially blew it off, and planned on stopping at the store on the way home to pick up some Tums. But luckily for Black, a cardiac nurse just happened to be one of the players in his game, and noticed the signs immediately.

“She came over and held my arm and was asking me questions,” Black recalls. “It turns out, I suffered a minor heart attack, and was rushed to the hospital. Ironically, it was one of the hospitals I worked at. But I am just thankful for what happened.”

Black retired from his career in September of last year, and at 65years-old, his pickleball journey is only beginning. He has already played in

more than 10 states, ranging from Florida to Hawaii, to New York and South Carolina. His goal is to play in as many states as he possibly can, and he is excited to see just how many he can check off of his list.

He and his wife, Cheryl, are moving to Nashville, Tenn. in the near future, as she takes on a new job, and that move will help Black knock off even more states from his checklist.

“I’ll be able to travel rather easily to states such as Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, and even Indiana and Iowa hopefully, so we’ll see,” said Black. “I just couldn;t be more grateful for what pickleball has given me and my family, and the sheer joy and fun I’ve had from not only playing, but being part of such a welcoming community. Players come from all walks of life and backgrounds, from different races and ethnicities, to people from different classes. I can’t wait to continue being a part of this community.”

And for the crew at Pickleball Plus, they are always ready to welcome Black into their facility, and he will have a court ready for him next time he returns to New York.

“We are always happy to have Rick

come to Pickleball Plus to participate in our Advanced Open Plays, and we are pleased to be his go-to club in this area and a part of his unique journey," said Dory Levinter, manager of Pickelball Plus. "Not only is he a great addition to the games but his story shows the impact that pickleball can have on people, from meeting new friends to getting exercise and in Rick’s case, creating a new purpose and even saving his life. While we hope never to have to use it, we have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on site and our staff are trained in its use and in CPR. We strive to be a place where players feel welcome, safe and comfortable, whether they play here every day or are just visiting.”

Viking Athletics

highest levels. It has been the market leader in platform tennis for almost 30 years now. Platform tennis is a sport that combines both tennis and squash. After almost three decades of being the most recognizable brand name in the platform tennis space. Viking has now ventured into the realm of pickleball.

After establishing itself in the platform tennis world, Viking decided to expand into a bigger space, and took its expertise in the platform world to enter the pickleball realm. Given its knowhow, cutting-edge technology, means of production, established partnerships, and significant distribution across the country, pickleball was an obvious choice.

Viking has done exactly that by signing a top five pickleball player to its team. Andrei Daescu, a former all-American D1 college player and Davis Cup player for Romania who has established himself as an elite pickleball player.

Andrei wants to grow the game of pickleball in any way that he can. To this extent, he has been instrumental in the design of Viking’s Axe and Shield pickleball paddles.

Taking full advantage of Viking’s proprietary platform tennis “Carbon Fiber Stability System” (CFS 2 ), which allows the optimal blend of control, power, spin, touch, and maneuverability to coexist seamlessly, Andrei designed both paddles with the intent to a) appeal to recreational players already playing or looking to get into the game and b) to provide established, tournament level players with a cutting-edge option in the sweet spot of playability and durability.

Enter the 11mm Viking Axe with its sleek design and playability that will allow any average Joe to get their fill of dinks in. Andrei himself will be using the 16mm Viking Shield, built to withstand the rigors of league matches and professional tournaments, equally adept at topspin shots and rapidfire exchanges around the kitchen.

Last but not least, the carbon fiber fine grit finish on both our Axe and Shield paddles makes it easy to consistently add spin and

feel to each and every shot.

Viking has produced paddles that are good enough for one of the best pickleball players in the world, and encourages everyone to give their paddles a try to find out for themselves. Learn more about the Axe and Shield paddles, as well as all the equipment, accessories and more that Viking Athletics has to offer.

USTA NTC To Host APP Pickleball Championships

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will play host to the 2023 Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) New York City Open in late-May, as top pickleball players from across the country will ascend on Queens to compete in one of the APP’s top

in the kitchen

continued from page 25

events on the calendar.

The event will run from May 23May 28 and is dubbed as the “Crown Jewel” of the APP Tour. The five-day long event features an array of divisions and levels, including professionals, senior professionals, super senior professionals and amateurs.

The inaugural edition of the APP New York City Open in 2022 played host to nearly 1,200 players. This year, there will be singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competition will be held for men and women of the following age groups: 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+ and 70+, at skill levels 3.0 through 5.0.

Visit APPTour.org to learn more about the tour and this year’s New York City Open.

2023 Pickleball Event Series Continues With Long Island Pickleball Challenge

The 2023 Pickleball Event Series began in April with the 2023 Pickleball Easter Classic, and will continue on June 24 with the Long Island Pickleball

Challenge at Sportime Hempstead

Lake.

There will be four divisions of play:

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 combined

Women’s Doubles 7.0-7.5 combined

1:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 combined

Mixed Doubles 8.0-8.5 combined

The event will feature catered breakfast and lunch. Drinks will be provided. Prizes will be awarded for winners of all divisions, and they will be featured in the July/August edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine.

To learn more, visit LITennisMag.com/Events/LIPickleball Challenge.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Women’s DoublesMen’s Doubles

7.0-7.5 (combined) 8.0-8.5 (combined)

$50 entr y fee per person

1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mixed DoublesMixed Doubles

7.0-7.5 (combined) 8.0-8.5 (combined)

$50 entr y fee per person

Catered breakfast, lunch and drinks provided Prizes for all divisions

Winners to be featured in the next Long Island Tennis Magazine

ThePickleball Easter Classic kicked off the 2023 Pickleball Event Series, as this event was held at Bethpage Park Tennis Center with two sold-out divisions, one for Women’s 3.5 Doubles and one for Men’s 4.0 Doubles. Teams competed against one another in round-robin play with the results of those matches determining

2023 Pickleba Kicks Off With

who advanced to the quarterfinal knockout rounds.

In the Men’s Doubles final, Brad Berger & Alex Rothstein squared off against Rafal Charkiewicz & Alex Martinez, with Berger & Rothstein claiming the title.

“We were patient today, and that helps a lot,” said Rothstein. “It’s

tempting to try to hit every ball as hard as you can but we’ve learned to be patient and pick our spots, and that was key for us tonight.”

In the third-place match of the Men’s Doubles division, Kevin Kowalsky & Alec Mehr defeated C.J. Shank & Anthony Cammarata to claim the Bronze Medal.

The Women’s Doubles final came down to a great matchup between Susan Krawczyk & Lisa Gross and Sue Waleski & Heidi Hothan, with Krawczyk & Gross outlasting their opponents to win the championship.

“The key for us was making sure to have constant communication and just trust each other as partners,” said Krawczyk.

Gross added:

“The tournament was very well-run, and the people here were so nice. There was wonderful competition, and it was a fun time off the court. So it was a great night.”

In the Women’s Doubles third-place match, Lisa Goldberg & Darlene Pergola defeated Lisa Granucci & Norma Limbas to earn the Bronze Medal.

Men's Doubles Champions, Brad Berger & Alex Rothstein

Women's Doubles Champions, Susan Krawczyk & Lisa Gross Men's Doubles Silver Medalists: Rafal Chark & Alex Martinez

ball Event Series h Easter Classic

While the competition was fierce on the court, the Easter Classic featured a welcoming and social environment off the court, including pizza, drinks and more.

The top three finishers from both divisions earned medals for their placement, and the winning teams from each division won prizes which included adidas Pickleball Padels, and Halftime Chiller coolers.

FINAL RESULTS

Men’s Doubles Division

First Place: Brad Berger & Alex Rothstein

Second Place: Rafal Charkiewicz & Alex Martinez

Third Place: Kevin Kowalsky & Alec Mehr

Women’s Doubles Division

First Place: Susan Krawczyk & Lisa Gross

Second Place: Sue Waleski & Heidi Hothan

Third Place: Darlene Pergola & Lisa Goldberg

Our Pickleball Event Series will continue in June when we host the inaugural Long Island Pickleball Challenge at Sportime Hempstead Lake on Saturday, June 24. There will be four divisions of play

throughout the day, and will also include catered breakfast and lunch. Drinks will be provided, there will be prizes for all divisions and winners will be featured in Long Island Tennis Magazine .

Visit LITennisMag.com/Events/LITMPickleballChallenge

lCharkiewicz Women's Doubles Silver Medalists: Heidi Hothan & Sue Waleski

Men's Doubles Bronze Medalists: Kevin Kowalsky & Alec Mehr Women's Doubles Bronze Medalists: Lisa Goldberg & Darlene Pergola

USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Upcoming Long Island Events

TheUSTA Long Island Regional Council has a full calendar of upcoming programs and events and looks forward to seeing members of the local tennis community throughout the spring and summer. For further information on any of these events, please visit www.longisland.usta.com or email ustaonlingisland@gmail.com.

