New York Tennis Magazine March / April 2021 by United Sports Publications

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March/April 2021 • Volume 11, Number 2

Table Of Contents

nytennis

2021 Australian Open Recap

MAGAZINE

New York Tennis Magazine

Osaka beats Brady for fourth major title

New York Tennis Magazine

By Brian Coleman—See page 28

1220 Wantagh Avenue Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600

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Highlights

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 brianc@usptennis.com

4 6 8 20 32 54

Junior Player Spotlight: Cal Wider By Brian Coleman At The Net w/ Alex Kotzen By Brian Coleman New York Tennis Expo Through the Years Cary Leeds Center Launches CLC Academy By Brian Coleman 2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Beyond the Baseline: Chris Sabaitis, AceSpace

Joey Arendt Art Director (516) 409-4444, ext. 307 Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Barbara Wyatt Contributing Writer Rob Polishook Contributing Writer

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Interns Tyler Cohen Julia Cicchillo Phoebe Levitsky Joanne Salloum Alexa Brecher

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

PG 20

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Features 14 16 18 23 24 27 46 49 50 53 56 57 58 59 60 62 64

USTA Eastern Holds Annual Conference…Virtually Reviewing High Performance Tennis in Three Key Stages By Yevgeny Supeko Across Metro New York…News and Notes From Across the New York Metro Tennis Community Gleneagles Country Club: A Destination for New Yorkers USTA Eastern Metro Region Update Professional Children’s School: Combining Education with Tennis Dreams Necesito El Ritmo: The Importance of Rhythm in the Spanish Method By Chris Lewit Developing the Independent 10 & Under Player By Ray Josephs What Does a Coach Do When This Happens? By Gilad Bloom Racquet Stringing: An Art or a Science? By Barbara Wyatt The Tennis Guru: Murphy’s Law By Dr. Tom Ferraro Proper Tennis Education in the United States By Jason Joseph Windridge Camps: Always Adding to It Jensen Zone: Spring tennis is almost here By Luke Jensen Whole Human Athlete: The Secret to Being Your Best By Rob Polishook How One-On-One Doubles Improves Singles, Doubles Skills By Ed Krass Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz New York Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2021 United Sports Publications Ltd.

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junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spo

Junior Player

spotlight By Brian Coleman

Cal Wider, Professional Children’s School n chess, the ability to see multiple moves ahead and read your opponent is critical. The same can be said in tennis. And it’s that type of skill set that has led New York City native Cal Wider to be successful in both. Wider is a nationally ranked tennis player who was once also a nationally ranked chess player. “I found that chess is a lot about thinking ahead, anticipating what your opponent is going to do and understanding how to counter their moves, which is similar to tennis,” said Wider. “In tennis, a huge part of the game is anticipation, and you have that in chess too. The ability to turn a defensive situation into an offensive one, like if you have a running forehand and you’re stretched out on the court, is needed in both sports.” Wider attends Professional Children’s School, an independent day school in NYC that provides flexible scheduling options to accommodate top athletes to ensure they don’t fall behind academically while not interfering with the training and traveling required of a top junior tennis player. "Professional Children's School balances a challenging and engaging, college prep academic program with a

flexible school schedule and distance learning options so that motivated students, like Cal, don't need to choose between their tennis training & tournaments and a great education,” said Director of Admissions Shari Honig. Wider added: “Professional Children’s School is very flexible. All the classes are recorded so I don’t miss anything or fall behind if I miss a class,” says Wider. “When classes are in person, you’re able to meet with the teachers whenever you need to, and when you have to travel, they are accessible so you can reach out to them, and they help make sure you are up to date and not falling behind. That helps a lot when you’re traveling for tournaments, so it’s been great.” Wider played both chess and tennis, as well as baseball, growing up but stopped playing chess and baseball as he continued to get older so he could focus primarily on his tennis, a sport he showed great promise in. And that decision has proven to be a good one as Wider has climbed to inside the Top 10 of the New York rankings on

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

er spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior

TennisRecruiting.net and has established himself as a five-star recruit. “I think the strength of my game is probably my forehand,” he said. “I’m a lefty, and so that can be tricky for some opponents. In my training now I’m really working on my backhand and trying to sharpen that shot. I just want to continue focusing on my training, maintain my recovery from an injury and just continue to get better.” That injury sidelined for a lot of time last year. The pandemic shutting down most tournaments across the country allowed Wider to really lock in on his training. As tournaments have begun to come back little by little, Wider continues to train hard. “I was training and recovering, and working hard to come back at the same time,” said Wider. “More recently, the tournament situation has been a little tough due to the pandemic. I haven’t been able to play many national tournaments, but I have been playing UTR events, which I hadn’t done in the past. They’re high level events so it’s been good for me.” When he first worked his way back from the injury, Wider was competing in some lower level tournaments to get his legs back under him again, and just to get the experience of match play once again. It was an important period for him as Wider was successful in those events which helped reassure

that his work had paid off. “It’s been great to get some matches in again,” he said. “From a physical standpoint, I’m feeling great. I now feel significantly stronger and faster than before the pandemic. I’m now focused on continuing to improve and striving to get to the next level.” As we move forward through 2021, more tournaments will open up again and junior tennis will most likely return to normal, which means more traveling to events for Wider. When Wider is not playing tennis, you can probably find him watching a movie. Wider is a huge fan of film, especially film history, and cites his favorite actor as Jack Nicholson and favorite all-time film as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. “I’m a big movie buff, I really enjoy film,” said Wider. “My dad is actually a film producer and director, so I’ve always enjoyed the entertainment industry. I’m a huge fan of movie history. I love watching old films, and I spend a lot of time doing that.” Now stronger than ever and with more high-level tournaments returning to the junior circuit, he spends much of his time on the tennis court once again, and 2021 is setting up to be a big year for Wider. Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

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By Brian Coleman

with Alex Kotzen hen college athletics shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, athletes all across the country were forced into an unfamiliar position, one in which they were unable to compete and practice like normal with their teams. One of those athletes is Alex Kotzen, last year’s ITA Northeast Rookie of the Year, a sophomore on Columbia University’s Men’s Tennis team. Like many other student-athletes Kotzen was shocked by the news of cancellations. “I remember we were at Van Cortland Park playing some outdoor tennis. We were about to travel to Texas for Spring Break to play Texas, Baylor and TCU. We were practicing and [Columbia Head Coach] Howie [Endelman] brought us into what turned out to be our least team huddle, he told us our season was cancelled, and that there would be no NCAA’s,” recalls Kotzen. “It was crazy, it really didn’t feel real. It’s really unfortunate for our seniors, to have your final year taken from you. Those guys are some of my closest friends so it was tough…there are bigger things than tennis of course, and

it was important to keep that in mind.” But Kotzen made sure not to let the season’s cancellation halt his development as a tennis player, and instead did the opposite and used the time to improve as much as he could, something he credits the Columbia coaching staff, both Endelman and assistant coach Rich Bonfiglio for. “My coaches at Columbia have

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

helped me a ton, I definitely would not be playing at the level I am now without them,” he said. “In the terms of quarantine, there’s no way I would have been working as hard as I did without their influence. They helped me mature and see things in a different way. Instead of being frustrated at the situation, I tried to look at it as a good opportunity and it’s paid off.” That maturity has led Kotzen to use this year to compete and win at the professional level. This summer Kotzen spent a lot of time competing in France, before starting to play professional events in Tunisia in September. “I was in France in August where they have a men’s tour with tons of tournaments. It was good to get some matches in. I played 20 matches in three weeks at five different tournaments, and went 19-1. I was playing good tennis,” said Kotzen. “Quarantine was actually good for me, in a way, because it allowed me to train every day with the singular focus of improving my tennis. France really got me match tough and ready for Tunisia. I was only going to go for three weeks initially, I played my first

future and qualified for the main draw, and made it to the semifinals where I lost 7-6 in the third. It was a good first result though, it was going well. After a couple more tournaments I picked up some more ATP points, and was now ranked around #1200 ATP, but got injured, tried to tough it out, and ended up having to come home.” Before returning home Kotzen had been traveling with former Harvard player Jean Thiroun, who came up with the idea to start a company together: “Jean saw I had a lot of time on my hands, and with a pretty bad injury, there wasn’t much I could do. So he asked if I wanted to start a tennis product customization business.” With Kotzen sidelined he saw the company as an opportunity to help fund his trips overseas to compete. The two then started Custom Racquet Products. “It’s been a really great experience, and has given me a way to self-fund my trips on the tour, which is important to me because after college, once I start playing full-time, I want to be fully financially independent,” he said. “If I start something like this now and continue to grow it at the rate it’s been growing, then I’ll be able to fund my years on tour, and not have to necessarily rely on prize money. I’m also building skills that will help me in any work environment so if I’m not doing well on tour years down the road, then

it’s okay. I’ll give it my best shot and if it doesn’t work out, I have an established revenue stream plus a great degree to fall back on.” In between his rehab and online classes at Columbia, Kotzen put in the work to get the company off the ground, and soon the company Custom Racquet Products, LLC was created. They take customer’s logos, and turn them into the customized products they offer. They just launched their new website, www.customracquetproducts.com in the beginning of March. “We started out taking customer’s logos and turning them into customizing dampeners. Now we’ve expanded a lot and make customized pure-cotton wristbands, water bottles, which are stainless steel type bottles, very similar to YETI, and the same quality. We’re also starting to customize pickleball products, and recently came out with microfiber sport towels, they might be my personal favorite product,” said Kotzen. “It’s just a good way to spend time while you’re not on court. I’m taking classes online which takes up a lot of my time, but when I’m not doing that or training and lifting, I’m spending time making calls. When I’m in the U.S., I spend a lot of time calling country clubs, tennis centers, etc. and talk to them about what I’m doing, and seeing if they have interest. The response has been really positive overall.”

Kotzen, who trained with Centercourt as a junior, has made custom dampeners for the club, and his on and off court success doesn’t come as a surprise to them. “Alex is a true leader in the community at Centercourt,” said Conrad Singh, CEO of Tennis at Centercourt. “My favorite story of Alex is when he was injured with his shoulder back in 2018 and he did not miss a day of training, He would come to the program and train left-handed the entire session. Alex is also an entrepreneur who has created some incredible new ways for Clubs to improve visibility within the community and in doing so has been able to self-fund his Professional Tour Travels. We are very proud of Alex and his brothers for all they are doing and continue to support them in every way we can.” The company landed a deal with UTR and created customized products for them, which was a major milestone for the start-up. “It’s cool when you make a big company like UTR products that they love,” he said. “It’s great to have the approval of a global brand like that, to have them like your work and want to continue doing business with you. It’s really rewarding, and it’s awesome to have them send you a logo, and with hard work, you take that logo from an image, and turn it into a physical product.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

New York Tennis Expo Through the Years ne of the highlights each year in the Long Island and Metro tennis communities has been the New York Tennis Expo that is hosted by Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine, and is a celebration of all things tennis that brings the community and industry together for a free day of fun.

The event has become the largest tennis expo anywhere in the country, and has come a long way throughout its decade of existence, which includes three different locations and constant innovation. “It's this type of fun, grassroots tennis which helps us to grow the game,” said Jonathan Klee, the USTA Long Island Region President. In 2009, the first Expo was held on the campus of 8

Farmingdale State College with more than 1,200 attendees, the most attended event in the Section outside of the US Open. The goal was to provide a way for consumers and providers in the tennis industry to have a face-to-face interaction, as well as to showcase all aspects of the sport to families by having something for everyone, which would benefit the community as a whole. That first installment of the event established a successful format that featured an array of activities to do from walking the sold-out exhibit hall, taking part in on-court playing options, learning from some of the best in the industry at the speaker panels and enjoying our activity zone which had interactive video games and other racket sports. After a successful couple of years at Farmingdale, the Expo outgrew the location and it was time to move to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. By doing so, we were able to add options like an expanded Kids and Activity Zone, including a speed serve booth, have clinics on the U.S. Open show courts and provide tours of Arthur Ashe Stadium for attendees, plus so much more. Featured guest speakers included Nick Bollettieri, Tim Mayotte and Sean Hannity, as the event’s attendees soared above 3,500 and the Expo continued establishing itself as one of

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

the area’s premier tennis events. In 2018, the New York Open ATP Tour 250 event was set to debut on Long Island, and organizers asked us to host the Expo on the opening day of their tournament. This partnership brought the Expo back to Long Island, to Nassau Coliseum, and allowed for additional features which continued the event’s growth. The stars of the tournament spoke on the panels, and took part in autograph sessions, and attendees could watch the players practice as they prepared for the tournament. There were new activities such as beach tennis, gaga ball, a mechanical bull and so much more as we ensured the event had something for everyone.

A cool new feature was the addition of the Draw Ceremony which took place during the Expo, where attendees could participate in pulling the names of the draw, as well as a tennis fashion show, where local high school players modeled the latest in tennis apparel. The Draw Ceremony was featured on the Expo’s Broadcast Plaza, which also housed interviews with businesses and guests which were then sent out and shared to the public, creating a well-rounded multimedia event.

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All of this converged to create the largest event yet in 2020 and is an indicator of the event’s continued growth, with more than 6,500 attending in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). Perhaps the Expo’s greatest achievement has been the involvement of local charities. Last year we held an Autism Tennis Clinic on the Grandstand Court of the New York Open, with dozens of instructors bringing tennis to a number of local groups that help children with autism. At the 2020 Expo, we honored local Junior Team Tennis players who had the opportunity to talk with and take pictures with tennis legend Jim Courier. In addition to Bollettieri, the Expo has had celebrity guests and tennis players such as Andy Roddick, Eugenie Bouchard, Steve Johnson, Hannah Berner, Jack Sock and many more. Players took part in autograph sessions, and joined local coaches on our speaker panels. These panels provide invaluable information for both parents and players as professional players, former college players and other coaches talk about their life experiences. The Expo did not set out to be an annual event, but

because of the demand, we ran the event three consecutive years from 2018-2020, with attendance increasing each year. Of course, we were unable to hold an Expo in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we do expect to return in 2022. “We have heard great feedback from both attendees and vendors each year, and we are so excited to see the continued growth of the Expo,” said Sickmen. “One of the goals of the event is to create a more unified tennis community, create new players and build excitement for the sport. We have seen from the massive attendance growth as well as sold-out exhibit space each year that the demand for this event is there. Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold an Expo in 2021, but will continue innovating and building to provide an even better event in 2022.”