May 2023

5/20: Tennis in the Park @ Eisenhower Park (rain date 5/21). This event is part of the annual celebration of National Tennis Month. Lessons will be provided free of charge to kids and adults.

5/21: USTA Long Island volunteers will be participating at the annual Robbie’s Run in Merrick. This 5k road race and community event is held to raise money for Forever 9: The Robbie Levine Foundation, which supplies automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for youth and adult sports venues and also runs CPR and AED training sessions. This event will take place at the Levy-Lakeside School on Babylon Rd. in Merrick from 8:30-11am. Kids’ and adult red ball lessons will be provided to attendees.

5/23: Forever 9: The Robbie Levine Foundation will be providing a lifesaving CPR/AED training program at the Marriott Residence Inn in Garden City at 3pm. USTA members are invited to participate at no cost (donations to Forever 9 are encouraged). Must register in advance by emailing ustaonlongisland@gmail.com and providing your name, email address and USTA membership number.

July 2023

7/6: Kids’ Day at LuHi (rain date 7/7)

7/18: Kids’ Day at Hempstead Lake State Park (rain date 7/19)

August 2023

8/1: Kids’ Day at Island Quest in Wheatley Heights (rain date 8/2)

September 2023

9/27: Annual USTA Long Island Awards Dinner

Grant Money Available

Eastern & USTA Eastern Long Island grants are available for the 2023 year. Organizations are invited to apply for this funding to support programming aimed at increasing tennis participation in our local communities. Grant applications focused on the programming below will be given special consideration:

USTA

• School and After School Programming

• Junior Competitive Play

• Adult Competitive Play

• Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

• Community Tennis Associations (CTA) & National Jr. Tennis and Learning (NJTL) Programs

• Adaptive/Wheelchair Tennis

• Innovative Programs

Please go to the website below for more information.

https://www.usta.com/en/home/coach-organize/tennis-support/grants-assistance/eastern/usta-eastern-region-grants.html

https://www.usta.com/en/home/coach-organize/tennis-support/grants-assistance/eastern/usta-eastern-region-grants.html

USTA Eastern Long Island Region

LI Junior Team Takes Second Place at Nationals

LongIsland’s junior tennis team out of Long Island Health & Racquet Club’s Game Set Match Academy in East Setauket won second place in their National Tournament. Two of the team’s longtime members, Kira Kronenberg and Maria Perez, had come in second and fourth place in the Suffolk County High School Tournament and opted to compete at JTT Nationals rather than the New York State Girls HS Tournament.

Kira, a senior who will be playing tennis for the Rochester Institute of Technology next year, has been playing tennis since age three, training at LI Health & Racquet the entire time, with coaches Tito Perez, Juan Pablo Perez and Mauricio Doria Medina. Kira has been part of the club’s JTT program for the past 10 years. “It has always been a great experience getting to play with my friends that I have grown up with and not against them,” Kira says. “Nationals were especially fun for the whole team. It was obviously a more competitive level, but it was nice to travel with them and spend time with the team when we weren't playing as well.

“When the original date was canceled for the national tournament, I was crushed,” Kira says. “It was like all our

hard work was for nothing. But then when we found out they rescheduled for the same dates as the state tournament, skipping States for me was a no brainer. I think I told my dad probably two seconds after he asked me what I wanted to do. I have been playing on the same team, with the same people, for basically my whole life and I did not want to pass up the opportunity even if it meant missing states my senior year.

“There was also an issue of numbers on my team, and I knew if I didn't go to nationals, it would cause my team to not be able to go either. It was disappointing to know that I would not get a chance to play in states, but in my mind, it was better to hurt only myself instead of hurting my team who had all worked so hard to finally get to nationals for the first time,” Kira says.

Team members on the championship Junior Team Tennis team were: Maria Perez, Kira Kronenberg, Carina Cristobal, Victoria Matos, Juan Perez, Harshith Pennabadi, Shashank Pennabadi and Aron Burztyn. Matos and Bursztyn did not join the team in Orlando. Matos was competing at the NY State Girls’ Tournament, where she came in second place, and Bursztyn is a college freshman.

Sharing the Love with Racquets

The USTA Long Island Junior Council is conducting a donation drive for used tennis racquets. Collection boxes are located in the following clubs: Christopher Morley, LI Health & Racquet Setauket and

Sportime Kings Park. Additional clubs are being added, so check with yours. Please consider donating your gently used adult and child-sized racquets to help those in need.

Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee

Mike Pavlides, Regional Director

Jonathan Klee, Past Regional Director

Sunny Fishkind

Tito Perez

Jason Wass

Randi Wilkins

Neil Thakur, Manager, Schools Tennis and Long Island & Metro Region CTC

Becky Bellino, USTA Eastern Leagues Coordinator, bellino@eastern.usta.com

Facebook: Play Tennis Long Island • Instagram: USTA Eastern

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTO 2

In the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City flock enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an activities. One of those activities, and perhaps its most popular, is tennis favorite activity for Hamptons-goers, and there is no shortage of tennis opportunities to play out on the East End, from hitting around at local pa up and playing on a private court in a luxurious Hamptons home. In this feature are just some of the places you can find your game out

Places to Play

Annacone Tennis Management

AnnaconeTennis.com

info@annaconetennis.com

865-300-7323

HE ONS 2023

Annacone Tennis Management provides an array of services in the Hamptons, and can help produce programming and consulting for your neighborhood courts, country clubs, tennis clubs, resorts and more.

One of the programs offered is MyHamptonsPro, which is a concierge tennis company specializing in providing the highest quality offsite tennis services in the Hamptons. This service is available on your private court, at one of our private courts, or at your tennis facility. Focused specifically on creating the utmost in customer satisfaction, MHP provides comprehensive tennis services from worldclass tennis professionals to fit all of your needs. MHP tennis pros specialize in private tennis lessons that are customized to your specific tennis goals, with flexible times and days available to meet your needs. Steve Annacone, Director of MyHamptonsPro, has been a tennis professional and coach for over 45 years. Originally from Sag Harbor, NY and a graduate of East Hampton High School, Steve has been very involved in the tennis community in the Hamptons. By understanding that each player has specific needs and creating a customized tennis experience to accommodate these needs, Steve and the MHP staff will help you get the most out of your time on the court.

Future Stars Southampton

1370A Majors Path Southampton, N.Y. (631) 287-6707

FutureStarsSouthampton.com

ck to the Hamptons, to an array of outdoor nis. It may be the courts or parks or lacing them east this summer!

In the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City flock to the Hamptons, to enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an array of outdoor activities. Each town in the Hamptons has its own unique feel, with a variety of activities available from simply going to the beach, to kayaking, biking, trips to the wineries or taking in the East End nightlife.

TENNIS

continued from page 35

THE HAMPTONS 2023

Tennis may be the favorite activity of Hamptons-goers and there is no shortage of the sport in Eastern Long Island. There is no better way to spend a sunny morning or afternoon than getting some exercise on the court with friends. Below is a list of some of the locations to play tennis, as well as where to shop for the latest equipment and apparel, and where to stay.

Whether you are in Westhampton Beach, Amagansett or anywhere in-between, we look forward to seeing you on the courts and in the shops of the Hamptons this summer!

Future Stars Westhampton Beach

36 Aspatuck Road

Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

(631) 287-6707

FSCamps.com

Future Stars Tennis Camp at Aspatuck Tennis Club will offer a premier tennis program that is individually-

designed to methodically challenge players of all levels, ages six through 16. Throughout the week campers are encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills, organized play, individual attention, video sessions, target training and fitness routines. Campers will receive three to four hours of top flight tennis instruction, including fundamentals, stroke production, point play with strategy emphasis, and match play competition. All campers are carefully grouped based on age and skill level.

Ross School Tennis Academy

18 Goodfriend Drive

East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162

Ross.org/TennisAcademy

Ross School offers a unique and dynamic tennis program for both national and international junior players. It combines an engaging and global curriculum with the highest level of competitive tennis training. The school is the first in the New York City area to have a full academic program with a complete physical and mental conditioning program. The small, intimate program is designed for USTA/ITF players in Grades 7–12 and is tucked away in beautiful East Hampton.

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2023

Sportime Amagansett

320 Abrahams Path

Amagansett, N.Y.

(631) 267-3460

SportimeNY.com/Amagansett

Moriches and the North Fork. The facility features four indoor Har-Tru clay courts and 22 outdoor Har-Tru courts, in addition to an outdoor pool, full-service health and fitness club, a multi-sport court, locker rooms, and café. Sportime Quogue offers members and Hampton visitors dynamic programming and instruction for both juniors and adults, as well as game arranging and a wide range of tennis and social events.