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See what they are saying about the Expo “I never picked up a racquet before, but was so inspired by the speeches and activities at the Expo that I can’t wait for next year’s event,” said attendee Ruhima Hajang in 2013. “I will now be playing tennis full-time thanks to my experience here today.” “I would say our favorite part has been the activities for the kids,” said Simone Martin, an attendee last year from Queens who brought her two children to the Expo. “They loved the 10 & Under courts, and they also got to play on the court where the professionals are going to play. The interactive activities going on here have been great as well.” “The Expo seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year. USTA Eastern was proud to help sponsor and coordinate our Net Gen programming with the event which allowed children of all ages to play on the Black Courts with College, High School and local club volunteers. Combining the Expo with the qualifiers was a win win situation for everyone in that it brought the Long Island tennis community together with vendors in a

carnival like atmosphere while also watching great quality tennis.” – Jonathan Klee, Regional Director, USTA Eastern Long Island Region “The New York Tennis Expo is an incredible event because it brings area tennis enthusiasts together with fun, excitement, education and service to the local community. The Expo grows the sport by raising awareness of the wealth of tennis opportunities in the New York area.” –Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director, Bethpage Park Tennis Center "The NY Tennis Expo was a wonderful opportunity to connect with young tennis players and their families.” – Louisa Childs, Head of School, Dwight Global Online School “Amazing job by David Sickmen and his staff. It just gets bigger and better every year!” - Kathy Miller, General Manager, Carefree Racquet Club “The New York Tennis Expo is an event we look forward to every year at the Evert Tennis Academy. The expo brings in tennis families from all across the state of New York and it is a great networking tool that we will use for years to come! The

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

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

“The New York Tennis Expo was clearly the place to be for tennis enthusiasts. The atmosphere was exciting, with lots of family-friendly activities and exhibitors from all facets of the industry. A well-attended event, providing us the exposure and brand awareness we were hoping for.” —Ian McCormick, Vice President Sales and Marketing, The Farley Group "The event exceeded our expectations in every way. Not only did we interact with tennis families and enthusiasts from the local area, but we also made fantastic new connections with other professionals in the tennis industry. We were thrilled with the amount of traffic at our table, and the level of interest in our tennis travel programs. We anticipate that the event will yield many new clients and partners for Elite Tennis Travel, and we will surely be back next year. Congratulations to the team at Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine for executing such a fun and professionally rewarding event!" —Lisa Scholtes, Managing Partner, Elite Tennis Travel

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Holds Annual Conference…Virtually f there is one thing we learned is necessary during the past year is the ability to adapt to any given situation. Work meetings, school, appointments, etc. were all forced to move to a virtual meeting place. The annual USTA Eastern Conference was no different, and while the task was a difficult one, the Section held the yearly event, which is normally hosted at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, virtually and did so with great success. “The biggest challenge in putting together a virtual conference is that we’d never put together a virtual conference before!” said Jenny Schnitzer, USTA Eastern’s Executive Director and CEO. “Like almost everything else in the past year, this was uncharted territory for us. We really had to research digital platforms; we wanted to find one that would not only manage registrations and house our sessions, but that would also offer some of the features of a normal, inperson conference, like networking opportunities.” Once they found the ideal digital platform to host the week-long conference, it was essential that they could figure out the best way to present the materials and content to the audience. “We had to think about how we were presenting and packaging our material. What do we need to do to keep our audience engaged through a

computer screen? Some of us became IT experts in the process,” adds Schnitzer. “There was a couple technological glitches along the way, but the good news is that over the

course of the week we started to understand what really clicked. We can use that in our planning for 2022 if we are unable to meet in person again.” Of course, holding the conference virtually was not ideal, but it did turn out to have some positive effects. “I do want to emphasize that while holding the conference virtually would not be anyone’s first choice, it did allow us the opportunity to bring in some great speakers who maybe wouldn’t have been available to attend in-person in the past,” said Schnitzer, referring to acclaimed speakers such as USTA Fed Cup Captain Kathy Rinaldi and USTA CEO & Executive Director Mike Dowse. “A virtual conference also allowed us to really open up registration to different groups in our community. We held

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

sessions for league players, parents, juniors and more. As a result, we had more attendees this year than ever before.” The theme of this year’s conference was #EasternStrong as the community came together to display its perseverance and resiliency after what was a difficult 2020. “Our tennis community dealt with many, many challenges in 2020, and collaborating and innovating—working together—is our real strength in facing those challenges,” added Schnitzer. “We embedded our collaborative efforts and support for our community in each presentation throughout the week: Here’s how we can help, here’s how we can work together, here’s what we can offer. But our theme also speaks to the positives we can take away from a year as tough as this. Our providers exhibited a great deal of their own strength as they worked hard to safely preserve tennis in the middle of a pandemic, and it’s because of their efforts that we have so much to build upon as we move forward into 2021. We wanted to share and spotlight those incredible stories of creativity and resilience.” The Conference demonstrated the strength of the local tennis community, and the willingness to adapt to a given situation, a strong representation of how the Section continues to look to the future and build on past successes.

Congratulations USPTA Eastern 2020 Award Winners

USPTA Eastern Division Professional of the Year Jason Joseph Facility Manager of the Year Michael Starke HS Coach of the Year Matt Thormahlen College Coach of the Year Matt Johnson Elevate Award Khrystsina Tryboi Industry Excellence Award Alex Pop-Moldovan USPTA Stars Award Greg Yahia Major Contributor Millie Didio

Jason Joseph is a performance and development coach currently in Buffalo, NY. Jason is a graduate of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program and holds a Level 1 USTA Sport Science assessment. He currently is the Head Racquets Professional at Park Country Club as well as the director of The Academy at Hamburg Racquet Club.

Khrystsina Tryboi is a USPTA Professional at MatchPoint NYC and is the Director of Marketing, Tournament Director, 10U Coordinator, and Teaching Professional.

Michael Starke has been the manager at the Binghamton Tennis Center, a year-round indoor/outdoor facility serving the tennis community since 1985.

Alex Pop-Moldovan is working with Olympic level tennis players, and youth progression, and excels at providing Adaptive Tennis in his community. He is a Love Serving Autism Coach and a member of the USPTA Adaptive Tennis Committee.

Matt Thormahlen has been a USPTA member for the past 21 years and is the Head Coach for the East Aurora Girls Tennis Team, he has led the team to undefeated seasons the last two years while winning division titles four out of the past ﬁve years.

Greg Yahia has loved tennis since he was a teenager and knows "Tennis shows your character!"

Matt Johnson, Former Head Coach at SUNY Fredonia (22-8) and Berry College PTM.

Millie Didio is a two-time Tour Player on the WTA/ITF Tour Pro Player, Member of WTCA (Women’s Tennis Coaches Association). A Senior Teaching Pro at Tennis Club of Hastings since 2013 and a Staff Pro at Lifetime Racquet Sports.

Save the Date! USPTA Eastern Division Virtual Spring Workshop on April 29, 2021 For more information contact Paul Fontana at: eastern-ed@uspta.org NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

For more information about becoming a USPTA member go to www.uspta.com

Reviewing High Performance Tennis in Three Key Stages By By Yevgeny Yevgeny Supeko Supeko

hat is high-performance tennis and how can it be tackled by a coach and a player who is persistently seeking that ultimate success? First, it is critical to analyze a player's inborn physical abilities related to oncourt efforts. We as coaches must study our player throughout prior to suggesting and later adapting to a playing style that is going to be executed in competition. Does your player possess natural mover ability along with well-rounded eye-hand coordination? Then practicing lateral baseline patterns is the key. Net transitioning play patterns must be worked into practices often enough in order for an athlete to develop early courage on when and how to charge the net with a successful conversion ratio. On the contrary, what if your player has a limited natural ability with delayed anticipation for quicker points? Perhaps applying more of a robot approach in practices by mixing dead and live ball drills is the way to go. A superb fundamental built through countless dead ball drill patterns are

essential for a player who lacks that natural athleticism. We as coaches must recognize the need and cater for proper ingredients before sending off our players onto competition with pour skill level, which could hazardously reflect the self-confidence of an athlete. Second, performance players must be exposed to a local or national competition at least twice per month. It is proven that practice without a test justifies too little positive results. The ability to compete leads to enormous knowledge that could only be obtained through competition as opposed to a plain practice environment. Many coaches and players make a common mistake of extensively over practicing which leads to excess of burning out, or simply a loss of a good adrenaline towards competition. Therefore, a proper tournament as well as a match play schedule is essential towards the athlete’s overall training modules as well

as healthier, faster development at a performance level. Lastly, the importance of a coach who, along with teaching fundamentals, happens to grow into a visionary who can convoy and prepare players for a competition is a large asset for any player. The consequence of such a specialist relates to a tedious player’s evaluation both in practice and competition which leads to continuous expansion of playing strategies, tactics backed up by solidified technical skills. Often, players fall into a spiral of “bad match breaks”. The inability to adequately evaluate a player’s match performance could result in loss of confidence. Coaches should adapt tactics of a drawing board to regularly brainstorm match analysis with a player as well as continuously sharpen a player’s mind towards that top tier performance.

Yevgeny Supeko is the General Manager and Director of Tennis at Centercourt Club & Sports – Marlboro. A PTR and USPTA Elite Professional, Supeko has developed nationally ranked players that went on to play at Princeton, Lehigh, Villanova, Navy and more. He played collegiately at Texas A&M and South Carolina before competing on the ATP Tour, and eventually earning his MBA in International Business – Finance.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

C O M I N G I N M AY

Distribution scheduled for 05/01/21 This edition will feature: • Tennis in the Hamptons • 2021 French Open Preview • New York Tennis Magazine’s Summer Series Preview • Guide to the Top Court Builders & Manufacturers

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Across Metro Ne N Reyniak Finishes Runner-Up in Delray Beach Open

NTC Hosts Men’s and Women’s Open

Gilad Bloom Tennis student Matias Reyniak took his talents down to Florida to compete in the L 7 Delray Beach Junior Open at the Delray Beach Swim & Tennis Center. Reyniak, 11years-old, competed in the Boys 14s Division, and powered his way to a runner-up finish.

The top junior players in the area gathered at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to compete in the Men’s and Women’s Open. The event featured the best high school players and included many Division I players, and in the end it was Ari Cotoulas who won the Men’s Open title, and Rachel Arbitman who won the Women’s Open title.

Carmo, Teixeira Take Titles at RSTA It was a successful L 7 12U Ross School Open tournament for players in the Ross School Tennis Academy in early February, as Leandro Carmo won the boys title and Luma Teixeira won the girls title.

Holtz Wins Orange Ball Event

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Longtime Chris Lewit Tennis Academy student Henry Holtz has had a successful start to his 2021 tournament season. The Brooklyn native won an Orange Ball event at the Jersey 34 Tennis Club and then followed that up by winning his next Green Ball event.

New York Centercourt’s Baker Makes College Commitment

… News and notes from across the N.Y. Metro tennis community Krstelj Takes Girls 14s Title

Centercourt Tennis Academy player Ella Baker will be playing her collegiate tennis at Trinity College. Baker is a Top 20 player in New Jersey and will be taking her talents to Connecticut to compete for the Bantams.

Sec Reaches Finals in Guatemala

John McEnroe Tennis Academy player Sebastian Sec competed in the J4 ITF tournament in Guatemala City. Sec (pictured left) put together an excellent tournament en route to reaching the finals before falling in a third-set tiebreaker. “It was great for me to get out and play against kids I had never played before,” said Sec. “These tournaments show players with many different game styles and I had to deal with the conditions, so I was very happy to be able to win a majority of my matches and hopefully learn from the last one.”

Tess Krstelj, who trains at CourtSense, continued her good play as she captured the title in the Girls 14s Division at the L 6 Championships at CourtySense at Bogata Racquet Club.

McHale Trains at Cary Leeds Before Aussie Swing Before she headed to the other side of the world to compete in the Australian Open and more, Christina McHale prepared for that run of tournaments right here in New York at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.

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Cary Leeds Center Launches CLC Academy By Brian Coleman ince 2015, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning has served as the flagship location of the New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL), and has used tennis and academics to help change the lives of many Bronx residents. “Cary Leeds Center impacts our kids in different ways,” said Ahsha Rolle, the former WTA professional who now serves as Cary Leeds Center’s Director of Tennis. “For some, it’s a resource to keep them on the right path, and it’s a place they can call their second home. The kids know the coaches and staff by name and know their back stories. Some of our kids that have worked through our junior pathway starting in CTP, moving into ITP, and ending in Tournament Team were able to get full or partial tennis scholarships to colleges which is an amazing accomplishment. I have very realistic expectations when it comes to tennis and the reality is most kids playing tennis will not go pro but tennis does have the ability to open other doors in life for these kids.”

That idea is at the heart of all the programming NYJTL and Cary Leeds put out there, and in the last year, they have added to that development pathway with the launching of the Cary Leeds Center (CLC) Academy. The CLC Academy is the latest addition to Cary Leeds and NYJTL’s wide array of programs, all of which are designed to create a well-rounded

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individual. These also include their Serve & Connect program, which is a community-police engagement program, and its SAT Prep program to help under-resourced children to prepare for the SATs. “Tennis should be used as a tool to get an education and also provide a solid foundation,” said Rolle. “It teaches discipline, structure, respect and hard work, which can only help them achieve other things in life. Seeing our kids grow with the game and also learning important life skills is extremely rewarding. After retiring from the pro tour, and knowing firsthand the impact tennis can have on the life of a child, I knew I wanted to find a way of giving back to the community. I wanted to make an impact in these young people’s lives, and help them achieve their goals on and off the court.” The Academy was the realization of Jay Devashetty’s vision when he joined the Cary Leeds Center last year after a decade of working as a National Coach for USTA Player Development. “When I came here there was a

need, I felt, for an academy-type setting where you could have a lot of players who wanted to train, some who were home schooled, and also bring in some of the professional players I work with to continue their training,” said Devashetty. “I started putting the idea together, with the goal of providing players in the New York and Tri-State area the opportunity to become professional players or college players, or achieve whatever their dreams and goals might be.” And thus the CLC Academy was born, and has taken some of the most promising players from the Cary Leeds programs and produced that type of academy setting that Devashetty envisioned. “The goal is to produce great players. And great players doesn’t mean they have to be pros, great players can mean they go to college, or it can means they are just great people,” he explained. “And that’s the

mission of Cary Leeds and NYJTL as a whole, and hopefully everybody learns to take the steps necessary to move through the stages, feed off each other and get better together.” One of the most unique aspects of the academy is that it includes both top junior players as well as professionals

who have made Cary Leeds their training bases when they are home and not traveling to tournaments, including Kristie Ahn, Louisa Chirico and Christina McHale. The junior players and pros are on courts next to each other while training, and even get onto the same courts together, something that has a positive impact on all involved. “I’ve done this before when I was with the USTA where we had juniors training next to the pros and even with them sometimes,” said Devashetty. “They’ll get on court and hit with them a lot of times. They do a lot of drills together. It helps the juniors feel like their goals aren’t too far away, and that has a big impact. They see the pros are doing the same drills, and hearing the same sort of instruction as them. That motivation and comfort level is really important as players try to get continued on page 22

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cary leeds launches clc academy continued from page 21

to the next level. It definitely has an impact and that was part of the play. I could easily bring the players in at different times, but I don’t because I know what it can do. And the pros love the energy that the juniors bring to the sessions. Everyone feeds off of each other and it creates a great environment for development.” That impact is felt by the kids in the program, who have the chance to play with and learn from players who were once in their shoes. “It helps me realize that they’re just like us, we’re just not at that level yet,” said Chantajah Mills. “It helps knowing that they make mistakes too, so you know you don’t have to be perfect all the time. You can see the intensity in their training and it shows what it takes to get to that level.” In talking about the program overall, Mills added: “It’s very individualized. There are less kids here than in other programs so the coaches can spend more time with you. The training is very rigorous, we do a lot of work on technical things and footwork. And they really emphasize the intensity you need to have while training.”

In all, the CLC Academy has about two dozen players, but they don’t all train on the same days and times. With many of them traveling for tournaments at different times, another support system that NYTJL and Cary Leeds provides, it allows the players at the facility on a particular day to get that personalized training from the coaches. One of those coaches is Anna

Tatishvili, the Associate Director of High Performance and Adult Programming, who just finished up her first year of coaching at Cary Leeds. Tatishvili is a former Top 50 ranked player in the world in both singles and doubles, and uses her experience on the tours to help prepare her students. “I try to share everything I know in different ways. I give examples from when I played and try to explain my experiences,” said Tatishvili. “I help prepare them for matches, go through practice sets, and talk them through what they are feeling. It’s not one specific thing, it’s a little bit of everything, and I just try to convey the things I learned throughout my career. I retired last year, so this is my first official job as a coach, and it has been great. I get to work with all different levels, from our strongest level at the Academy to the tournament team to working with adults. It’s a combination of everything, and I absolutely love it.”

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

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Gleneagles Country Club: A Destination for New Yorkers

ith perfect temperatures year-round, every day feels like a vacation when you are a member at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Florida. With 20 Har-Tru night-lit courts, one hard court, and four pickleball courts, the Gleneagles Tennis Center is a tropical paradise where former world number one ranked resident pros Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf honed their craft. The USPTA-certified staff offers private and group lessons for all ages. Never worry about finding a game, as our tennis concierge will place you in games and monitor your satisfaction. If you are looking for competition, you can play on one of 18 teams in six different leagues for both men and women at various levels. After your game, enjoy a complimentary beverage and relax on the patio. If shopping is on your mind, the Pro Shop has the latest styles at memberfriendly prices. In addition to tennis, Gleneagles members enjoy some of the best amenities in South Florida with a larger than 92,000 square feet main clubhouse that features three restaurants and two bars, a brand new Healthy Lifestyle Center encompassing a spacious fitness center, tranquil spa, and resort-style pool, in

addition to 36 holes of championship golf. Set in the charming seaside town of Delray Beach (named America’s Most Fun Small Town by Rand McNally) between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Gleneagles Country Club is close to award-winning restaurants, shopping, museums, beaches, and a vibrant downtown. The new Delray Marketplace, an outdoor promenade with popular restaurants, live entertainment, and stores, is just a mile away. More than $30 million has been invested into the Gleneagles clubhouse and community in recent years. A variety of real estate is available at this mandatory membership residential country club community comprised of 1,082 residences, including a variety of single-family homes, garden residences, and one midrise building. Infused with Mediterranean design, the architecture emphasizes the natural beauty of the area. Balconies and over-sized porches bring an airy, open feeling and offer sweeping views of 404 acres of fairways, lakes and green space. Gleneagles Country Club is located at 7667 Victory Lane in Delray Beach, Fla. You can learn more by visiting www.gleneagles.cc, calling (561) 860-8794 or e-mailing membership@gleneagles.cc.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Metro Region Metro Region Council Offers Regional Grants rganizations in the Metro Region can apply for regional grant funding to support programming aimed at increasing tennis participation in the community. Special consideration will be given to: school and afterschool programming; junior competitive play; adult competitive play; diversity and inclusion initiatives; Community Tennis Associations (CTA) & National Jr. Tennis

and Learning (NJTL) Programs; special populations and wheelchair tennis programming; and innovative programming. Regional grant awards are up to $1,000 and are for tennis programs and events operating in 2021. To learn more about eligibility requirements please visit USTA Eastern’s website.

Metro Region wins two awards at Eastern’s annual ceremony

Alex Bessarabov wo members of the NYC tennis community were recognized at USTA Eastern’s annual awards ceremony, held virtually on January 29: Alex Bessarabov, who received the Junior Team Tennis (JTT) Award, and Sharon Simmonds, who was named the Metro Region Volunteer of the Year. Bessarabov, who works at the National Tennis Center, was honored for his exemplary efforts in coaching multiple JTT teams in several different divisions over the last three years. A player who nominated Bessarabov for the award noted that he is “not only a tremendously effective teaching professional but is also looked upon as a role model in the

Sharon Simmonds lives of the young children he interacts with. He brings his whole self to the game and is genuine and passionate in his approach.” Simmonds received the Volunteer of the Year distinction for her innovative efforts to promote the sport around the NYC area. In addition to serving as the Metro Region Council’s secretary, she regularly offers tennis programming through her Liberty Community Tennis Association organization, located in Liberty Park in Queens. Pre-pandemic, Simmonds was able to get US Open Champion Sloane Stephens to visit the park and give kids in the program a lesson.

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USTA Eastern Metro Region Ioonna Felix to lead the Metro Region Council in 2021-22

oonna Felix has been named the Regional Council Director of USTA Eastern’s Metro Region Council for the 2021-22 term. Félix—who obtained her undergraduate degree from Columbia University and her doctorate from SUNY Stonybrook—has worked as a physical therapist for over 15 years. She holds multiple certifications from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and specializes in helping those who compete in racquet sports. She has served both professional and Olympic athletes, as well as recreational players, and has seen her clinical research published in both medical journals and book chapters. In addition to her duties as Metro Regional Council Director, she will head up a new subcommittee on sports science for the USTA Eastern Board. Félix’s own personal history with tennis is what compelled her to take on this leadership role within the organization. “I love this sport, [but] I recognize that it is one that still needs to be more diverse,” she explains. “As a first generation Dominican American who grew up in Washington Heights, my first impression of the game was that it was really boring when I watched it on TV. All I saw was a ball go back and forth over a net. Lucky for me, my sister tried it in high school. She was able to introduce it to me, and it was so much fun. We asked our parents if we

could take lessons. Through some difficult navigating we were able to learn how to play. Looking back now, I realize what a big request that was for my parents. The obstacles we experienced and initial lack of access to the game is partly what motivates me to make the path easier for others to play.” Creating a clear path for others will be one of Félix’s main objectives over the course of her tenure as Regional Council Director. “As we return to a new normal, my major goals are to capitalize on and highlight the many attributes that tennis offers and to grow its accessibility in many underserved communities,” she says. “Additionally, I want to promote the game as a funnel to help people get mentally and physically active in a safe way, develop more community tennis programs and leagues, and grow the sport’s presence in the school system.” Rounding out the Metro Region Council for the 2021-22 term: Jeffrey Fairbanks; Dionne Gill; Mark McIntyre; Gregory Muhammad; Jordan Reisner; Sharon Simmonds; and immediate past Metro Regional Council Director Pablo Sierra. Notes Félix of Sierra: “I’d like to give credit to my predecessor for navigating the council [and its initiatives] during the outbreak of a pandemic.”

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USTA Eastern Metro Region Metro Adult Leagues Update

Past The following leagues finished this Winter 2021: Mixed Doubles - Manhattan 18 & Over Winning teams: 6.0: Karen Funfgeld 7.0: Lisa Bernstein/Jeff Linderman/Leigh Flayton 8.0: Matthew Hockett/Lisa Frantz 10.0: Samantha Lieb Current The following leagues are currently running: l 40 & Over l Tri-Level 4.0 l Mixed Doubles - Queens 18 & Over l Mixed Doubles - Bronx 18 & Over l Mixed Doubles – 40 & Over 26

Coming Up The following leagues are starting in April and May 2021. These are our largest leagues. For all levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 They consist of 2 courts of singles, 3 courts of doubles per match. l 18 & Over Manhattan l 18 & Over Queens l 18 & Over Brooklyn l 18 & Over Bronx l 18 & Over Staten Island New players, teams and captains are welcome. For more information, please contact: Christopher Dong, Adult League Coordinator, Metro, at cdong@eastern.usta.com

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Professional Children’s School: Combining Education with Tennis Dreams ou don’t have to choose graduates are regularly accepted between your tennis in the most competitive colleges dreams and a great and universities in the country. education PCS is a dynamic Juggling the demands of community—students come from training & competitions with all over the world, from public traditional school can be a schools and private schools, and challenge for any young scholarfrom a host of different athlete however committed they economic and ethnic and their families are to an backgrounds. The student body academic education. includes actors and singers, Professional Children’s School tennis players and ice skaters, has been helping young people entrepreneurs, dancers and and their families navigate those equestrians who share a challenges for over 100 years. common passion—they know Professional Children’s School what it’s like not to have time for is a “real” school with a full-time after school activities, what it’s schedule of classroom learning, WTA Tour professional Kristie Ahn is a 2010 graduate of Professional like to balance homework and while offering the opportunities practice, and what it is to find Children’s School for distance/remote learning fulfillment from reaching the when it’s necessary for students to travel, train or compete. highest levels of their craft. The school offers a college prep curriculum in grades 6-12 At many schools, the myriad demands placed on that is both challenging and engaging and tailored to each professional and pre-professional students are in individual student’s needs. The schedule is designed to be competition with each other: class work and career, flexible, allowing students to balance time in school with practice and study, mind and body, flexibility and routine. professional demands outside, and the PCS community of PCS ensures that homework levels are reasonable and master educators and devoted peers provides the social grade level-appropriate and that the school allows the and emotional support children need to excel. flexibility students often need, while maintaining the A healthy teacher/student ratio ensures that students are integrity of its curriculum. At Professional Children’s School, known and cared for by many adults. Students meet students’ aspirations for excellence are recognized as regularly with advisors, who serve as their primary integral to who they are, and the school community is advocates and help balance their academic goals with dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals their professional commitments. Understanding that each in partnership with their professional goals. student is unique not only in their pursuits but in their Located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, a abilities, the school offers the support of a full-time learning block from Columbus Circle, the school’s modern facilities specialist. Whether a student needs help transitioning from include science labs, drama & art rooms, cafeteria, another school, developing study skills, or working with auditorium and gymnasium. At Professional Children’s mild learning differences, the school ensures that students School, students don’t need to choose between a great have the tools to succeed. Professional Children’s School education and their dreams.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Credit all photos to Tennis Australia

Osaka Beats Brady for Fourth Major Title aomi Osaka continues to establish herself in the pantheon of the greats, claiming her fourth career major title with a straightsets victory over American Jennifer Brady in the women’s singles final. The third-seed Osaka won 6-4, 63 to claim her second Australian Open title in three years and extend her winning streak (at the time) to 21 matches. “For me, I have this mentality that people don’t remember the runnersup. You might, but the winner’s name is the one that’s engraved. I think I fight the hardest in the finals,” Osaka said leading up to the finals. “I think that’s where you sort of set yourself apart.” That mentality has led to Osaka posting a 4-0 record in her major finals appearances, becoming the first woman to win her first four Grand Slam final matches since Monica Seles in the early 1990s, and only the third

person in the last 50 years to accomplish, as Federer also did it. “Well, my reaction is that that’s very amazing company,” said Osaka. “I hope that I can, have, like, one grain of how their career has unfolded. But, you can only wish and you can only just keep going down your own path. But, yeah, it's definitely something crazy to hear.” The biggest game of the opening set came at 4-4 with Osaka serving. Brady got deep into the game, setting up a break point, but Osaka saved it with a deep return out wide that Brady was unable to get to. A few points later, Osaka would get her hold of serve, forcing Brady to serve to stay in the set. At deuce in the next game, a floating shot from Osaka landed deep on the baseline forcing Brady to sail the ensuing shot wide. On the next point, a running forehand was set up for

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Brady but she fired it into the net, resulting in a 6-4 opening set victory for Osaka. Osaka would break for 2-0 in the second set and continued putting distance between herself and Brady. After building a commanding lead, Osaka allowed Brady to sneak back into the match as the American got it to 3-5, but Osaka ended that run and closed out the match in one hour and 17 minutes. “I don't look at expectations as a burden anymore,” Osaka added. “I feel like I'm at the point now where it's something that I've worked for. Like, people wouldn't expect things from me if I hadn't done things prior. If that makes sense. I feel like no one has expected things of me when I was younger, and now that I have kind of climbed up the ranks, of course there's going to be more pressures, but I feel like also that's motivation, because I also want to do better for myself, as well.” Osaka has come a long way in just a couple of years, transforming from a shy, young talent into a global superstar who uses her voice and platform to push for social justice, as well as be purely dominant inside those white lines on the tennis court. She is very self-aware and self-confident, and that has led to her playing her best tennis, and being the best women’s player in the world over the last two years. “I think the overwhelming feelings for me, just after winning New York, I really wanted to start the year off really well. And I don't think that there's a better tournament to win than this one,” she told WTA Insider. “I felt like I had a very clear vision of what I wanted to achieve. Even if I didn’t win or anything, I just wanted to keep a very good attitude and establish that I fought for every point and I tried as hard as I could. That led me to win.” With four majors now to her name, the next step for Osaka is to transfer her dominance from the hard courts to the other surfaces, and that starts with clay as the next major on the calendar is the French Open. She has proven she can beat anyone on hard courts, with two titles at both the Australian and U.S. Opens, but has yet to make it out of the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon. “I think on clay, I feel like I don't play bad. I honestly thought I played pretty well last year. I just didn't go far in the Grand Slam like everyone expected me to. But I think that's also a process,” she said. “I feel like I have everything that I need to do well on clay and on grass, but it's just [about] feeling comfortable. I don't think I feel totally comfortable on either surface because I didn't really play on red clay or grass growing up and I've played on hard basically my whole life. So, yeah, just more experience.” Osaka’s coach, Wim Fissette, echoed those sentiments: "She's kind of a natural mover on the court and just

seeing the way she moves, the way she has the easy power, the way she can build the points, there are a lot of things that I see why she could really perform well on clay. But she needs matches and she needs confidence in those matches and confidence in a certain game plan.” At just 23-years-old, there is still plenty of time for Osaka to prove her might on clay and grass. Her run in Melbourne to open up 2021 sets up what could be a big year for her, and the next steps for her in her career is to add more trophies to her collection. “I feel more excited than anything. I think there's a feeling of doing something for the first time and wanting to be good at a lot of different things,” she said. “For me, it's a real priority. And I also kind of want to complete my set of trophies. I'm missing two.”