Places to Shop

Tennis East

73 Main Street

Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535

TennisEast.com

Located in the Town of East Hampton, Sportime

Amagansett’s 23 acre campus features 33 outdoor Har-Tru tennis courts, one hard-surface tennis and pickleball court, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a mini-basketball court and playground, three natural turf sports fields, two club houses and a camp house, in addition to a pro shop and snack bar. Sportime Amagansett offers dynamic programming and instruction for both juniors and adults, as well as a wide range of tennis and social events.

Sportime Quogue

2571 Quogue Riverhead Road

East Quogue, N.Y.

(631) 653-6767

SportimeNY.com/Quogue

For nearly five decades, Tennis East has been a staple of the tennis community on Long Island’s East End. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories. Tennis East keeps up to date with the latest and most popular products to make sure its customers are always up to date with the newest gear, and it even features a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, as well as a line of other racket sports, such as paddleball or pickleball. Stringing services and demo rackets are also available.

Experience SPORTIME in Quogue! Sportime Quogue is a year-round, full-service tennis, fitness, camp and sports facility located in East Quogue, N.Y., but serves the surrounding towns of Westhampton, Remsemberg, Quogue, Southampton, Hampton Bays, Eastport, Riverhead, the

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2023

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Places to Stay

Baron’s Cove

31 West Water Street

Sag Harbor, N.Y.

(844) 227-6672

CapeResorts.com/Barons-Cove

elegant seasonal cuisine to casual fare to craft cocktails. Gurney’s also offers over 25,000-square-feet of meeting and banquet space, for hosting a wide range of business and social events. Its acclaimed spa is renowned for its healing treatments and ocean-fed seawater pool, the only pool of its kind in North America.

Upcoming Hamptons Tournaments

The newly-renovated Baron's Cove Hotel is the Hampton's preeminent All-American resort destination. With 67 charming village and harbor-facing guestrooms, gorgeous lofted suites boasting sweeping harbor views, village rooms featuring intimate private gardens, and cozy dog-friendly accommodations, Baron's Cove caters to every discerning traveler seeking a relaxing getaway on the East End.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa

290 Old Montauk Highway

Montauk, N.Y.

(631) 668-2345

GurneysResorts.com/Montauk

Long Island Tennis Magazine will once again be hosting part of its summer series out east in The Hamptons, and are excited to be offering two Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge events this summer.

The first tournament will be held on Saturday, June 10 at Sportime Quogue, featuring eight different divisions of play, four Men’s Doubles categories and four Women’s Doubles categories. The event will feature all of the amenities players have become accustomed to at the LongIsland Tennis Magazine Challenges, including competitive and well-organized doubles play, catered lunch, complimentary happy hour, prizes for winners and features in Long Island Tennis Magazine.

You can visit www.LITennisMag.com/Events/LITMJuneChallenge.

Later this summer, another Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge will be held on Saturday, September 9, which will also be at Sportime Quogue.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is a Hamptons icon and the only year- round resort in Montauk. Providing guests with direct access to a 2,000-foot private sand beach, Gurney’s features 146 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages, all delivering dramatic ocean views. With five unique dining and drinking venues, Gurney’s presents an array of food and beverage options, from

“We are excited to host the LITM Challenges this summer in the Hamptons for the fourth year in a row,” said David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “Sportime Quogue has proven to be the perfect host site as they accommodate our large draws on their outdoor courts, and we are able to bring people the amenities they have become used to on Sportime’s large pool deck. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the courts for fun in the sun this summer.”

More information to come on these events, and be sure to visit LITennisMag.com for the latest information.

Adult League Wrap-Up

By Becky Bellino

Springhas sprung early this year, and that energy has translated to our Long Island players who are ready to get the 2023 Adult League season underway!

Our numbers keep climbing with Long Island having 197 teams participating this spring/summer in a variety of divisions which include the 18 & Over Men’s league at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 levels and the Women’s 18 & Over at the 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 levels.

The 40 & Over league has teams at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 levels for both men and women. The 55 & Over league has women playing at the 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 levels, while the men have teams at the 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 levels.

Last, but definitely not least, we have both men and women’s teams in the 65 & Over league, both with teams at the 7.0 and 8.0 levels.

Over 900 matches have been scheduled, not including playoffs and Regionals. Needless to say, there is a lot of tennis that is about to go down out on the Island!

USTA Eastern will have a Sectional Championships this year for all leagues. Below are the dates and specifics can be found on the USTA website.

August 11-14: 18 & Over Women and 40 & Over Men (all levels)

• 18+ Women will be in Schenectady, NY

• 40+ Men will be in Westchester, NY

August 18-21: 18 & Over Men and 40 & Over Women (all levels)

• 18+ Men will be in Schenectady, NY

• 40+ Women will be in Westchester, NY

September 8-10: 55 & Over Adult Leagues (Schenectady, New York)

September 21-23: 40 & Over Mixed Doubles and 65 & Over Adult (Schenectady, New York)

National Championships are as follows (Invitational Dates are still TBD):

September 29 – October 1

•

•

October

•

•

October

•

October

November 10-12

• 18 & Over 7.0/9.0 – Orlando, FL

• 40 & Over Mixed 6.0/8.0 – San Diego, FL

The Long Island 40 & Over Mixed Doubles league is still playing with winning teams to be determined soon. They will advance to a Sectional Championship in September. Our 18 & Over mixed winning teams are advancing to the Sectional Championship the weekend of June 2nd in Schenectady, NY.

Good Luck to all teams!

• 6.0 Sportime Syosset - Captain Ed Sinn

• 7.0 Huntington – Captains Lisa Newell and Bridgette Boyle

• 8.0 Long Beach – Captain Zane Siddiqui

• 9.0 Combo team of Sportime Lynbrook and Long BeachCaptains Shanon Blue and Amani Siddiqui

October

• 40 & Over 4.0 – San Diego, CA

• 55 & Over 7.0/9.0 - Orlando, FL

• 18 & Over Mixed 6.0/8.0Surprise, AZ

November 3-5

• 40 & Over Mixed 7.0/9.0Surprise, AZ

Our 18 & Over Men’s and Women’s 4.0 Tri-level leagues are still in the process of wrapping up. The winners will be determined by the end of April and then advance to the Sectional up in Schenectady for the weekend of June 23. New to that Sectional is the 5.0 Tri-Level League which Long Island has representation on the women’s side. Carefree and Lynbrook are still battling it out for first place which will be determined in early May.

Looking forward to a great summer of USTA Adult League Tennis!

Becky Bellino is the new Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. A native of Bergen County, N.J., Bellino played collegiate tennis at Gettysburg College, and currently plays in USTA Adult Leagues. She may be reached at bellino@eastern.usta.com.

Tennis History Meets a Cutting-Edge Private Club Concept at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club

TheHamlet Golf & Country Club has been a staple of the Long Island community for decades, and continues to offer its members the most pristine amenities including stateof-the-art clubhouse, golf course, tennis courts, fitness center and pool area.

The Hamlet's tennis history is a rich one. For years, The Hamlet hosted the prestigious Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament, the event that was used as a warm up for the U.S. Open for more than 16 years. The eight Hamlet tennis courts have been graced by such world renowned players as Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang, to name a few. Though the Hamlet Cup Tournament is now a fond memory, The Hamlet can boast new exciting traditions that are being cultivated today through programming for its members and their guests. This

programming includes weekly Adult Cardio and Tennis Zones, Saturday morning Kids Tennis Zones, a new Tuesday Night Tennis Ladder and Sunday morning Concierge Tennis. Men’s and Woman’s USTA tennis teams have been added for 2023, as well as fabulous holiday events and tournaments and finishing the season with the annual and highly anticipated Club Championships. All these programs and events will be played on the Club’s six immaculate hard courts, as well as the two HarTru courts, all of which are lit for evening play.

The Hamlet is pleased to announce that Pickleball is our new featured addition at the Tennis Center. Pickleball has taken off across the country and here at The Hamlet it is no different. We have six Pickleball courts and myriad Pickleball programming for the

upcoming season.

The Hamlet's history and current tennis programming make it one of the most popular destinations for tennis enthusiasts looking for great amenities in a private country club setting. With such a beautiful environment in which to enjoy the game in mind, The Hamlet has developed new Social Memberships, catering to tennis and pool enthusiasts, as well as young professionals who are just starting to add golf to their busy lives. The Hamlet continues to be top of mind for the most discerning golfer of every skill who are looking for the Country Club lifestyle.

If you are interested in learning more about the new, exciting Hamlet Golf and Country Club, please contact Membership Director Hillary Epstein by calling (631) 491-2814 or email Hillary.Epstein@InvitedClubs.com.

Elasticity and the Modern Spanish Forehand

By Chris Lewit

Themodern forehand at the professional level, especially on the men’s side of the game, is typified by parabolic swing shapes, leg explosion and hip rotation, mid-air ball striking, lower, reversed and inverted finishes—and most of all—elasticity.