A Ninth for Novak

erbia’s Novak Djokovic delivered a masterful display of tennis to win the 2021 Australian Open, defeating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to claim his ninth title at the event and earn his 18th career Grand Slam. “I would like to thank this court, I would like to thank Rod Laver Arena,” Djokovic said as he embraced the winning trophy. “I love you each year more and more—the love affair keeps going.” In what was billed as a showdown between one of the Big Three and a member of the next generation of tennis greats, it was the elder player who reigned supreme. That build-up was part of Djokovic’s motivation as he knew what was at stake when he took on Medvedev. "Everyone talks about the new generation coming and taking over us, but realistically that isn't happening still,” Djokovic told Eurosport. “We can talk about it all day but with

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all my respect to the other guys, they still have a lot of work to do. I'm not going to stand here and hand it over to them. I'm going to make them work their ass off for that." After breaking to close the opening set, Djokovic was broken easily to begin the second set. But Medvedev could not capitalize on the opportunity, and gave the break right back to the Serb, and the wheels began to come off from that point forward. After rolling through the second set, Djokovic had to save a couple of break points in the opening game of the third set, but after doing so, eventually built a 3-0 lead and never looked back. In all, Djokovic needed just one hour and 53 minutes to claim his ninth major title Down Under, and inch closer towards Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on the all-time Grand Slam singles winner list, as his 18 titles is two less than those above him. “Roger and Rafa inspire me. That's something that I've said before, I'll say it again. I think as long as they go, I'll go,” Djokovic said. “In a way it's like a race [of] who plays tennis more, I guess, and who wins more. It's a competition between us in all areas. But I think that's the very reason why we are who we are, because we do drive each other, we motivate each other, we push each other to the limit.” Perhaps more impressive was that Djokovic played nearly the whole second half of his tournament with a muscle tear in his abdomen, something that continued to get worse as the event went on. “Whether I was aware of the fact that I'm going to possibly make more damage and risk more damage to this injury? Yes, I was aware of that,” Djokovic said. “If

there was any tournament, it's going to be here and it's going to be any major where I would risk worse injuries or damage in order to try to give myself a chance to go far in the tournament. “Of course, I haven't done it myself. [The] medical team, my physio, [they] have done tremendous work. With God's grace, I managed to achieve what I achieved and I'm very thankful.”

Despite Singles Defeats, Mertens/Sabalenka Take Doubles Title

Spring Semester at Riverdale Tennis Club starts April 4th, 2021 7 days a week Groups • Private • Tournament Travel Call 914-907-0041 or E-mail Bloom.Gilad@gmail.com www.GiladBloom.com 30

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

wo of the highest seeded players in the women’s singles draws teamed up on the doubles court Down Under, producing some flawless tennis en route to winning the women’s doubles title. The second-seeded pairing of Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka beat the Czech duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-3, winning their second major title and fifth overall together. “I know she can do it with her serve, it's like I'll just stand at the net,” Mertens said of the pair’s strategy. “We had a really good couple of weeks. We had a tough draw actually in doubles, so we’re really happy that we pulled

through. Some days, like today, we just kept on fighting.” The duo also won the U.S. Open title together two years ago in 2019. Earlier that year, they also won the Sunshine Double as the victors at both Miami and Indian Wells. “I think in the semis we played much better. Today wasn’t the level which I expect, but we tried really hard no matter what,” said Sabalenka. “We’re just happy that we got it.” Despite the success, the players announced their doubles partnership may be taking a pause as each player focuses on singles. “Together we're not going to play Grand Slams, maybe a little bit of Premier tournaments,” Sabalenka said. “For this year, I want to put more focus on singles, so a little bit less doubles.”

legend, especially in Australian tennis, real pleasure to share the court with you guys. This is so cool, especially in front of you guys, we haven’t played with fans in such a long time.” The title is Krejcikova’s third-straight in Melbourne. After pairing with Ram to win the event in 2019, she played with Croatia’s Nikola Mektic to win the 2020 title. Her and Ram reunited this year and did not miss a beat, dropping only one set throughout the whole tournament.

Dodig, Polasek Win First Grand Slam Title Together

American Ram Pairs With Krejcikova to Win Mixed Doubles Titles

van Dodig and Filip Polasek knocked off the defending champions to win their first Grand Slam doubles title together, knocking off Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-3, 6-4 to claim the men’s doubles title. “Since we started to play one and a half years ago, we are really enjoying and playing good tennis,” said Dodig. “We are having a lot of fun and hopefully it is going to continue." The Croatian-Slovakian pairing got the key game in the sixth game of the opening set when they were able to break the serve of Ram. Another break in the middle of the second set, this time on Salisbury’s serve, proved to be the difference as Dodig and Polasek went on to win the match in straight sets. “Just got to say big congratulations to Ivan and Filip,” said Salisbury. “That was way too good today. Gotta be one of the best performances in a final ever.”

I R

ajeev Ram and Barbora Krejcikova are Australian Open Mixed Doubles champions once again.

The American-Czech duo won the title for the second time in three years as they defeated the Australian duo of Samantha Stosur and Matt Ebden 6-1, 6-4. “I’ve got to thank my partner. We had a year off as a team, but she didn’t. Three years running lifting this trophy is an amazing job,” Ram said at the trophy ceremony. “I’ve faced Matt so many times over the years, we’ve been on tour together for so many years, always a pleasure to play you. Sam is obviously a

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine

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

Camp Guide

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

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Advantage QuickStart Tennis Camp West Side: Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street l New York, N.Y. l Contact: Gabe Slotnick l (212) 594-0554, ext. 20 AdvantageCamps.net East Side: Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Stree l Roosevelt Island, N.Y. l (212) 935-0250 l AdvantageCamps.net Advantage QuickStart Tennis Camp delivers a super summer for kids ages four through eight, with tennis customized for age, ability—and fun! During half days from 9:00 a.m.-noon, campers love playing with smaller rackets and slower-bouncing balls that make the game accessible. Engaging drills and games mean there’s always something new to learn and enjoy. Camp is led by an all-star tennis pro who specializes in teaching kids. And our coaches receive intensive specialty training in teaching the Net Gen 10 & Under curriculum. Enrolled campers also benefit from free unlimited Play More Sessions that make practice fun and Athletic Zone Sessions that help develop agility, balance and more. Choose only the weeks you need– and the more you choose, the lower the weekly rate!

Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 2021 Summer Camp 1720 Crotona Avenue l Bronx, NY l 718.247.7420 caryleedsinfo@nyjtl.org l caryleedstennis.org Summer Camp at the Cary Leeds Center The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning offers Summer Camp from June 14 to August 20, for juniors ages five to 18 years old. All levels are welcome from beginners in the development level program to advanced players in the high performance level program. Players will train to develop necessary tennis technique, improve consistency and create basic patterns of play for effective point construction. Included is a fitness component designed to improve players’ footwork, balance, speed and overall strength. Camp hours run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. NYJTL Community Tennis Program The Cary Leeds Center is the flagship home of New York Junior Tennis & Learning and offers free programming as a part of its commitment to the community. The summer Community Tennis Program is coming soon! NYJTL offers free programming throughout all five boroughs. Please check our website, nyjtl.org to find a location near you. NYJTL’s mission is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. All proceeds from the Cary Leeds Center fund its mission.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Centercourt Tennis Academy

High-Performance Full-Time Academy & Elite Camps Offered Weekly, Annually and for Specific Periods required Chatham l Florham Park l Drew University l Newark Academy l Gillette l Marlboro Just 25 miles from Manhattan (862) 308-3029 l Centercourtcta.com l Conrad@Centercourtclub.com Our commitment to Excellence at Centercourt Tennis Academy has earned our reputation as the Toughest Playground in the Northeast. With a passion for Elite Player Development and with a dedicated High-Performance Team as well as our multiple World-Class facilities from Indoor and Outdoor Clay & Hards to our Strength and Conditioning Institutes. Our players experience Only the Best in Competitive Training and an array of Tournaments and Events in one Academy. Based just 25 Miles from Manhattan Players come from International as well as the Tri - State area. We offer Additional Homestay and Transportation Options upon request.

The Centercourt Tennis Academy Points of Difference l World renowned International Tennis Coaches on Court daily in our innovative environment l Attention to detail allows athletes to improve in multiple dimensions: Technical, Tactical Fitness, Emotional & Mental l Centercourt’s list of events including USTA, ITA & official UTR tournaments provide opportunities for athletes to compete weekly and improve UTR ratings quickly. l Centercourt is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each one of our players l Centercourt’s players results are amongst top National rankings and the ITF100 ranked players. Our Alumni are competing ay Ivy League as well as top Colleges all over the country. l Centercourt puts the needs of the player first, in a development-focused model of training l Athletes are grouped in level by UTR; featuring small group training, match play, individualized fitness plans, Mental Toughness Training and On the Spot video analysis. l Tournament Support, Supervised Practice Sets and Team coaching are all available. l Our Environment shows our commitment to develop players Holistically - we believe in shaping people from the Inside Out and guide our team in our Team based Academy setting. Centercourt Tennis Academy's Proven Superior Player Development Model has seen countless outstanding results achieved in recent times. With our athletes competing at Top Colleges around the nation we are confident in our ability to bring your Childs Ability to their potential . Centercourt Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and Summer Camp from June 8th - September 3rd, 2021.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Chris Lewit Tennis Academy Manchester, Vermont l (914) 462-2912 l ChrisLewit.com l Chris@ChrisLewit.com Chris Lewit Tennis Academy (CLTA) Summer Camp is a serious high performance sleepaway and day camp set in the natural paradise of Vermont. In addition to the summer program, Chris Lewit Tennis Academy also offers year-round training—with boarding—both short term and long term! Players at CLTA have the opportunity to train personally in very small groups with Chris Lewit, one of leading high-performance junior development coaches in the United States. Chris is known as an expert in technique and biomechanics, and in Spanish training methods. Chris wrote the best-selling book, Secrets of Spanish Tennis, and he is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Kinesiology and Biomechanics. He has developed numerous top 10 nationally-ranked juniors, many of whom are now graduating to the pro circuit. He also has experience building the foundations of many young prodigies. The camp focuses on players from ages 8-18, from serious beginner to national and ITF ranked players, and offers day or full boarding options. Campers live in a charming Vermont Inn and have exclusive use of a private tennis club, CLTA Vermont, which offers both outdoor red clay courts and indoor hard courts in the event of rain, gym, yoga studio and clubhouse, all set on 15 picturesque acres with a majestic river for swimming onsite. The camp features daily morning yoga and mindfulness training from a certified master yoga instructor and an injury prevention program overseen by a NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach who is training for the Olympics in Track and Field. CLTA offers a unique hybrid teaching system based on the Toni Nadal, Pato Alvarez/Sanchez-Casal, and Bruguera Methods from Spain, as well as other European influences based on Chris Lewit's travels abroad. Chris has spent the last 14 years studying with many of the legendary coaches in Spain and Europe. Recognized as a world-leading expert in Spanish systems, he is the only coach in the US certified in three distinct Spanish styles: Nadal, Bruguera, and Sanchez-Casal. Chris brings the most cutting-edge training methods from Europe back to the U.S. for his students. New this year is a character building and mindset training based on the teachings of Toni Nadal! All students receive personal coaching and mentoring directly from Chris Lewit, and are supported by his highly trained staff of top college and ATP players. This summer, the academy will host a full series of UTR tournaments, Little Mo Sectionals, U14 World Championship Qualifiers, and UTR Pro Money event featuring players as high as 200 ATP! For more information, contact Chris directly to discuss your player's summer development plan by e-mail at Chris@ChrisLewit.com, or text/call/WhatsApp (914) 4622912, or visit ChrisLewit.com. You can also learn more about Chris’s philosophy at his Prodigy Maker Blog, and podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show. Visit ProdigyMaker.com for the blog and show links.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide CourtSense Tennis Training Center at Bogota Racquet Club (home of the High Performance program) 156 West Main Street l Bogota, N.J. l (201) 489 1122

CourtSense at Tenafly Racquet Club (Home of the Performance program) 195 County Rd. l Tenafly, N.J. l (201) 254 5836 CourtSense.com l Info@CourtSense.com With CourtSense, you’ll achieve your personal best, because our training is of the highest professional caliber and easily tailored to suit your age and skill level. We use tennis as a vehicle to teach life lessons by tapping into the spirit of every player, with lots of passion, expertise and character. Students have access to 32 outdoor and 15 indoor tennis courts and to CourtSense’s revolutionary PlaySight smart court system that is installed on 20 courts. High Performance Summer Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club. This camp is geared towards High Performance Tournament and high level High School players for UTR level 4 and above and age group 11 to 18 years old. CourtSense has trained and is currently training players who have become ATP- and WTA-ranked players, U.S. Olympians, as well as many college scholarship athletes. CourtSense’s International High Performance Coaches, in collaboration with its fitness staff and a sports psychologist, have developed a program that maximizes all athletes’ strengths, both on and off court.