Looking back at the evolution of tennis technique over the past 30-40 years, the dramatic change is striking. In the 1970’s and 1980’s for example, the typical forehand technique was mostly linear, grounded and relatively rigid, with an emphasis on weight shift, firm wrist and extension out to a high finish in front or around the neck.

What’s remarkable is that even with the enormous change at the top level of

the game, coaches still teach the outdated forehand mechanics of the 1970’s and 80’s to young children, and then try to sell it to players and parents as “Learning solid fundamentals.”

This is a joke.

If your kid is stuck with a coach or club that insists on teaching technique from a bygone era, don’t just walk away— run—and find a teaching environment that emphasizes modern technique and builds players for the future of the game.

While it’s possible to learn an old fashioned stiff technique and then later on morph it into a modern, elastic stroke, why risk it? And why put yourself or your child through such an inefficient learning process?

It’s much faster and better to learn an elastic and whippy forehand based on the modern model from day one. Ingrain one motor program in the player, a motor engram that doesn’t have to be upgraded or changed later.

In Spain, there are still coaches in the old guard—even legends like Luis Bruguera and Toni Nadal—who stress the “old school” fundamentals first, but many in the younger generation of coaches are embracing a more modern style of technical development.

In my school and at my summer camp, we try to focus on building the forehand foundation in this modern Spanish way, using special exercises from Spain—but wasting as little time as possible—and

TENNIS CAMP

For boys and girls entering grades 2-10 (specialty camps)

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Net Generation is designed for beginners and teaches the fundamentals of tennis in fun and engaging ways. Elite Tennis is a full-day program for experienced players entering grades 6-10.

For more information, visit hofstra.edu/camp or call 516-463-CAMP.

preparing the technique to allow a powerful and massive RPM shot in the future. This continues the classic Spanish philosophy of making the heavy topspin forehand the primary weapon of the player—but uses a more efficient method than has been traditionally used in Spain.

Toni Nadal calls the forehand “the most important shot in the game.” I agree that it is important—maybe not the most important shot—but critical. However, I want to develop the essential motor program from day one, rather than build one motor program and then wait for a second one to replace the first.

Back here in the United States, I see so many kids under 10-years-old who have been taught stiff, linear forehands, closed stances and follow-throughs to the ear or neck—often from mediocre RedOrange-Green U10 programs. This style of teaching ruins more forehands than it helps. Most players end up scarred for life with outdated form, overly flat shots and difficulty generating a heavy ball.

Sometimes, hitting flat and hard can work on the indoor hard courts of New York and New England, but players are in for a rude surprise if they ever aspire to play well on outdoor slow hard or clay courts, or on the red dirt in Europe. Next time you are taking a class or watching a kids’ class, observe if the technique being taught reflects the modern game or if it’s from the old school textbook. You should look for the following keys:

• Open and semi-open stances taught early alongside closed stances

• Parabolic swing path with pronounced arm pronation and rotation (windshield wiper movement) in the forearm after contact

• Controlled explosions with players allowed to leave the ground

• Good hip rotation creating lag in the racquet and a whipping effect in the forward swing

• A loose, elastic arm

• Inverted finish (racquet tip pointing down) with the racquet frequently wrapping around the side of shoulder, waist or even the hip

• Significant topspin generated

Make sure your coach understands modern biomechanics and can teach the modern forehand clearly and efficiently. You or your player will improve faster with this approach rather than learning outdated fundamentals first.

Vamos!

Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and pro circuit player. He is a highperformance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationallyranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris coaches in NYC and year-round at his high performance tennis academy in Manchester, VT, where players can live and train the Spanish Way full-time or short-term. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail Chris@chrislewit.com or visit ChrisLewit.com.

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

40 Love Lifestyle LLC

439 Plandome Rd. l Manhasset, New York 11030 l (516) 570-0781

40LoveLifestylecom l info@40lovelifestyle.com

40 Love Lifestyle started with a vision to create a local store with an international presence, starting community of local tennis players who could find each other in order to play new, fun and interesting people that have similar mindsets. With that thought, 40 Love opened a local store in Manhasset that could serve as a meeting ground.

A boutique that offered the best collections of clothing for an active lifestyle as well as a sporting goods store with equipment and a beautiful stringing machine that restrings any kind of racquet. A "Sportique” was the solution.

40 Love Lifestyle wants to be your main resource for all of your tennis & racquet sport needs, as well as being your "go-to" store for all the best Golf apparel and accessories, giving you a collection of equipment and apparel that inspires you to feel your best while being active and living your best life. 40 Love carries tennis, badminton, pickleball, and golf equipment, with plans to expand on that in the future. Visit 40LoveLifestyle.com to learn more about the sportique, and shop the wide variety of products, as well as the community 40 Love is creating on the North Shore of Long Island.

inPhorm

inPhormNYC.com l support@inphormnyc.com l (214) 749-0300

Visit our online store ... New Kids Style Line!

inPhorm has launched a Kids tennis collection for the first time on its website. It’s elegant and functional, and the designs are inspired by the silhouettes of the adult line. Construction details and comfortable fabrics match the women’s and the men’s collections, and are equal in quality and reasonable prices.

inPhorm has been offering the Kids Collection to its wholesale accounts, but now makes it available to our online customers. The current girls’ collection is a capsule of the women’s Plumeria Collection, making it easy for a customer to choose a mother and daughter look. The boys’ collection has styles that are taken from the men’s collection that is launching soon on inPhorm’s website. Men, too, can have their father and son look.

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

High Country Ski & Tennis

465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue l Livingston, N.J. l (973) 994-3630

HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com

High Country Ski & Tennis is one of New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 30 years, High Country has New Jersey’s largest tennis showroom from March through September, and it is shrunk down in the winter months to focus on skiing and snowboarding.

High Country prides itself on providing the best in clothing, equipment and customer service. As Owner Bill Silverman says, “Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our own company.”

High Country carries the top manufactures and clothing providers in tennis, including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Nike, Adidas and many more. High Country offers 24-hour racket stringing, grommet installs, re-gripping and free demos. With great customer service and competitive prices, High Country continues to grow each year. For more information, call (973) 994-3630 or visit HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com.

SPORTIME Pro Shops

Locations across Long Island and New York City l (888) NY-TENNIS SportimeNY.com

From Randall’s Island to Amagansett, to Roslyn, Lynbrook, and Syosset, and in between, many of SPORTIME’s Long Island locations feature well stocked Pro Shops, staffed by dedicated racket sports experts who can help you find all the gear and clothing you need for tennis, pickleball, and more, on and off the court!

While each shop is unique, geared towards the offerings at each club and the tastes of each club’s players, all offer great selections of rackets, strings, apparel, bags, footwear and accessories, from top brands like Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and others.

Five-star service is always our goal, and SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement, racket regripping and customization. If you are looking for a new racket, demos are available for free, or for a small fee. And our network of pro shops can source hard-to-find or out-of-stock items for fast delivery to your nearest SPORTIME location.

SPORTIME’s experienced and knowledgeable staff are standing by to help you with all your equipment or apparel needs, maximizing your enjoyment and comfort on and off the court. For more information about SPORTIME’s Pro Shops, or to inquire about programs, lessons and court times, call (888) 698-3664.

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

Tennis East

73 Main Street l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 283-9535

TennisEastSH@optonline.com l TennisEast.com

From Randall’s Island to Amagansett, to Roslyn, Lynbrook, and Syosset, and in between, many of SPORTIME’s Long Island locations feature well stocked Pro Shops, staffed by dedicated racket sports experts who can help you find all the gear and clothing you need for tennis, pickleball, and more, on and off the court! While each shop is unique, geared towards the offerings at each club and the tastes of each club’s players, all offer great selections of rackets, strings, apparel, bags, footwear and accessories, from top brands like Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and others. Five-star service is always our goal, and SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement, racket regripping and customization. If you are looking for a new racket, demos are available for free, or for a small fee. And our network of pro shops can source hard-to-find or out-of-stock items for fast delivery to your nearest SPORTIME location.

SPORTIME’s experienced and knowledgeable staff are standing by to help you with all your equipment or apparel needs, maximizing your enjoyment and comfort on and off the court. For more information about SPORTIME’s Pro Shops, or to inquire about programs, lessons and court times, call (888) 698-3664.

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness

218 Jericho Turnpike l Syosset, N.Y. l (516) 364-9470

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is Nassau County’s top tennis specialty shop. TopSpin relocated five years ago and is now centrally located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., directly across from Syosset Hospital. TopSpin provides one-hour expert stringing at both facilities. Known as the home of “Clothes for the Pros,” TopSpin has been serving Long Island tennis pros and players with equipment and the top fashion in the sport for more than 30 years. TopSpin’s staff is known for its expertise and high-quality service. You will find all the premier tennis brands of equipment, apparel and shoes at TopSpin for the whole family, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more.

TopSpin now offers pickleball equipment, including padels, shoes and accessories.

TopSpin carries a full line of fitness and workout apparel and running shoes, so you can go from the court to the gym in style. Their racket wall contains a large selection of frames, bags and accessories at great prices. Your racket can be strung while you wait. TopSpin’s staff will ensure that, with the right equipment, you will reach your highest potential as a player and just as importantly, look great too. For more information, visit TopSpinTennisLI.com.

Bethpage Park’s High School Coaches Workshop Returns

TheHigh School Coaches

Workshop returned to Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as Steve Kaplan and his team brought the annual event back after a two-year hiatus.

The Workshop brings together local high school tennis coaches, both junior varsity and varsity, to learn from both Kaplan as well as other guest speakers about coaching techniques, proper warm-ups, how to coach a team, and the importance of high school tennis.

“After missing our High School coaches clinic for two years due to COVID-19, it was great to host some familiar faces as well as some new coaches,” said Kaplan. “High school tennis is an invaluable part of a young player’s tennis experience. I strongly advocate that all players will benefit from playing for their school team, even if they are at the highest level.”

Strength and conditioning coach Frank Dolan spoke to the coaches about how to properly warm-up their team prior to both practices and coaches, and put the coaches through a variety of drills and exercises to demonstrate.

Many times in high school competition, the visiting team gets off the bus and doesn’t have a lot of time

to warm-up before the match begins. That puts a great deal of importance on how your team warms-up to ensure its an effective way to prepare for the upcoming match.

“A lot of high school tennis programs get out there and just start hitting. But what we wanted to emphasize is having an understanding of not just warming up to get a sweat going or get loose, but it’s also to change athleticism and improve movements if done the right way,” explained Dolan. “What we discussed today was doing things with intent, going through the full range of motions, thinking of keeping things in alignment, the right posture, and all those little details that help you avoid just going through the motions. I think I was able to provide something simple that the coaches can quickly take with them and apply it to their teams right away.”

Kaplan discussed many different drills that coaches can use with their teams to help with technique, including the proper serve toss and grip, as well as how to generate power on the forehand and backhand shots. Alex Altman, Head Tennis Professional at the Tennis Club of Riverdale, spoke to the coaches on how to speak and deal with top junior players on their team,

discussing the importance of establishing trust between a coach and player.

Long Island Tennis Magazine publisher David Sickmen spoke to the coaches regarding the extensive high school coverage we provide daily, and explained how they can submit scores and photos to have their team and players included in our daily recap articles which are posted both to our website and social media accounts.

All of this, combined with open play as well as hitting for prizes, created a well-rounded event that provided a number of local high school coaches with valuable information they can bring to their teams.

One of the primary goals Kaplan has with the annual workshop is to bring home just how important high school tennis is as he is a strong believer that all top junior players should play for their high school teams rather than sit out to strictly focus on private training.

“It’s short-sighted, as well as a selffulfilling prophecy to dissuade the best players from school tennis by pointing to the lack of competition,” he said. “If everyone played, that would no longer be an issue. The industry needs to realize that school tennis is one of the most powerful agents to growing the sport.”

Then and Now

How Has Competitive Junior Tennis Changed?

By Ricky Becker

Nowthat I just celebrated my 49th birthday, one of my junior students asked me how junior tennis is different now compared to then. In the moment, it was hard to just pinpoint one thing. Now that I have had time to think about it, the reason it was difficult to convey in a 20-second sound bite was that there are so

many ways junior tennis is different in 2023 than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. So for those of you who are older, here is a trip down memory lane and for those of you who are juniors, this is how we were dinosaurs. Now if you hear me say to get off my lawn, please stop me!

Now Then

Rankings chosen by algorithms and formulas. Rankings decided by committee members in a room led by a ranking chairman.

Multiple ranking systems that vary in rewarding rounds One ranking system based on quality of wins and losses. won, quality of wins/losses and final scores.

Selection into Level 1 Supernational Tournaments are Selection into the four major nationals was based on determined by national rankings. your sectional ranking and each section’s quota of players was determined by the amount of USTA members living in each section.

Tournament results are available immediately

Monthly magazines published completed tournament electronically. draws or word of mouth among players.

Upcoming tournaments are available on-line a couple

All junior players were mailed a yearbook which would of months in advance except for the bigger ones have all of the tournaments with sign-up information which are planned ahead. for the following calendar year.

Selection and acceptance for all spots in a level 3 andLevel 3 and 4 tournaments were called Endorsement or 4 tournaments and are based on national ranking.Grand Prix events. The top 24-players were chosen by Eastern rankings which weren’t available to the public. The final 8-spots were determined by qualifying the weekend before.

Doubles only tournaments are commonplace and Doubles were only pretty much played at the four factored into national rankings. supernationals (just called nationals then) and a separate ranking by “team.”

It was almost considered “dissing” the players from sections to play doubles with one another. your own section if you played doubles with someone from another section.

It is not uncommon for players in different USTA

Now Then

The “fourth” supernational is known as Winter NationalsThe “fourth” supernational was known as “Indoors” and it is outdoors in December.and it was during Thanksgiving.

Every court equipped with a scoreboard.Having a scoreboard on the court was cool and an exception.

All players can play an age-group until the month they There was a birthday cutoff (November though have a birthday which makes them too old.October maybe?) which determined who was eligible for what age group for the entire calendar year. You either had a good birthday or bad birthday.

There are over 15,000 players with a national ranking Approximately 150 players got ranked in each in some age groups.age group.

Many of the top players on Long Island do not play high

All the top players on Long Island played high school school tennis.tennis.

Coaches and/or high school athletic departments

Top Eastern players did not have to attend high school require everybody to come to practice regardless of practices. USTA ranking or available competition to practice with.

Home-schooling or a hybrid schedule is a common

Home-schooling was extremely rare and frowned upon practice among top sectional juniors and is acceptable by many colleges. to elite colleges.

Serving and volleying is a surprise tactic.Approximately half of top male Eastern and National Players serve-and-volleyed every point on first and second serves.

Top local players travel to Florida to train or practice

Every (not an exaggeration) junior on Long Island did with other juniors at many facilities.groups at Port Washington Tennis Academy but took private lessons elsewhere in the area.

Mental training is a commonly accepted practice.Mental training was considered very zen and quirky.

Video analysis is commonly available and practically a Video analysis was considered the coolest thing around necessity.and not very accessible.

Clothing and racquet companies only completely comp Pretty much the top-100 players in the country for each the very top players.age-group and gender got “free stuff.”

The USTA provides free training to many of its’ top

The USTA had a National Team of eight boys and eight juniors locally and in Florida.girls across all age groups who got free training. Otherwise there was a weekend camp once a year locally for a few players in each section.

Get directions to tournaments by using phone GPS.Call the tournament location and write down step-by-step directions.

Ricky Becker is The Director of Tennis at Glen Oaks Club. Ricky also coaches high-performance juniors throughout the year and has been the Director of Tennis at three of Long Island’s biggest junior programs. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis team and ranked in the top-five nationally as a junior. He can be reached at rbecker06@yahoo.com, 516-3594843 or via juniortennisconsulting.com.

By Steve Annacone

Tennis: The Most Difficult Sport

Irecently saw a list of the most difficult sports to play. There were a lot of surprises, but the fact that tennis was not at the top of the list in terms of difficulty, was the most surprising to me.

There are so many complex components in tennis. First of all, each time a match is played there are different variables. The weather conditions, court surface, opponent, type of ball used, and numerous additional considerations, change

each time you step on the court. Then there is the crazy scoring which always favors a comeback for the person who is behind. You have to win at least six games to win a set, and then win two out of three or three out of five sets to win the match. Also, you have to win four, five, six, or seven matches in a row in the main draw to win a tournament. You can add two or three more matches to that if there is a Qualifying Draw for players

whose ranking is not high enough to get directly into the main draw.

The next quandary concerns the skills needed to become a successful tennis player. First, a player needs to develop good technique and fundamentals concerning their swing, footwork, and body movement. Then, consider that there are seven different shots that need to be mastered: the serve, return of serve, forehand groundstroke, backhand groundstroke, forehand volley, backhand volley, and overhead. This does not even include specialty shots like the drop shot and the lob. Once the player improves these shots, variations must be learned. More or less spin, speed, angle, direction, depth and many others are necessary to help win the point.

Eventually the player has to focus on strategy and a game plan. It is best to come up with these by using your best shots and most natural tendencies to draw a picture in your mind as to how you would like to play most of the points. The problem is that your opponent is likely to make you alter your strategy and flaunt your weaknesses. This requires a mid-

match adjustment to your plan and can result in panic or uncertainty creeping into your shots. You have to be your own coach on the court and reformulate your initial strategy based on what is happening.