Photo: Ryan Loco

Some of the greatest moments in tennis are played on a Har-Tru court. When World TeamTennis held its 45th annual championship, players competed on a hard court surface made by Har-Tru. The acrylic coatings were made with 100% organic liquid pigments to ensure vibrant colors on the court. Engineered to be long lasting, with high yield and stability, the courts provided WTT a consistent, competitive, enjoyable surface. Har-Tru Sports Coatings is the official playing surface of World TeamTennis. We congratulate the organization and players on an exceptional season.

hartru.com/coatings 877-4-HAR-TRU (877-442-7878)

Charlottesville, Virginia

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

THE OFFICIAL PLAYING SURFACE OF WORLD TEAMTENNIS

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide l Full Day High Performance Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club runs from Monday-Friday, June 28-Aug. 27 (nine weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; 5 hours of fitness and 8 hours of match/point play) for players ages 1118, and UTR level 4.00 and above. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio. Weekly dual matches with other academies, and mental toughness training are also included. Evaluation is required prior to enrollment. Transportation service between locations is provided. l Full Day Performance Tennis Camp at Tenafly Racquet Club runs from Monday-Friday, June 28-Aug. 27 (nine weeks), featuring 8 hours of tennis training; 4 hours of fitness and 6-8 hours of match/point play) for players ages 8-12, and UTR level under 4.00. Campers will have access to a premier and very unique facility where they will be able to experience playing on all grand slam surfaces (European red clay, grass, hard court), with a 3:1 studentto-coach ratio. Mental toughness training is also included. Evaluation is required prior to enrollment.

Ed Krass' 33rd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp® & Clinics The Long Island Health & Racquet Club: Saturday-Sunday, June 5-6 Mercer Country Park Tennis Center: Friday-Saturday, July 23-24 (813) 684-9031 l CollegeTennis.com Coach Ed Krass' 33rd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, for ages 14-18, are taught exclusively by head college coaches who will work with you on-court to improve your singles and doubles match play strategies and provide college recruiting advice. Instructional drills and match play competitions will be conducted in the same style and intensity as a college team practice. The two-day College Tennis Exposure Camp will be offered at the Long Island Health & Racquet Club in Setauket, N.Y., Saturday-Sunday, June 5-6 and Mercer County Park Tennis Center in Windsor, N.J., FridaySaturday, July 23-24 Coach Ed Krass, Founder and Director of College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, has coached varsity tennis teams at Harvard University, Clemson University and the University of Central Florida prior to founding the College Tennis Academy. For more information, call Coach Krass at (813) 684-9031 or visit CollegeTennis.com. Look for more camp locations at CollegeTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Evert Tennis Academy 10334 Diego Drive South l Boca Raton, Fla. l (561) 488-2001 EvertAcademy.com l Evert@EvertAcademy.com The Evert Tennis Academy is located in sunny Boca Raton, Fla., and is considered by many as one of the best tennis camps in the country. John and Chrissie Evert set out to continue their father’s legacy 22 years ago by installing core values: Excellence, Resilience, Integrity and Leadership. “Our core values are the roadmap to coaching every student-athlete towards reaching their full potential.”–John Evert Evert Tennis Academy clinics will focus on technical development, tactical training and competitive settings. Players will experience a typical Evert program that includes tennis lessons, strength and fitness conditioning, mental conditioning and competitive match play against players from all over the world. Players will get a coach’s evaluation during their stay here to review at home. Top four reasons why to attend this summer (Monday-Sunday, May 31Aug. 21): 1. Coaches/program: Our coaching staff continues to put a program together that is second to none. Each program is designed so that each player will get the personalized attention needed to improve his or her game while having fun. Whether you are an intermediate player looking to fine tune your game or a high-level nationally ranked player we have the program for you.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide 2. Facility/boarding: Evert Tennis Academy is one of the only academies to provide boarding services for any student wishing to stay only steps away from the courts. Its eight-acre facility provides a safe environment nestled in the beautiful and secure Mission Bay residential neighborhood, surrounded by lakes, manicured lawns and lush Floridian foliage. 3. Competition: The Evert Tennis Academy provides match play for each student every day and all levels are welcome. Although the tournament schedule is not yet confirmed, we normally host three UTR tournaments throughout the summer for any player looking to get match play prior to the Clay Court & Hard Court Nationals, Zonals or just get access to players of equal playing level. 4. Family Oriented and Personal: The Evert Tennis Academy in known worldwide for a family oriented atmosphere and a place where players enjoy both on-court training and off-court activities. Students that choose the Developmental Program will receive a taylor made personalized program that is second to none in the industry. 5. Location: Located in the beautiful town of Boca Raton, Fla., the Evert Tennis Academy is located only a few minutes away from the beach and only 30 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach airports making it an easy trip from the northeast.

Gilad Bloom Tennis Summer Camp Riverdale Tennis Center l 3671 Hudson Manor Terrace l Riverdale, N.Y. The Gilad Bloom Summer Camp begins on Monday, June 28 and runs four times a week, Monday-Thursday, for 10 weeks until Thurs, Sept. 2. Summer Camp Hours: 12:00pm-4:00pm. Schedule: 12:00-2:00 p.m.-Group session 2:00-2:30 p.m.-Snack/Lunch break 2:30-4:00 p.m.-Match Play Gilad Bloom Tennis also provides: l Private lessons before and after the group session. l Match play before and after group session. l Fitness sessions before or after the group. l Tournament travel available seven days a week. Come learn and train under Gilad Bloom and his program which enters its 20th year. Bloom played on the pro circuit for 12 years and reached a career high singles ranking of 61st in the world and reached the U.S. Open fourth round in 1990. Bloom scored victories over Jimmy Connors, Petr Korda, Brad Gilbert, Mark Philliposis and Marcelo Rios among others during his career, and represented Israel in Davis Cup for 11 years and is a two-time Olympian (1988,1992). For more info please go to GiladBloom.com.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide John McEnroe Tennis Academy Summer Tennis Training Camps Locations on Long Island including the Hamptons, in Manhattan and Westchester: JMTA New York City l SPORTIME Randall’s Island l (212) 427-6150 JMTA Long Island l SPORTIME Syosset l (516) 364-2727 JMTA Hamptons l SPORTIME Amagansett l (631) 267-3460 JMTA Westchester l SPORTIME Lake Isle l (914) 777-5151 CampsNYC@SportimeNY.com l SportimeCamps.com/JMTA No one knows tennis training for juniors better than SPORTIME! And, with multiple tennis camp locations across Long Island, including in the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, aspiring tennis players can enjoy John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME tennis training programs across the region, throughout the summer. Faced with the challenges of COVID-19, we responded immediately with new guidelines and protocols designed to keep our players, campers, members, guests and staff safe and healthy. To find out more, go to SportimeNY.com/Covid19_Guidelines. SPORTIME’s and JMTA’s training methods are fun and fast-paced and feature technical and tactical training. Innovative tennis training techniques are rooted in competitive games and tennis-specific conditioning regimens. Newer players learn and enjoy the sport in age and level appropriate groups. Higher level training prepares serious juniors for the physical, mental and emotional demands of match and tournament play. SPORTIME’s international coaching staff is dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths and strengths into winning games. For our youngest players, ages 10 and under, campers work through clearly defined stages of development that follow an internationally accepted progression of court sizes (red 36’, orange 60’), ball types (red, orange) and net heights that make it possible for kids to actually play tennis from the moment they step onto the court. With our fun and unique “gamification” approach, our junior players don’t just take lessons—they get sent on missions, acquire skills, collect points and achieve milestones. Campers also enjoy instruction and competition in a variety of team sports activities. Visit SportimeCamps.com to find the SPORTIME EXCEL or JMTA Summer Tennis Training Camp nearest you, or e-mail CampsNYC@SportimeNY.com to find out more. Programs vary by location.

MatchPoint NYC 2781 Shell Road l Brooklyn, N.Y. l (718) 769-0001 l MatchPointComplex@gmail.com MatchPoint.NYC/Camp Grab your tennis racket and get ready for a great summer at MatchPoint NYC! Our tennis and multi-sport summer full-day programs are a great way to help young athletes learn, excel and master the game of tennis, as well as make new friends and develop long-lasting friendships. MatchPoint NYC’s program is committed to developing young players to their peak potential, providing them with the best chance at tournament success. For those just starting out in the sport, MatchPoint NYC offers a multi-sport program that includes tennis, swimming, basketball, stretching, and lunch. All programs include drills, match play, and fitness sessions. MatchPoint NYC is the sports and fitness destination for the entire family, located in Brooklyn, only 20 minutes away from 40

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide downtown Manhattan. Spread across 120,000-sqare feet, MatchPoint NYC’s premier health and fitness complex features a cutting-edge tennis facility that includes eight indoor tennis courts. Additional features include a full-sized gym with top-of-the-line fitness equipment and three group fitness studios, a Junior Olympic pool, a rhythmic gymnastics center, a basketball court, yoga studio, and a variety of youth and adult competitive and recreational training programs. For more information, visit matchpoint.nyc/summer-camp/or call (718) 769-0001. Sign up today and find your game!

Midtown Tennis Club Junior Summer Camp 341 8th Avenue (between 26th & 27th Streets) l New York City l (212) 989-8572 midtowntennis.com Midtown’s Junior Summer Tennis Camp is a great way to keep your child active and improve their tennis skills in a fun and supportive environment with our team of experienced tennis pros. Join for one week, two weeks, eight weeks or just a few days. Whether your child is a beginner, intermediate or advanced level player, they will gain confidence and learn proper stroke fundamentals, strategy, match play, conditioning and footwork … all while having a fun and social summer tennis experience! Summer Camp will be scheduled on our outdoor rooftop courts with an indoor option on rainy days. Camp will operate rain or shine. Camp days run 10 am – 4pm, Monday-Friday, with an hour lunch break and a 15 minute snack break. All campers should bring sunscreen, hats/visors, water bottles, lunch, snacks, and appropriate clothing for hot/sun-filled days. Midtown will also offer a one hour Quickstart Camp for 4-6 year olds, 12-1 pm. Quickstart will be held on our indoor courts and will offer mini nets, pee wee racquets and low pressure balls. It’s a great way to start learning tennis! Private and semi-private lessons are available all days throughout the summer too! Contact us to get your summer swinging!

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide New York Tennis at Shelter Rock Tennis Club 100 Long Island Expressway l Manhasset, N.Y. l (516) 233-2790 NYTAGN.com l Info@NYTAGN.com The New York Tennis Academy at Shelter Rock Tennis Club is under the Direction of Brian Stein and Chris Tasso. For more than 20 years they have both developed and coached some of the top juniors in the Long Island/New York City area. They will be sure to look after every junior's personal needs, as well as instill a real competitive presence at the camp. In addition to their leadership at the camp, Brian and Chris are also the Directors of Junior Tennis at New York Tennis at Great Neck. The coaching staff at the camp will feature a highly accomplished set of former ATP, ITF and NCAA players, as well as current college players that were once juniors in the program and fully understand the hard work philosophy. The camp is hosted at a beautiful facility of Har-Tru courts, a large pool that campers can enjoy in the afternoons, and is centrally located right off of the Long Island Expressway in Manhasset. On days it rains, the camp utilizes several indoor courts located on-premises to keep up the tennis fun. Finally, the New York Tennis Academy's mission is that every junior player loves going to camp and has an incredible summer tennis experience. The entire staff will be dedicated to giving campers a summer they'll never forget.

Nike Tennis Camps (800) NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) l USSportsCamps.com/Tennis Come join the fun and get better this summer at a Nike Tennis Camp! With more than 80 locations nationwide, both overnight and day options, there is a camp for everyone. Nike Tennis Camps provide young players the opportunity to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun. Dedicated camp directors have a passion for teaching and a gift for helping you take your game to the next level. Locations include: Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.); Randy Mani Tennis Academy at Hardscrabble Club (Brewster, NY); Colgate University (Hamilton, NY); Amherst College (Amherst, MA.); Buckley Country Day School (Roslyn, NY); and Curry College (Milton, MA). Please visit our website for more information as camp details and programs being offered will vary according to local regulations.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive l East Hampton, NY 11937 l 631-907-5376 Ross Summer, built on the innovative, educational foundation of Ross School, is an exciting and enriching experience for kids and teens! Ross Summer offers fun programs in the arts, media, and sciences, for-credit academic courses with top faculty, and high-level athletic training. Ross is a leader in COVID preparedness with extensive facilities and a COVID Response Team that maintains the highest safety standards. Premium services enhance the Ross Summer experience and provide an opportunity for families to create their ideal summer. Ross Summer Camp, which is celebrating its fourteenth year, is a place where children can learn and grow in a supportive environment under the tutelage of professional instructors. Along with all the fun of a traditional summer camp, campers can participate in a wide range of immersive and exciting week-long programs! Ross Sports Camp provides young athletes with an opportunity to spend their summer training under expert coaches and sports professionals. From specialized U10 programs to our high-performance training with live ball drills and match play series, our all-encompassing summer program is our most intense and complete junior tennis education offered. Ross also brings the same dedication and experience of the Ross School Tennis Academy to the soccer field and basketball court, with programs designed to help young athletes of all levels build their skills. Programs include: l High-performance tennis training for players 7–16 l Strengthen individual and team basketball skills l Individualized soccer instruction for all levels l Multisport program for ages 4+ l Limited capacity, enrolling now Ross Stay Sharp allows students to earn high school credits and participate in enrichment programs by working with Ross School’s world-class faculty. Rigorous academic courses are balanced with relaxation and time at the beach in idyllic East Hampton. Ross also offers a Summer Concierge Service, allowing families to create their ideal summer with custom-designed programs. Contact us to learn more. ross.org/summer.

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide SPORTIME Summer Tennis & Sports Camps Locations across Long Island, in Manhattan and Westchester and in Schenectady: SPORTIME Bethpage l (516) 933-8500 SPORTIME Kings Park l (631) 269-6300 SPORTIME Lynbrook l (516) 887-1330 SPORTIME Quogue l (631) 653-6767 SPORTIME Roslyn l (516) 484-9222 SPORTIME Schenectady l (518) 356-0100 SPORTIME Syosset l (516) 364-27274 SPORTIME Westchester l (914) 777-5050 EHSC@SPORTIME Amagansett l (631) 267-2267 SPORTIME Volleyball Camps l (515) 731-4432 Camps@SportimeNY.com l SportimeCamps.com “Last year, I had the best summer ever!” Who said that? Every kid who attended a SPORTIME Summer Camp last summer! That's because at SPORTIME summer camps, our staff of teachers, coaches and counselors makes sure that every camper has a positive and memorable experience. SPORTIME knows how to make camp fun and safe! How does SPORTIME do it? Our experienced, certified, international staff are skilled at providing camp programming that is challenging, innovative and educational, all at facilities that are state-of-the-art, safe, and easily accessible.Faced with the challenges of COVID-19, we responded immediately with new guidelines and protocols designed to keep our players, campers, members, guests and staff safe and healthy. To find out more, go to SportimeNY.com/Covid19_Guidelines. From preschoolers to pre-teens, kids who enjoy tennis, sports, friendship and fun love coming to SPORTIME summer camps, which offer programs and events tailored to every age group and interest. With camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, we’ve got your summer covered! Go to SportimeCamps.com to find the perfect camp for your child or e-mail us at Camps@SportimeNY.com. Programs and facilities vary by location.