The mental aspect of the game is the most overwhelming part of the difficulty when playing tennis. Human nature tends to work against the player. If you miss a few shots, the mind is telling you to be careful on the next shot. Being careful can severely affect your ability to take a normal swing at the ball and result in shots that are not very effective or often in unforced errors. Also, getting way ahead in a match can lead to relaxing a bit and losing the intensity that the player had when they were building their lead. A player has to learn how to block out all of the bad things that happen on the court, and remember all of the positives. They have to do this over and over throughout the game, set, match, and tournament.

This is an extremely difficult thing to execute, even for the best players in the world. Dealing with adversity becomes the ultimate mental test in a tennis match.

Finally, tennis is an individual sport. Most professional players now have a “team” that helps them. The problem is that once you step on the court in tennis, it is all up to you. Your team cannot come down and hit the next serve for you. Even though more and more coaching is becoming part of the game during a match, the outcome is squarely on the shoulders of the player. The individual aspect on top of all of the other complexities of the sport can be daunting. Only a few other sports even

come close to having all of the components I have described above. The good news is that you don’t have to be a great tennis player to enjoy the sport. If you can serve, return serve, rally two or three balls back and forth, and do this as well or a little better than the person on the other side of the net, you have a chance to win the match. It is also possible to enjoy your time on the court even if you do not win. Remind yourself about the degree of difficulty in the sport of tennis, and try to get a little bit better each time you step on the court. I believe tennis is the most difficult sport on the planet but also the greatest sport to play.

Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis Management, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, N.Y.

2023 French Open Preview 202

The second major of the year is nearly upon us as the world’s best tennis players will soon arrive in Paris, France to compete in the French Open. The famous red clay of Roland Garros is one of the most well-recognized sights in all of sports and will have the eyes of the sports world upon it this May.

Last year, Rafael Nadal won his 13th French Open title, continuing his domination in France, which also gave him his 22nd major title, while Iga Swiatek claimed her third major title overall, and second French Open title.

This year’s installment of the French Open will run from May 28 to June 11. Long Island Tennis Magazine has broken down some of the top contenders, pretenders and sleepers for the year’s second Grand Slam:

Men’s Singles Contenders

Novak Djokovic

The world’s top male player comes into the French Open in search of a record-setting 23rd major singles title following his triumph at the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, and he looks every bit like a player who is on a mission. Djokovic had an up-and-down year in 2022, being barred from certain events due to his lack of COVID19 vaccination, and those same issues arose during Miami

and Indian Wells earlier this year, but all of that has led to an even more motivated Djokovic as we head into the spring. The French Open has been the least successful of the four for Djokovic, but is still a two-time winner in Paris, and as long as he is healthy, he is still the player to beat in the field.

Rafael Nadal

There are certain things that just go together in life, like

Photo credit: Seth Sarelson

French Open Preview 2023 French Open Pr

spaghetti and meatballs, and Rafael Nadal and the French Open are one of those pairings. It’s hard to think of one and not think of the other, and the Spaniard has made the south of France his home away from home for nearly two decades. Nadal is the owner of an incredible 13 French Open championships, the most by any player at any specific event, and despite his rising age and lingering injuries, Nadal has to still be considered a tournament favorite. He has won five of the last six French Open titles, and despite him not being the same player he once was, Nadal carries a certain aura inside Roland Garros, and has proven nearly impossible to beat on the red clay.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek star is still in search of his maiden major title, and the 2023 French Open could be the setting in which he claims that win. He has had success on clay over the years, winning the 2021 and 2022 titles in Monte Carlo, as well as reaching the finals of the French Open in 2021. In that final, he held a two-sets-to-love lead over the aforementioned Novak Djokovic, before coughing up that lead in what was the most heartbreaking loss of his young

career. But Tsitsipas has not let that loss deter him, and he has looked like one of the best players in the world in 2023. He reached the Australian Open final at the start of this year, and will be one of the more motivated players at this year’s French Open. This could be the event where Tsitsipas earns his first ever major singles title.

Women’s Singles Contenders

Iga Swiatek

Three years ago, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the French Open, a little-known Polish teenager became a household name. Iga Swiatek captured the French Open title, which that year was held in September, to claim her place in the conversation of top women’s tennis players. Fast-forward a few years, and Swiatek has a firm grip atop the world rankings, and has added to her resume since then, including winning the French Open and U.S. Open in 2022. She has expressed her love for the clay surface, and has found great success on the clay, which includes titles at the 2021 and 2022

2023 French Open Preview 2023 Frenc

Italian Opens and Stuttgart in 2022, in addition to her two French Open titles. Swiatek is the player to beat at the 2023 French Open on the women’s side as she seeks to win her second straight title at Roland Garros, and take home her fourth Grand Slam.

Jessica Pegula

Can this be the tournament where Jessica Pegula finally breaks her dreaded quarterfinal curse? The top-ranked American has reached the quarterfinals at five different majors in her career, yet has never been to a major semifinal in singles. She hopes to end that in Paris in May. She reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2022

and could be in store to make another deep run. While she has not won a title on clay in her career, she did reach the Madrid final last year, and showed she can advance to the second week at Roland Garros. Pegula has the game to succeed on clay with her relentless defending and consistent shot making, and will look to make it to at least the second week for a second consecutive year.

Elena Rybakina

The tall, big-hitting player from Kazakhstan made her name known last year as she powered her way to the Wimbledon title, claiming her first Grand Slam title. She backed that win up by reaching the finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, and would go on to win the title at Indian Wells. All of that success came on either grass or hard courts, and it will be interesting to see how Rybakina’s power game translates to clay. Only one of her career singles titles has come on clay, and that was back in 2019, but Rybakina has reached the quarterfinals at the French Open, in 2021, so she has shown she can succeed at Roland Garros. With championship pedigree now on her side, Rybakina is a threat to claim her second major title this spring.

Men’s Singles Pretenders

Daniil Medvedev

Over the years, Daniil Medvedev has not hid his feelings for the clay surface.

“I’m not hiding this—I don’t like clay,” he said two years ago. “Honestly, there’s nothing I like on clay. There’s

Preview

always bad bounces, you’re dirty after playing. I really don’t enjoy playing on clay.”

And his results bear that out. The French Open has been the least successful, of the four majors, for Medvedev. He was bounced in the first round each year from 2017-2020 before reaching the quarterfinals in 2021 and the fourth round last year. But Medvedev has struggled to generate his typical power from the clay and he has never won any title on the surface. While Medvedev is no doubt one of the top players in the world, the clay has been his kryptonite over the years which could cause him to suffer an early exit.

Taylor Fritz

French Open Preview

there is not a lot of experience of playing on clay, and that shows in the discomfort they have competing on it. Fritz has never made it to the finals of any clay event during his career on the ATP Tour, and has never made it out of the third round at the French Open specifically. The last two years in particular, Fritz has been bounced in the second round at Roland Garros, and that could be a trend that continues this year. Fritz has been ranked inside the Top 10 for a year now, and has established himself as one of the world’s most consistent players, but his struggles on clay historically don’t bode well for his chances at this year’s French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz

It is a bit strange to list Carlos Alcaraz, one of the game’s top young stars and a major champion already, as a pretender, but this year’s French Open may prove to be a difficult one for the Spanish sensation. While he was practically raised on clay like so many of his Spanish compatriots, including Nadal, Alcaraz has been dealing with injuries for essentially the entirety of 2023. He missed the Australian Open due to a hamstring injury at the beginning of the season, and then aggravated that injury again in February which forced him to miss time. Most recently, he had to withdraw from Monte Carlo due to arthritis in his hand, and all of this has led to Alcaraz unable to find a rhythm so far this season. That lack of match play could affect his stamina as he aims to play his best tennis for the full Parisian fortnight,

Similar to Medvedev, Taylor Fritz has never been a huge fan of the clay surface. Like many American tennis players,

continued on page 56

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and despite his immense talent and championship experience, Alcaraz could be on upset alert in the first week.

Women’s Singles Pretenders

Aryna Sabalenka

At the beginning of this year, Aryna Sabalenka captured the biggest title of her career as she won the Australian Open, her first-ever major championship. That win from the power-hitting Belarusian came on the heels of her finishing 2022 by reaching the finals of the WTA Finals, and has catapulted her to the No. 2 in the WTA Rankings. Those results all came on hard courts however, and as you would expect from a player who hits the ball as hard as Sabalenka, that is her preferred surface. So that makes the prospect of her making a deep run at the French Open this year a difficult one. She has never been that successful on clay, failing to ever make it out of the third round at Roland Garros, and those struggles may well continue this time around.

Ons Jabeur

With a crafty and dynamic playing style, Ons Jabeur’s game is certainly suited for the clay surface. She hits all

2023 French Open Preview

sorts of slices and volleys, and moves around extremely well on clay. But for some reason, most of Jabeur’s success, especially at Grand Slams, has come on the other two surfaces. She reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2022, but has failed to ever make it out of the fourth round of the French Open in her career. Despite her major success last year, don’t be surprised to see Jabeur suffer an early exit at Roland Garros.

Maria Sakkari

The Greek star reached the first major semifinal of her career at the French Open in 2021, and would finish out that season by reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open, and qualifying for her first ever WTA finals. But outside of that semifinal in 2021, Sakkari has never really played her best tennis on the red clay in Paris. She has been eliminated in the third round twice, the first round once, and the second round twice, including an upset loss a year ago. While she has now been a mainstay inside the Top 10, she has been inconsistent at the French Open over the course of her career, a trend that could continue this spring.

Men’s Singles Sleepers

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Andrey Rublev

Fresh off of a title on the Monte Carlo clay, Andrey Rublev

2023 French Open Preview

is prepared to make some serious noise at this year’s French Open. That Monte Carlo title was his first Masters 1000 championship and up to this point is the biggest win of his career, and reinforced his success on clay. In his career, he is 53-29 on clay, and that includes two different runs to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, both last year and in 2020. With his intense footwork and offensive approach from the baseline, Rublev is a difficult opponent to face, and if his twohanded backhand is working, Rublev is someone no one will want to see in their draw.

Holger Rune

The casual tennis fan may not be aware of Holger Rune just yet, but that could change after this spring. The young Dane, just 20-years-old, has already shown how much he likes the clay surface in just a short time on tour. One of his three ATP singles titles came in Paris at the 2022 Paris Masters, the biggest win of his career to date, and last year, in his debut at the French Open, he reached the event’s quarterfinals. Just recently, Rune reached his second Masters 1000 finals, as he powered his way to the finals of the Monte Carlo Masters before losing to the aforementioned Rublev. Don’t be surprised if Rune makes another deep run into the second week of the French Open, and continues the success of his young career.

Matteo Berrettini

When he is on his game, Matteo Berrettini is one of the best players in the world. Unfortunately for the Italian, however, injuries have prevented him from playing his best tennis over the last year-plus. Because of that, he has slipped outside the Top 20 in the rankings and has been unable to consistently play matches, which included having to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters in April with an abdominal injury. But as we approach the French Open, if Berrettini is able to remain healthy, he is a threat in the draw. He is a former quarterfinalist in Paris and has had success on clay through the course of his career, which includes three of his seven career titles coming on clay. Health is the key factor for the Italian, and if he is indeed feeling good going into the French Open, he is capable of making a deep run.

Women’s Singles Sleepers

Belinda Bencic

After a long-time away, this year has saw a return to the Top 10 for Belinda Bencic, the former world No. 1 junior from Switzerland. Bencic has seemingly returned to the form that made her a top player for several years in the late 2010s, and that has been demonstrated by her winning titles in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi. She followed that up by reaching the finals in Charleston, a clay surface tournament, which

should provide her with some confidence heading into the French Open. The red clay of Roland Garros has not always been kind to Bencic, with her best showing being just a thirdround appearance, but don’t be surprised if that changes this time around, as Bencic aims to put forth her best French Open performance.

Caroline Garcia

Competing in her home country, Caroline Garcia will look to win her first major at the French Open. Garcia is playing some of the best tennis of her career in the last year which included capturing the title of the 2022 WTA Finals, and reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open, which helped bring her ranking to fourth in the world, a career-high for the Frenchwoman. Garcia has only made it to the second week in Paris once in her career, but is currently playing the best tennis of her career, and will be eager to put on a great performance in front of her compatriots. Garcia is a good mover on the court and has great hands thanks to her success in doubles, and all of that could lead to a deep run at Roland Garros.

Magda Linette

The veteran from Poland has been playing some of the best tennis of her career since the middle part of 2022, and seems to be hitting her stride. At the beginning of this year, she reached her first ever major semifinal as he made her way into the Australian Open semifinals, which moved her into the top 20 in the world rankings for the first time in her career, and will look to at least equal that result on the French Open clay this spring. She has reached the third-round twice at the French Open, including in 2021, and has won a title on clay, in Charleston last year, but look for Linette to have her best showing on the famed red clay.

High Performance Students Do Not Make You A High Performance Coach

By Steve Kaplan

It'san implied truth in coaching, and an inferred truth by many parents, that a coach with great students must be a great coach.

I admit that I use the marketing tactic of, "Who I coach and have coached", because it is a powerful sell, but here's a dirty little secret: "Great player results do not necessitate great coaching efforts."

“Garbage In” can produce 14 Karat Gold results. We will never really know the opportunity lost because, without the omniscience of a multiverse, how can we understand if a superior coaching experience would have produced 24 Karat Gold results? Maybe the three players that were coached to 98, 99, and 100 in the world, could have been multiple major champions if coached by someone else.

About 12 years ago, I was invited to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center In Flushing to talk to eight USTA High Performance coaches about coaching techniques. One of the coaches gave feedback to a question about volley methods with what I observe as a common outlook in tennis coaching:

“This is how I teach, this is how I was taught and I get results!”

In response, I asked, "what do Vince Lombardi, one of the most successful coaches in pro football history, Red Auerbach, one of the most successful pro basketball coaches in history, Angelo Dundee, one of the most successful coaches in pro boxing history and Harry Hopman one of the most successful tennis coaches in history have in common?” Well, my answer would be the things that they passed on to their athletes were the former traditional idea's to take salt pills because we sweat a lot during exercise, as well as to not drink water during play because liquids would cause cramps. We know now that such practices are so unsafe that they

might even be criminal if performed today, and yet despite these horrific protocols all of these coaches got results!

Now don't get me wrong, these coaches were excellent despite these poor practices, but surely we cannot claim as a coach that a procedure is sound just because the outcome is, because the stellar reputation of the coach is ironically based on such outcomes.

For those who say that numbers don't lie, the truth is, that they lie all the time, from small sample sizes, correlation, selection bias and arbitrary presentation

Coaching high performance students alone, does not make you a high performance coach, and being the parent of a high performance player alone, does not make you a better tennis

parent. I have coached well over 1,500 nationally ranked players, but it is arrogant to believe that this fact alone makes me a better coach than someone who has only coached beginners. Highlyskilled, highly-motivated and highly-talented athletes can make even a subpar coach look like an expert, and teaching beginners to improve and love the sport is every bit as noble and difficult (maybe more so) as coaching the very best players.

I have published many articles on the qualities that make a great coach in Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines, and I write this as a reminder to myself about what I teach to students:

"Being on the court with great players does not make you great by inference or osmosis."

Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone on to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

“I’m So Tight! How Can I Loosen Up?”

By Rob Polishook

Inmy first book, Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions , I wrote a chapter entitled, “OMG, I’m Nervous …What Do I Do?” At the time I wrote that chapter, that was the top question tennis players brought to me. But there is another question tennis players experience and grapple with that is equally important. These players will say, “I was so tight, I couldn’t hit a ball!” or “I’m so tight, why? I’m going to lose!” and “How can I loosen up?”

When a player is noticing tightness, it is most often about anxiety, nervousness or fear. The description “tight” usually means the player is experiencing one or all of these symptoms: Shortness of breath, tingling, a lack of energy, clammy skin, overall impatience and rushing.

So what’s a player to do? How do we get back to a more relaxed place so the match feels more like practice?

Here are five ways a player can loosen up…

1. Stop fighting

Rather than fighting your thoughts and feelings and trying to get rid of them, try turning towards them and accepting how you feel right now. Simple acceptance eliminates the struggle and allows you the freedom to make adjustments and find your rhythm. You can talk to the feeling and say, “I’m noticing something inside of me is tight.” Then say, “I’m going to say hello to it because it’s clearly worried.”

This strategy helps you see that your thoughts are not you, nor is the tightness. Rather, it’s something you are simply aware of and notice.

Remember, your thoughts are not truths and your feelings are not fatal. They are like a movie you are watching. No need to fuse together with them and feel like they control you and highjack the moment, point, game or match.

2. Shift the focus

The anxiety a player is experiencing is most likely a result of focusing on

something you cannot control. Maybe you are trying to control the outcome or what the coach thinks, or how you “think” you should be playing. But all of these things are beyond your control. Change your focus to something you can control. You might focus on committing to your game and using strategies that set you apart. Maybe you want to try breaking up the match or the game into smaller pieces, focusing on one point and one shot at a time.

3. Shake it off

Notice where you are feeling the tightness in your body. If it is in your arm, shake the arm. If it is in your feet, shake your feet. Your shoulders? Shake them! Shaking can help the body to release tension and feel connected.

You might even ask yourself, “How would I feel if I was loose and relaxed?” Or you can ask this question about a stroke: “How would it feel if my serve was relaxed?”

Rather than answering this, allow your

body to feel, relax and release it. Right now, ask yourself, “How would my jaw feel if it was loose?” If you are like most people, you will realize you have been clenching or holding your jaw tight. Just the awareness alone will prompt you to let go and settle.