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadow-Corona Park l Flushing, N.Y. l (718) 760-6200 l NTC.USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center will once again offer fun in the sun tennis day camps starting in June. Enrollment will soon be available online for the weekly programs: Please note that the camp will be held both indoor and outdoor this summer. l Week 1: June 21 - June 25 (Mini-Session) - Only offered Week 1, you can sample our camps daily or choose the whole week. More information coming soon. l Week 2: June 28 - July 2 l Week 3: July 5 - 9 l Week 4: July 12 - 16 l Week 5: July 19 - 23 l Week 6: July 26 - 30 l Week 7: TBD 44

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

2021 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide We offer summer camps for all ages and levels from 10 and under tennis to recreational juniors to high performance players. Space may be limited so register early and get the best pricing. The weekly program runs Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break or a twilight session from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Campers work on the development of tennis techniques, tactics, sports conditioning, multi-sports and strategy geared toward maximizing the learning experience in a fun presentation. As the juniors develop, they are advanced to more challenging groups. Tennis activities include Stroke of the Day, team games and competitive match play. The camp also offers cross-training activities, such as soccer, softball and basketball in the park or at the Corona Park multi-purpose recreational facility, off-site field trips include ice skating, Mets games, and more, and full access to the many fun activities on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The program accepts junior players, ages four- through 10-years-old for the 10 & Under programs. Recreational players 11-years-old and up are enrolled in the Junior Camps (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Advanced High Performance Tournament training campers will also be invited to participate in an intensive Tennis Academy training program. The National Tennis Center has 22 outdoor courts, 12 indoor courts, and four stadium courts. Also on-site are ping-pong tables, ball machines, a fitness center, and other ageappropriate fun activities like arts, multi-sports, arts and crafts, and other engaging sporting events. The primary focus will be on developing tennis skills, while offering other activities to enhance the learning and summer camp experience. Also offered are junior evening and weekend programs, as well as adult daytime, weekday evening and weekend camps.

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

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Necesito El Ritmo: The Importance Of Rhythm In The Spanish Method ByBy Chris Chris Lewit Lewit “Necesito el ritmo,”—“I need (the) rhythm”—is a common phrase heard on the tennis court in Spain, both from players and coaches. Rhythm, cadence, timing, and control are essential aspects of the Spanish style of training. What is rhythm and why is it important in Spain? How do you achieve good rhythm? Let’s explore Spanish rhythm in more detail. Spanish rhythm can mean many things Rhythm can mean many things in the Spanish style. For example, there is a rhythm when hitting the ball: You can see it and even hear it. There is rhythm to the footwork and movement on the court. There is a rhythm to playing on the red clay courts. There is rhythm to match play. And there is rhythm to the drills and exercises performed in practice. In Spain, coaches search for rhythm in these myriad areas: Rhythm of the hands Rhythm of the hands means the technical swing. In Spain, there is an obsession with creating a fast racquet head while maintaining control of the body. Maximum acceleration is achieved by slowly starting the racquet during the backswing— after the initial unit turn— 46

leading to a crescendo of racquet speed into the forward swing to the ball. There is a smooth slow to fast buildup. This pathway to maximum acceleration should not be jagged or abrupt, “no bruscos”, as Toni Nadal likes to say. At the end of the swing, players in Spain—and especially in the Toni Nadal and Lluis Bruguera Methods— are taught to pause or “pausa” at the end of the follow through. For example, Nadal was taught by Toni to tap his upper arm with his racquet for his pause at the end of the forehand swing. Watch Rafa practice or warm-up and you will see his biceps tap. This pause helps to balance the body and organize the technique before the recovery. Thus, the rhythm of the Spanish swing is typically slow to fast, with a pause at the end of the finish. I see many players with very chaotic swing paths and rough technique who would benefit from the Spanish approach. Rhythm of the feet Spanish players are famous for their footwork. They demonstrate grace and balance when moving around the court. These traits are due to their obsession with movement and getting the body in a good balanced position to receive the ball. Watching Spanish players move is

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

a beautiful sight to behold, especially on clay. Legendary Spanish coach Pato Alvarez likened movement on the court to a dance, and he developed a unique movement and balance training style he dubbed “Doble Ritmo”, or double rhythm. Pato was obsessed with the rhythm of the feet and argued that his movement style should be practiced every day through repetitions. While not every Spanish system agrees with Pato’s double ritmo philosophy, they all empathize moving fluidly on the court. In general, good players flow around the court quickly with good balance and body control. Bad players are clumsy and often move with inefficiencies. Their movements often look chaotic and slow. The Spanish are experts at improving the movement of players. Rhythm of red clay Red clay has its own unique rhythm. The surface is very slow and leads to longer rallies. The ball bounces higher and sits up for the players to strike. There is a slower beat to rallies on red clay and players in Spain are attuned to this rhythm. Spanish players are always seeking rhythm on red clay, and thus they often look to extend rallies and grind rather than always striking first during points.

Rhythm in a match While not unique to Spain, players there are taught to manage the rhythm of a match, controlling the time and tempo to achieve maximum advantage. Pato Alvarez, the great Spanish coach, famously said that the best players control everything around them in their environment. Spanish players learn to command the rhythm of a match by organizing their mind, their rituals, what they want to do with the ball tactically, and the external elements that they can control. Rhythm in training Spanish training has a unique rhythm because, across the country, academies and coaches tend to teach with unique constraints and parameters. For example, Spain is famous for its two player per court ratio, which allows for one player to train while another rests. Long repetitions of 20 or more consecutive balls in drills are also commonplace

in Spain, and this type of extreme repetition builds incredible patience, focus, and cardiovascular stamina. “La pared”, the wall, is a famous Spanish drill where players develop consistency and control with long repetitions of sometimes hundreds of consecutive hits without a rest. Players who fall in love with the Spanish system tend to enjoy the flow of practice that comes from these unique aspects of the Spanish style. In Spain, you cannot have rhythm if you don’t have control 1. Control of the technique This means a smooth acceleration and a swing that is not jagged or choppy. Lifting up and creating good net clearance and topspin are important elements of a controlled swing. Control of the body and technique during peak acceleration is also an obsession in Spain.

2. Control of the body This means balance and postural control. I see players who frequently flail at the ball and play with a chaotic body. In Spanish systems, control of the body and balance are obsessions. In addition, physical and muscular endurance are developed so the body never fails the athlete. A player who is not fit will eventually lose body control. 3. Control of the mind In Spain, players are taught to develop a long attention span and deep concentration. Players who are impatient or impulsive do not develop a good rhythm for the game. 4. Control of the emotions As Toni Nadal speaks to frequently, without control of the emotions all is lost on the tennis court. It is impossible to master the game without good emotional control. When a player’s emotions run too continued on page 48

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necesito el ritmo: the importance of rhythm in the spanish method continued from page 47

hot or he feels anxiety or embarrassment or other powerful emotions, these feelings can undermine focus and control of the mind, body, and technique. Emotional control underpins all of the elements that lead to good rhythm. 5. Control of the situation and your opponent As mentioned previously, the legendary Spanish coach Pato Alvarez always says that the greatest champions are able to manipulate and control all the variables in a match to their advantage. If a player does not handle these situations well, the rhythm of the game will be sacrificed. Conclusion In the end, one way to appreciate Spanish training is to understand that

control of all these factors is paramount. Control is at the heart of the Spanish method. Control brings harmony to the game, reduces anxiety on the court, and leads to a beautiful flow—or rhythm. I meet many players who come to me for training and on assessment they are very arrhythmic—like a dysfunctional heart muscle. I see my work as finding control and bringing harmony and rhythm to my players’ game. How is your rhythm? Next time you are out on the court, analyze your own rhythm—or if you are

a coach or parent— observe the rhythm of your player. If you notice a lack of control, and a chaotic approach to the game in any of the areas I have mentioned above (hands, feet, or mind for example) consider making adjustments to your training methods to develop more control, which will lead to better rhythm, and ultimately less anxiety—and more success— on the court. On my podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show Episode 50, we discussed this same topic. Check it out for further learning on Spanish rhythm. 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Developing the Independent 10 & Under Player By Ray Josephs

“I don’t know.” As a coach, this is my least favorite answer when asking students something about their game, the drill we are doing, or any of the other litany of questions that come up during a normal tennis practice. In some instances they may actually not know! But more often it is the fear of being wrong, a lack of interest in the effort of critical thought, or a coach and program that are constantly dictating to the players. My goal is to develop players that are not only engaged in their personal development, and what they are learning on a short term basis, but who also have a desire to understand the entire process of their training. Part of the lack of independent thinking has to do with the amount of structure in young children's lives. They move from one activity to the next with limited opportunities for free play or spending the day running around the neighborhood with their friends as I did as a child. That same structure is often the focus of sports practice as players are expected to show results at younger and younger ages. A summer day at the tennis courts challenging all comers has become summer camp with drills in the morning and controlled match play

in the afternoon. In my region of the Northeast, for a majority of the year, court time is at a premium due to needing to be indoors. Here are some ways to foster curiosity and desire to take ownership of their own games. Beginning at the early stages of development in red and orange ball, take the time to ask players questions: l What did that feel like? l Did that feel different? l Why do you think that happened? As they progress and start to understand more about the game of tennis, the questions can become more pointed: l Why did you make that decision? l Do you think that was the right shot? l What would you have done differently if you had that shot again? By taking the route to ask the player, even though it may take more time than dictating straight to them, you will develop a flow of conversation that will not only get them actively involved in the

learning process, but also become comfortable being vulnerable with you as a coach, and more likely to ask questions when they truly don’t know the answer. An additional tool is to get your 10 & Under players actively involved in the development of the practice. Engage the players in creating their own drills, choosing the areas of their game to work on, and suggesting games and adding rules into games we normally play. This gives players an opportunity to feel like they are working on areas they need to work on the most without being told to do so. By creating rules and games, players flex their creative muscles and frequently hit on the same areas you want them to address as a coach. Tennis is a sport where once the ball is in play there is no one who can talk to the players except themselves. Encouraging players to use critical thought on their own games will be as valuable in the long run as their forehands, backhands, and serves!

Ray Josephs is the Director of Coaching and Player Development at Tenafly Racquet Club. He has a tremendous wealth of training and knowledge under his belt and has been part of the CourtSense team since 2012. Ray maintained a high national ranking throughout the juniors as well as an impressive high school and college record. A few years ago, Ray spent his time training numerous highly ranked national and international juniors at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy in South Florida. Before that he was the primary coach for many top juniors, as well as players on the WTA tour. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

What Does a Coach Do When This Happens? By Gilad Bloom

eing a tennis coach for 20-plus years has taught me much about the game and about life. It is an ongoing learning experience … one that never ends as each new student is different and teaches you something new about the game. The coach will face difficult and challenging situations when dealing with developing players, and there are different ways of approaching the same situation. I have often found myself asking the question, “What exactly do I do as a coach and how do I act in a way that will be most beneficial to the student?” Here are some typical situations that I’ve experienced with my students and how I would approach those situations.

1. What should a coach do when the child puts too much pressure on himself/herself to achieve good results and is too concerned with ranking? The pressure often comes from the parents which is not healthy, of course. However it is the child who is the one who is results-oriented. 50

Children are simple and sometimes they think that if they lose, they are bad. My job as a coach is to make the student aware that there is a big picture and that you need to believe in the process and focus on improving elements of your game. You cannot go into a tournament thinking: “I’m going to win the tournament.” You need to prepare for the tournament the best you can and play it one match at a time. Try to do everything right between matches, and if the child does their work on the practice courts in the weeks leading up to the tournament, you will end up lifting a trophy every once in a while. As a player who played competitively for 20 years, I found that when you work methodically and stick to your plan, it helps you achieve consistent results in the long run. When you have a long-term mission, you know that there will be some bad losses along the way, but the trick is to not let bad matches bring you down. Winning is always nice, but when you are a junior, you need to think beyond just winning matches.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Playing the right way and having the right attitude is more important than adding a trophy to your shelf. The main thing is to learn from every match and figure out what you need to do to improve and work towards that goal relentlessly … the results will come. 2. What should a coach do when a student is in a slump and feels like they have hit a plateau? Almost every player will suffer some periods when things don’t go their way and they are not seeing any improvement. This can happen for various reasons: Injuries, too much schoolwork, burnout, a technical flaw, personal problems at home, or simply the player is in a bad patch. As a coach, it is one of the biggest challenges to get the player out of this downward spiral. The first thing I would do is bring up the love of the game and remind the player that tennis is just a game. Keeping it fun and positive is a must because tennis players can get pretty morbid at times. When you lose your game, it is

best to go back to basics. Confidence is probably the most important thing for a player and to regain confidence, one must need to go back to simple old-school repetition drills, with thousands of basic cross-court and down the line shots in live ball drills. But drills and good hitting don’t mean much if you cannot put together wins in official matches. It doesn’t have to be pretty or even at the highest level, but you need to get wins to rediscover your identity as a player. For that reason, I usually advise my players who are in a slump to play a few lower level tournaments to regain that winning feeling. You’d be surprised what a few wins under one’s belt will do to one’s confidence, even if it is against second tier players. 3. What should a coach do when a child is lazy,

unmotivated, slow and uncoordinated? This is a tough one because no coach likes to lose a student. On the other hand, some students are not that much fun to work with. Some coaches give up on this type of student and just let them play points and keep it recreational and social, hoping that this will motivate the student. I find that playing points and sugar-coating is actually going to make a child quit sooner since they will soon hit a wall and stop playing at some point. Let’s face it … it’s pretty boring to play bad tennis! So how do you turn those tennis bums into tennis buffs? Patience is key. A sense of humor is very helpful as well, and lots of psychology and reverse psychology should be utilized. Ultimately, I will try to appeal to their self-respect and get the competitiveness out of them by outlining some achievable goals. When they start meeting simple goals

like hitting 20 balls in a row in the court, they will start to enjoy the game more and have longer rallies. One day, they might wake up, look in the mirror and see a tennis player staring back at them. The trick is to get those kids to work hard without them even noticing. I learned that even lazy and talented kids like to improve and win. Some of those lazy, untalented kids might turn out to be not-so-lazy and untalented after all. They just need someone to get the “killer instinct” out of them, someone to take the lazy out of them. 4. What should a coach do when a student is very good, but has repeated tantrums during lessons? This happens quite a lot with the high-performance players. Sometimes the reason is over motivation. Other times, it could be a case of selfcontinue on page 52

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

what does a coach do when this happens? continued from page 51

control, discipline and anger management. Other times, it’s just the hormones of a teenager talking. Some players expect so much of themselves and when they don’t meet their expectations, they tend to get angry at themselves. This is counterproductive. As a coach, it is impossible to effectively coach a kid who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown every time they have one bad drill. The key is for the coach to keep calm and calculated, while the student is in stress. I would explain to the child that their emotions and drama makes them very difficult to coach. I would literally stop the lesson for a couple of minutes and sit on the bench until the player calms down. With the exception of John

McEnroe, I’ve never met or seen a player that is better when very emotional and temperamental. I actually like it when players show passion and some (positive) emotions during practice and matches, but there is a line that should never be crossed. A player should never start a point with any baggage from previous shots, being a good player is the art of forgetting, the most important point is the next point. The player needs to know that whatever horrible shot they may have just hit is ancient history the second the point is over. That is the only way

to train if you want to give yourself a chance to succeed in this game, there are so many tankers and quitters out there who will break down the second something goes wrong, you don’t want to become one of them. In every match, there will inevitably be some points and games when you play below your level. Everyone has those spells; the top players can manage themselves through these spells and continue to play one point at a time. This is why tennis will always remain such a mental sport.