4. Breathe

Bringing your attention to your breath and breathing patterns is a secret of so many pros. This allows the player to bring oxygen into the body to replenish and reset. A little known fact is that by inhaling, you are activating the sympathetic nervous system that provides you with energy. Exhaling activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing for calm and relaxation. Breathing in and out calms you and helps loosen you up so you can get out of your mind. It also helps to shift the focus away from the outcome and tightness. Between points, before your serve or prior to returns, bring your attention to your

breath and breathe. You won’t be sorry.

5. Grounding

Shift your attention to your feet. Whether it’s a serve or a return of a serve, notice both of your feet touching the ground. If you are bouncing on your toes or just feeling the balls of your feet, notice the contact with the ground. By doing this, you will become aware that you are stable, balanced and centered. Being centered will help the nervous system settle. These five centering tips can be used separately or can be combined into a between-point or between-game ritual. Be creative. It’s important to remember as you are doing any of these tips to

be present while doing them. The object, for example, is not to do the breathing exercise so you can loosen up. This conditional type of thinking will only make you tighter. The idea is to breathe, and to “be the breath.” Be present to the breath or shaking or noticing your feet contacting the ground. By doing this, you have a better chance of settling down. If by chance you don’t settle in, don’t get upset that you don’t feel how you want. Stick to this process, the real game is creating the discipline to be present to the little things. Soon this will translate to bigger things. This will allow you the best chance to play the next shot, point, game and match from a centered place.

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 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, following on Instagram @insidethezone

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50th Annual POP Tennis Nationals Set for Memorial Day Weekend

Thisspring, as the country honors those who have laid down their lives, St. Augustine, Fla. will play host to the 50th installment of the POP Tennis National Championships. Players from all around the country will descend onto historic St. Augustine to compete on the hard sand of the beach.

The weekend will begin with the Welcome Party/Social on Friday evening, with the mixed doubles portion of the event also beginning on that Friday. The Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles events will commence on Saturday.

POP Tennis is a sport that dates back to the end of the 19th century, and is the original form of Paddle Tennis. It’s the closest complementary paddle sport to regular tennis, with the same rules and scoring as tennis except players get one underhand serve. The same footwork, strokes and aggressive strategies in tennis apply to POP, just played on a smaller court, lower net, shorter paddles and slower low pressure balls. This helps to create fun and exciting rallies, and forms an equalizer where people of different ages and abilities can compete on the same court.

“Excited, thrilled and proud of our sport, our history and our great

community in so many ways,” said Mitch Kutner, the President of the International POP Tennis Association.

“Although POP aka Paddle Tennis has been around for 125 years and we’ve been fortunate to run events at high-profile locations like the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the upcoming 50th annual in St. Augustine represented so much for our sport. It’s a symbol of the years of hard work, the volunteers, the players, our business partners and the strong foundation that we’ve built. It takes a ton of loyalty, persistence, love of sport and dedication. Not to mention the mix of players from our sport’s amazing history will be wellrepresented.”

This year is special for many reasons, but perhaps one of the more unique aspects of the weekend will be the introduction of a special “Legends”

division, where past winners and returning Hall of Famers of the sport will participate.

“We expect another great upcoming Nationals event. A large turnout of players and spectators is definitely expected for the 50th annual,” Kutner added. “Since this is such an important event in POP history, we have also invited back a few old-timers aka legends of the game. Some have not been back to the tourney in decades. Some of these legends like Steve Geller won the St Augustine Nationals multiple times in the mid 70’s. Other Hall of Famers & National Singles champs like Jeff Lerner will be there as well. The tourney always gets a good number of spectators based on its longtime local history around Florida. Plus, its a public event on the beach. Players typically bring family & friends to watch & support. Some show up specifically for the event and then we also get many passers-by on the beach who like what they see and decide to stay, cheer and watch the matches. It’s free for spectators!”

To learn more about the 50th POP Tennis Nationals, visit StAugPOPTennis.com, and to learn more about POP Tennis in general, visit POPTennis.com.

Youheard it and your opponent wanted you to hear it: a comment to belittle you and take you off your game.

He cast an insult over the net and stood smirking. The official walks onto your court and questions what was said. Your opponent feigns innocence and says he said something different. The official reminds all players that verbal abuse, heckling, harassment, personal attacks, or any negative comment is not allowed.

These statements were directed at a player and clearly heard. Which of these are examples of verbal abuse?

YesNo

q q "He can't handle the pressure."

qq "He's getting tight."

q q "Shank you very much."

q q "Shanksville."

qq "We love double faults."

q q "Choke."

q q "Yeah, that's right. You can't see the line!" (When a doubles partner corrected a close line call)

Answer each quiz question with a "yes?" Correct!

Each is an example of verbal abuse worthy of a penalty to the bully. When these statements are said with the intention to harass or demean a player, it is verbal abuse. One player is trying to gain an unfair advantage over another. Verbal abuse is defined as "a statement directed at an official, opponent, spectator or other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise abusive." It is against the principles of fair play and sportsmanship.

It’s About Intent

Spectators and players who resort to insulting a fellow player bring down the entire game's fairness and integrity. Anyone that picks up a racquet for a fun afternoon or competitive match does not deserve to be put through this.

On the first offense of verbal abuse by a player on court, officials may issue a point penalty. Second offense? Loss of a game. Third offense? Default.

Bench players could receive a bench warning, then if the behavior continues, a point penalty against the players on court. Harassing behavior from a crowd may receive a warning from the event management staff. If that behavior continues, the point penalty system is applied to the specific match and spectators may be removed from the

By Barbara Wyatt

facility. When a crowd is generally unruly and not match-specific, the penalties can be applied to the highest match still in progress.

Bullying behavior reflects on the bully. Their insults may be their way of hiding an inferiority complex (feeling better by making others feel worse) or needing attention (like a toddler in a tantrum).

Tennis is a sport, not reality television. Discussions after the match should be about players' use of winning strategies, good stroke techniques, and percentage of first serves in.

Bottom line? Nothing justifies these comments. Bullying is bullying.

Visit www.iKnowTennis.com for more tennis quizzes. Pick up a copy of the USTA's Friend at Court 2023.

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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 email at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com

Ben Shelton and Growing Up in a Tennis Family

By Luke Jensen

Tennisfans, I am really excited about this edition of the Jensen Zone.

Tennis has been a huge part of my entire life. In the small town I grew up in, my dad was the tennis coach at Ludington High School, so the sport has had a massive and consistent presence in my life from an early age.

I share my beginnings in the game because the hottest player in the ATP world is American Ben Shelton. Last year, at this time, he was finishing up a stellar college career at the University of Florida. While in Gainesville, he helped clinch a National Championship in his freshman year, and followed that up with a NCAA Singles title in his sophomore year. Ben, like me, grew up in the game of tennis. His dad Bryan was an extraordinary competitor at the junior level before going on to play at Georgia Tech, and became a professional on the ATP Tour with a career high world

ranking of 55 in singles and 52 in doubles.

Ben’s mom is an accomplished player and is part of a legendary tennis family from Carmel, Indiana. Ben’s uncles Mark, Todd and Rick Witsken all earned ATP world rankings. Uncle Todd was as high as 43 in the world in singles and fourth in the world in doubles with a win over Jimmy Connors in the 1986 U.S. Open.

Growing up in the game with so much tennis family success doesn’t always equate into success in the game. In my experience and knowing many generations of professional tennis players, the vast majority of them do not push their children into competitive tennis. I have come to believe that the successful tennis player, when they become a parent, knows just how difficult becoming an elite player actually is. The long and lonely road filled with

enormous sacrifices is only for the ultimate road warriors that are driven beyond the average tennis player with absolutely no guarantees of victory.

Knowing Ben Shelton’s journey, it’s a pathway I highly recommend to all parents with little tennis stars. Ben and his sister Emma, who competes for the University of Florida, had tennis around them as their father Bryan is the coach at Florida. Ben’s first sports love was football, but through his high school years, he was put on the development pathway to becoming a successful tennis player. Early on, he suffered many losses in juniors to more consistent players, and Ben’s freshman year at the University of Florida had him in the middle of the lineup. But Ben kept working on building a greater game and that takes time. College tennis really applied the foundations of greatness that you see today; it allowed Ben’s talent to grow and helped set the foundation for the firepower he plays with today. He’s now beating those players who just a few years ago were beating him. No player in the world has risen faster up the professional rankings than Dangerous Ben Shelton.

Every time I see Ben he is always having fun. On and off the court, the enormous smile and positive energy is a super power that convinces me that Ben can be the best in the world one day. In a game that is global and extremely talented, the players that have fun playing tennis will reach their full potential. The players that love being on the court and hate leaving it will hold the biggest trophies on Sundays. It will always be impossible to beat someone who is never defeated. Ben will do extraordinary things in his tennis journey, and I can’t wait to see…