Gilad Bloom is a former Israeli Davis Cup player and two-time Olympian who played on the ATP Tour 1983-1995, reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 1990, and achieving a highest ranking of 61 in singles. Bloom currently runs his own tennis academy, Gilad Bloom Tennis, and can be reached at Bloom.Gilad@gmail.com.

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Racquet Stringing: An Art or a Science? By Barbara Wyatt substitute player joined our tennis group for the third week in a row. At a set break, he asked me, “Would you like to play better tennis?” “Of course,” I told him. What else could I say? “No?” “Hand me your racquet,” he said. My eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Trust me,” he said. “I understand your swing, your aggressive net play. I know what you need to make it sing.” I handed him my racquet with trepidation. The following day, he returned it with new hybrid strings. This new player was a professional stringer. I was a naïve stringee. As a 4.0 Level player, I am not sophisticated enough to understand more than to re-string according to my frequency of play per week. Play four times a week; re-string four times a year. (By the way, this is no longer the preferred practice.) By the end of our warmup, I loved my new hybrid string bed. The balls landed inside the white lines. There was less vibration up my arm. A warm balanced harmonic thwack sang out when the ball hit the sweet spot. Was this science or was this an art form? My racquet was performing like the winning chantress from the television program “America’s Got Talent.” According to the book, The Physics and Technology of Tennis by Howard Brody, Rod Cross and Crawford Lindsey: “The life’s purpose of a tennis racquet is to change the speed and direction of a tennis ball.” The strings, ball, and racquet engage in a mad mix of physics as they stretch, vibrate, twist about, store and release energy. The ball zips away “like vibrating jelly.” This mad mix of physics is taught by the United States Racquet Stringers Association, which offers certifications for Professional Racquet Advisor (PRA), Certified Stringer (CS), and Master Racquet Technician (MRT).

Members use the USRSA database to scientifically sort through more than 1,100 different strings and select a perfect balance of string material, matching stiffness, elasticity, and durability to a client’s tennis style. Racquet stringing is neither science nor an art. It is a craft. Most people can learn it and with care, education and experience, first-class stringers do a better and more consistent job. Stringing is not merely the installation of the strings, but knowing what strings work best for what person. It’s the ability to know when something isn’t working. It’s the mastery to duplicate that magic mix to perfection—on every court surface, against different opponents, in humid or dry weather, at sea or at high altitudes. Science provides the consistency so

that the racquet, string and tension setting combination provide the same result every time. First-class stringers gather a deep understanding of your game, strokes, style and then balance those nuances against the calibrated scientific choices. When should you re-string? That is your decision based on the loss of tension of your racquet’s string bed. Do you notice 15 percent loss from the initial stringing? Or is it a 25 percent loss? Test the racquet tension by using a pro shop’s racquet diagnostic equipment, ERT 300 Tennis Computer, or the mobile app, RacquetTune. Strings lose their tension at different rates based on time, frequency of play, durability attributes of the string, and style of play. Choose your stringer carefully … they can make your game sing.

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

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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND

beyondthebaseline

Chris Sabaitis, AceSpace By Brian Coleman

wo years ago, Chris Sabaitis had the idea of easing the process of booking a tennis court at your local club or facility. The former Columbia men’s tennis player was himself trying to secure a court time and grew frustrated at the complexity of the process. “I started thinking to myself that there has to be a number of courts, not necessarily public ones, around the city that were open in that moment,” he said. “I was sitting there and I just started looking around to see what

software facilities were using, and how people could find available courts. I realized that something like this doesn’t exist right now, and it’s something that’s well within my skill set to be able to provide a service like this to the tennis community.” That idea has now grown into AceSpace, a company that helps simplify court reservations and management for both players and facilities. And in the years since its inception, Sabaitis and his team continue to build on the idea and

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

continue providing the best experience possible for both the player and the clubs. It has become an essential asset for many local clubs and facilities, and AceSpace is easy to use for players. You just have to visit AceSpaceCourts.com, register for free to create your own personalized profile, and begin browsing for available courts. Like all businesses, the global pandemic created challenges for AceSpace, but they decided to take a positive outlook on the situation and use it to grow.

OND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

“We approached this, and I think a lot of companies did, as an opportunity to expand the list of tools that our customers had access to,” said Sabaitis. “We used the time to form a couple strategic partnerships which included a credit card processor. We also built out our systems to allow our clubs to stay in contact with their customers, and we improved the user experience for the player themselves to make it even easier when they go online.” Sabaitis and AceSpace quickly adapted to the new environment and adjusted to make sure it remained relevant in the marketplace, and by doing so it reinforced the work that the company has done over the last few years. “If anything, the pandemic has given us a little confidence to know that we are in the right market, we know what the customers want and what they expect from us,” he said. “And, maybe more importantly, we know that we can deal with tough times and are nimble

enough to successfully work around them. I think that’s always a nice thing to have in your back pocket.” During this last year, the team at AceSpace has made upgrades and improvements to its product, which includes a couple of key additions. One such update is a service that facilities can use to send an e-mail directly to potential players from AceSpace itself, rather than having to use a third-party system. Text notifications are also now available. Players can opt-in to those in order to receive updates, and facilities can choose to use the text notification option to ensure their players are reminded of their reservations ahead of time. “We also integrated our accounting into QuickBooks, which has helped our partners a lot,” added Sabaitis. “So we had some big changes, and all three make it easier for clients to leverage their full client list. Rather than having those lists spread out across multiple

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE platforms, AceSpace is a place where you can centralize all of your data and communicate most effectively.” AceSpace is now prepared to move forward in 2021 with its new upgrades and a clear vision of the place it wants to hold in the marketplace. Connecting players to facilities in a seamless way is a necessary resource that will benefit all sides of the local tennis community, and the plan is to continue enhancing the services for all involved. “We have a number of exciting new features coming up,” said Sabaitis. “I don’t want to show my hand just yet, but we do have some upgrades we’re releasing to our partners in the coming weeks and months. We’re also looking forward to relaunching our mobile app. We had it up for awhile but we were getting so much volume with the pandemic that we had to pull it from the app stores for a little bit. We’re going to get that back up soon, which is really exciting because it makes the experience that much better for players.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Tennis Guru: Murphy’s Law

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

his is Part Eight of Dr. to stay focused until the end. Ferraro’s The Tennis Furthermore, always be Guru series. Check ready for surprises because LITennisMag.com to read surprises will always come. the first parts. This is what they call Yin, Rebecca and Virgil Murphy’s Law and it means awoke early the next day, that you ought to expect the packed up camp and unexpected and have a made their way up the plan which allows you to let mountain path to see The go of your anger, surprise Tennis Guru. Yin thought and panic.” about the dream he had This was a lesson well the night before, that learned for Yin and they all magical kiss from Rebecca relaxed, set up a camp, and how he was feeling built a fire and dried off. about all this. Though he They had a hardy meal of couldn’t quite recall all the baked beans and franks details of his dream, he and as the fire crackled Yin now felt more calm, began to doze off and confident and cool about thought of all he had things. He looked over at learned so far on this Rebecca and joked, journey came to his head. “Wow Rebecca. You He remembered how he really are my good luck had met Virgil who charm.” instructed him that “haste Rebecca smiled and makes waste.” He thought winked at him which only about the two wolves that “They are stood in shock as the storm raged and they realized the path ahead was made Yin feel even more guarded the easy passage blocked” confident. way up, his ferry crossing As the two love birds over the River Styx and the sauntered along, Virgil kept a keen ring of courage that Charon had given In a moment they were all drenched to him. He recalled his dangerous dissent watch on Yin and worried that Yin the bone and found shelter under the may now begin to lose focus as they into the demons cave and how he met stony ledge. advanced to the summit. He could no Rebecca who had taught him how to Virgil asked Yin if he had brought longer hold his tongue and shouted at have self-respect. And finally, he any rain gear and Yin shook his head Yin, “Hey pal, let’s stayed focused. thought about Murphy’s Law and how no. Virgil asked him if he had a change one had better be ready for surprises We’re not home yet.” of clothes and Yin again said no. Yin looked back at Virgil and said, which always will come. As he Virgil then said to Yin, “You were so approached the threshold of sleep he “Relax bud, you worry way too confident and cool just one minute much!” smiled to himself and thought how ago and take a look at you now! Let The moment Yin finished his remark much fun this entire journey had been. this be a lesson. Never count your there was a loud crack of lightning Then he fell into a deep restful sleep. which hit a tree that was hanging over chickens before they hatch and learn To be continued… the path just ahead of them. Yin, Rebecca and Virgil all flinched and For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, froze as the tree came crashing down by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com. across the path 50 feet ahead of them. The wind began to pick up and rain came thundering down on them.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Proper Tennis Education in the United States By Jason Joseph

eginning this year, tennis teaching certification and coach education will move into the largest change seen in the United States in over 10 years. The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body for the sport of tennis in America, has taken the reigns in creating a scaffolding of sport science-based parameters that each certification body must adhere to in order to receive accreditation from the USTA. The goal of this endeavor is to increase the standards of tennis delivery in this country. Some years back, it was discovered that tennis coach education delivery in the U.S. was below the international norms (ITF, 2005). Upon recognizing this, the USTA decided to take action. This made for a precarious situation. You see, every other top 30 tennis nations in the world has their national governing body delivering the coaching education. One slight exception to this would be in the United Kingdom where the first three levels, of five, can be delivered by independent coach education companies. In doing so, they still need to follow strict parameters by the Lawn Tennis Association, or LTA, which is the national governing body in the U.K. Every other leading tennis nation takes responsibility to deliver the entire coach education curriculum. Currently in the U.S., the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) have both been accredited by the USTA to deliver

tennis professional certification. Theses mainstream trade organizations have already begun to restructure themselves to fit the parameters given by the USTA. The USTA has decided upon four levels of certification. Theses labels are: • Level 1 or Instructor • Level 2 or Professional • Level 3 or Specialist • Level 4 or Master This is similar to how the other top 30 tennis nations around the world create their systems. The idea that there is a universal system of levels helps distinguish tennis instructors, professionals, and coaches apart from those that peruse more detailed understanding of tennis player development, or the applied business side of the tennis industry. These changes are slated to go into effect in June 2021, yet one can already see how they are adapting to the upcoming changes. The PTR, for instance, has already redesigned their certification levels into the four above mentioned levels, and the USPTA will roll out their version by the summer. The USPTA is beginning the process of encouraging those members who are recreational coaches to upgrade and become certified tennis instructors. In order to do this, they must follow the parameters set forth by the USPTA,

including taking a Teaching Essentials 1 course. Similarly, those who are currently PTR “Professionals,” which is the current Level 1 certified instructors, are encouraged to upgrade to a Level 2 Professional. They can do so by completing their First-Aid requirements, a physical development course and an online exam. In all, the contemporary changes that we are seeing in the U.S. tennis provider certification process are a positive movement towards enhancing the sport that we love. These changes will raise the standards of tennis delivery across the U.S., and will also allow for uniformity in how instruction is delivered via evidence-based, sport science principles that help accelerate the skill of the learner and improve the quality of play nationwide. It will also allow American coaches to be recognized internationally, something that currently is not seen. In closing, the idea that the rising tide lifts all ships is a good metaphor for the coming wave of change in coach education in the United States. The USTA, in conjunction with the USPTA and the PTR, will help create higher standards in our industry while helping the individual tennis provider reach a higher skill level of tennis delivery.

Jason Joseph is a Level 4 Master Performance coach and a Level 4 Junior Development coach through the PTR. He also has performance coaching certification that is recognized by the USTA and Tennis Canada. Jason currently serves on the USPTA Eastern Board of Directors as the Education Chairman. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Windridge Camps: Always Adding to It

indridge was founded in 1968 in Jeffersonville, Vt. by Alden Bryan and Ted Hoehn. Bryan, a professional landscape artist and businessman, played tennis at Harvard and was passionate about the sport. Hoehn was only 26-years-old when the two met and decided to go into business together. But Hoehn had already made quite a name for himself in the tennis world. The son of Red Hoehn, the Dartmouth Tennis and Squash Coach, Ted was the number one ranked player in New England in the 13, 15, and 18 & Under Divisions. He was also a high ranked player nationally. He was recruited to play tennis by the University of North Carolina, where he played # 2 singles and #1 doubles on the perennially powerful UNC team. Ted was twice the champion of both the ACC and Eastern Intercollegiate Doubles titles. After a two-year stint in the Army, followed by a couple of years playing tennis internationally, Hoehn decided to settle down in his native New England and go into partnership with Alden Bryan. When Windridge first started, it was essentially a specialized tennis camp. But as the camp expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, so too did the camp broaden its featured sports offerings. Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, became a “major” sport at Windridge. As Windridge grew in popularity and size, more international campers attended, many of whom were already very talented in soccer. When Windridge purchased its facility in Roxbury, Vt. in 1985, which was formerly known as Teela Wooket, an all-girls riding

camp, horseback riding joined tennis and soccer as another major sport. Now Windridge has a fourth major…golf. Last spring, Hoehn purchased the Northfield Country Club, which is located three miles down the road from the camp. Founded in 1927, the club has been voted many times as the #1 nine-hole course in Vermont. It operates as a private club, but is also open to the public. Windridge campers who major in golf may now spend either all morning or all afternoon on the links honing their games. Although Adult Camps at Windridge have been in existence since 1970, they have always been limited to offering just tennis instruction. With the addition of the Northfield Country Club, golf now shares the spotlight. “Both tennis and golf are lifelong sports,” says Hoehn. “Tennis is more physically challenging, and therefore adults tend to play less tennis and more golf as they get older. So I’m expecting many adults will jump at the chance to play half a day of tennis and half a day of golf. And anyone who wants to spend the whole day on the courts or the course may do so.” Adult campers are housed at the Inn at Teela-Wooket, a lovely five-bedroom, five-bath renovated farmhouse located on the Windridge grounds. The food is both nutritious and delicious. There is a social hour each evening before dinner. There are three Windridge Tennis & Golf Camps scheduled for the summer of 2021. Each session runs from Noon on Wednesday to Noon on Sunday. The dates for the Adult Camps are July 15-18; August 5-8 and August 26-29. For further information, call Ted Hoehn at (802) 2388379 or e-mail ted@windridgecamps.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

JensenZone By Luke Jensen

Spring tennis is almost here! ast year the world stopped, including those spring tennis sessions that jump starts everyone’s outdoor tennis season. But the pro tour jumped out of the gates in a massive way in 2021 with 388 matches in the warm-up events the week before the 2021 Australian Open. Watching the best tennis players in the world find ways to stay in rhythm and maintain fitness while quarantining is something I will never forget. I’m just not sure who is going to pay for the dry wall damage from players hitting tennis balls against their hotel room walls with the pace of the pros! I saw loads of footwork drills and practice swings. I hope all of you that follow some of your favorite tennis stars took some of their indoor quarantine training and added it to your tennis training routine. I have always found the toughest transition in tennis is going from indoor play to outdoor play. The outdoor elements with the wind and sun can be a challenge especially when you’ve been playing indoors for the winter. Windy conditions make the ball seem like it’s dancing all around and force all tennis players to move their feet more to set up all shots. These small steps are called “adjustment steps”. It’s easy to see an elite player, they never miss. Accomplished players can make the ball move with various placements, change up pace and use spins to disrupt any player. Did you know that you can always hear the sign of a top player? Next time you are watching world class tennis on TV close your

eyes and listen. What did you pick up besides the ball being struck? Did you hear the squeaks? Those are the many small adjustment steps top talent takes to set up for shots and in the wind adjustment steps are mission critical to hitting a clean ball. Next time you step on the court and rally you can count the number of steps you take between shots. Club players take on average of seven-to-nine steps. For college players, it’s nine-to-11, and the pros are about 11-15 steps between strikes of the ball. This is an emphasis on moving into position for a wonderfully stuck ball. The best when I

played was Jimmy Connors while Roger Federer, who NEVER seems to miss hit a ball, is one of the best in today’s game. Tennis participation numbers really shot up through the pandemic due to its natural social distancing benefits. I saw a stat recently from 2020 that tennis is up 46 percent compared to 2019. That also includes more players in tennis leagues around the USA! As the country warms up, bring a buddy out who has never played tennis and show them how fun tennis can be! Until next time…stay safe out there and go for WINNERS!

Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currently director of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center in Georgia. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or email lukejensen84@yahoo.com.

Join Us in Vermont and Share the Windridge Experience! Specialized programs in tennis, soccer, golf, and horseback riding with a 1:4 counselor to camper ratio. We offer 2 and 3 week co-ed sessions for ages 7-15. Share our commitment to hard work, good sportsmanship, and wholesome fun within a supportive and friendly environment.

802-860-2005 l www.windridgecamps.com NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Whole Human Athlete The Secret to Being Your Best By Rob Polishook

hat’s the secret to being your best? How do the top pros sustain their performance tournament after tournament? Clearly, this is an important question, one worth exploring and trying to understand. With this knowledge, we could greatly improve our individual performance, coaches could better guide their students, and parents could help their kids. As a mental training coach, I have front row seats to the challenges, adversity and obstacles that tennis players face at all levels from juniors to professionals. Many people think that if a player works harder, push’s stronger, and focuses on the prize with more intensity that that will be enough. Certainly, these elements are important even vital. However, this doesn’t take into account the whole picture. The mental side must be part of the equation, without it, there is an imbalance. For peak, sustained and repeatable performance, an athlete must commit to their game, focus on what they can control and to be comfortable “in their own skin” among other things. From this place they can approach a tournament from a grounded, centered and balanced place. They can bring their personal heart, energy and spirit to the competition. Only from this place will they have the capacity to manage challenges, obstacles, adversity, pressure and the natural ups and downs in a match.

Remember a time when you watched a player who got nervous, tight, or seemingly just froze during competition. You know that “deer in the headlights” look? We wonder how this can happen especially when the athlete has been in this situation before or performed the shot hundreds of times in practice? In fact, if we are honest with ourselves, many of us have been in that situation one time or another. What is usually holding an athlete back is not what’s on the outside. It’s not the part that everyone can see: the athletic talents, skills and technique. These skills can always be improved upon. The key is to look at the whole person, the whole human athlete. We always need to look at what’s on the inside, what’s happening below the

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

surface of the player. Competitors are not robots, what’s on the inside affects how we play on the outside- it’s one and the same. Sometimes issues that get in the way of performance might be: confidence, focusing on the result, worrying about what others think, or ranking pressures. Other times it might be something that is not tennis related but the player carries onto the court such as a bad test result in school, an argument with a friend, family problems, fear of a reoccurring injury, or a combination of some of these stressors. No matter what the issues, carrying this weight on your shoulders will negatively impact performance every time! When an athlete, coach or parent doesn’t understand the synergy between the person and the athlete? There is a disconnect; they are not taking into account the multifaceted whole human athlete. Usually, it’s a fast track to performance blocks, anxiety and burnout. The player becomes unable to get the most of themselves because they are pushing and pulling so hard that they never step back to be patient, piece things together, and reset to allow their skills to show through. As players, coaches, and parents we must look at the whole human athlete, not solely the performer or performance in front of us. We must refocus through the lens of the athlete within the person. From this lens, we immediately see a

wider perspective to what’s happening and also additional attributes which make the player unique. We see their all important heart energy and spirit. This expanded visibility allows the athlete to utilize more tools during their performance. and for coaches, parents and fans to see the whole picture, what the player is experiencing on the inside and outside both on and off the court. When an athlete competes, they are more than just a tennis player. Their unique energy, distinctive spirit and authentic heart is what makes them the player they are. This is the foundation of any athlete’s greatness. We all have our own DNA and wiring. The key is tapping into this uniqueness, not assimilating to a one-size-fits-all mentality. Rafael Nadal said “tennis isn’t who I am, it’s what I do.” His greatness starts with the person (heart, energy and spirit) and then transcends to the player (talent, skills, technique) and

“ ”

The mental side must be part of the equation, without it, there is an imbalance. then the performance. The next time you compete or watch the greats remember you are a whole human athlete. Your success lies in not only

bringing your talent, technique and skills but also your heart, energy and spirit. Play your game, be yourself, it’s what makes you, you!

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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How One-On-One Doubles Improves Singles, Doubles Skills By Ed Krass hile tournament tennis players have been competing in singles and doubles over the years, there is a great mix of these two games, all rolled into one: One-On-One Doubles, the crosscourt serve-and-volley singles game including the doubles alley. For decades, top ATP/WTA professionals have played crosscourt, serve-and-volley points to prepare for their doubles matches. What this game can achieve for you is to obtain all-court confidence. It is a player's transition game that can make the winning difference, and playing OneOn-One Doubles takes the fear out of coming to the net. “I strongly encourage all of my John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) players to compete in Ed Krass’s OneOn-One Doubles circuit whenever it’s available,” said Mike Kossoff, Director of JMTA Long Island. “There is nothing else quite like it. I love how it puts players in uncomfortable situations and enables them to overcome adversity. Ed has been a positive influence on my personal tennis career, so to have my players

experience his knowledge and enthusiasm is a dream come true.” Improving Your Transition Game A player's transition game is always a work in progress. In One-on-One Doubles, players will find themselves hitting more midcourt volleys, halfvolleys, quick volleys and overheads than in their singles and doubles matches. The discipline of the crosscourt placements and creativity of using angles, the middle, lobs, volleys and well-placed groundstrokes add to the game’s challenges. Is it easier to serve-and-volley with this crosscourt game than on the full singles court? Yes and there lies the beauty in playing One-On-One Doubles. Players start to see more and more successful conversions of their serve-and-volley and return-and-volley game. This crosscourt singles game will teach players how to get to the net more. It’s a singles game that improves your doubles skills. Playing this game may provide more of a challenge. Players

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

can tell themselves that they are playing to win as opposed to playing not to lose when competing. Too many doubles teams are playing not-to-lose when playing one up one back all the time. More One-On-One Doubles sets will naturally force players to just go and make their first volley. Master the Volley Game The midcourt volley is the key transitional shot in One-On-One Doubles. Players have to train themselves to charge forward, from the baseline to the service line, after serving and sometimes after returning. When both competing players engage in a quick volley exchange, a player's reflexes, technique and strategy are all on display. Learning how to volley with the natural flow of the body will allow for smarter directional placements when competing. Playing this format also helps players establish the variety and alternative game plans when needed. I first learned the game from the practice match play drill we used at Clemson University under Coach Chuck Kriese; many called it "Ghost Doubles". As the Men's Assistant Coach from

1984-1986, I saw how powerfully effective this crosscourt, serve-and-volley singles game had become. Players were able to compete in practice sets to where the serve-and-volley became second nature and to where the midcourt volley became second nature. Ten minutes of quick volley practice sure made the doubles hands hard to beat. The concrete results were undeniably successful. I later asked myself if women could have similar success. I was soon to find out as I was lucky enough to get the job as Head Women's Coach at Harvard in the summer of 1986. The team's secret sauce of playing One-On-One Doubles, a few times each week, contributed to our team's Ivy League titles. Knowing how impactful this game and drill had been for my players, I thought it would be exciting to launch the very first prize money tournament in Tampa, Florida in 2004. I recognized nobody wanted to play with a ghost, so I named the game One-On-One Doubles Tennis.

Tournaments Are Advancing the Game My first tournament registrant in 2004 was a player named Peter Doohan and the rest was history! Peter upset Boris Becker at Wimbledon in 1987. I first met Peter and his doubles partner, Tom Cobb, in a match at the USTA Men's 40 & Over National Doubles tournament in Savannah, Georgia. A few months later, I launched my first One-On-One Doubles tournament. Peter wrote me a nice letter saying that he was excited to see someone finally put this format of play out there, and that he wanted to be part of the game's history. Even though Peter lost in his second match, he had made a world of impact. His participation and support gave me the confidence to move forward with more tournaments and capture a niche market of players that would enjoy competing in this format.. "What I love and appreciate about One-On-One Doubles is both the ability to isolate specifics of the game

both technically and tactically combined with the fun factor of tournament competitions that provide lots of movement, action, and seeing players development in a new comfort zone,” said Whitney Kraft, Director of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “Not to mention the DJ factor of music energy!" Enjoy the Challenge Here is your chance and your players' chances to develop their allcourt game, all-court confidence and serve and volley skills with the secret weapon called One-On-One Doubles. “I have had a great time playing in the tournaments,” said Jared Palmer, 2001 Wimbledon Doubles Champion. “The format is a lot of fun. I had so many great points where I had to pull out every shot in the book to try and get an advantage. Players of all levels should get out and play One-on-One Doubles.”

NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

court

New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz

USTA Announces Tennis Participation Up in 2020 The USTA released numbers on tennis participation in 2020, and the sport grew significantly in the last year, increasing by 22 percent. 21.64 million people hit the courts according to recent data from the Physical Activity Council’s Participation (PAC) report produced by Sports Marketing Surveys. The survey and report monitor more than 120 different sports and activities participated in by Americans. Of the more than 21 million Americans saying they played tennis last year, 6.78 million were new and returning players. The near three million new players (2.96 million) was a 44 percent increase over new players in 2019. Additionally, the 3.82 million Americans who returned to the sport was a 40 percent increase over those returning to the sport in 2019.

Wozniacki Announces Pregnancy Recently retired Caroline Wozniacki announced on social media that she is pregnant. The former Australian Open champion broke the news on social media, and said that she and husband David Lee, former NBA player who played for the New York Knicks, are expecting a baby girl in June.

Bouchard Dating NFL’s Mason Rudolph Canadian Eugenie Bouchard and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mason Rudolph have officially announced they are in a relationship. The couple became “official” after Rudolph made a Valentine’s Day Instagram post with the two together.

American Gibbs Announces Retirement Nicole Gibbs told fans last month that she will be officially retiring from professional tennis, and plans on pursuing a law degree. “My dreams and ambitions are continuously morphing and crystallizing as I go through this transition, but I know I wish to work in public service: to give a voice to those are institutionally silenced or sequestered to the margins of society,” she wrote in her post. “Whether this manifests as a career in civil rights, politics, or writing, I am unsure. Getting comfortable with uncertainty has been the main lesson and challenge of this past year.” 64

My Tennis Life to Feature Bellis, Sandgren The fifth season of Tennis Channel’s My Tennis Life will feature two Americans, Cici Bellis and Tennys Sandgren, as both document their lives on tour throughout the year. The series includes updates on their season, engagement with fans and chronicles the ups and downs faced by players during a season. The show helps give unique access to what life is like on the professional tennis tours.

New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

through hrough June Jun ne e 27th 27th (call to re regis ister) e

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

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