By GAYLENE SALOMONS “¡Vamos! Let’s go! Yes. That’s it.” Rackets are flying, grunts are uttered, and sweat is dripping. Fluorescent green balls litter the perimeter of court two at the Emilio Sanchez Academy, located just south of Pine Ridge Road in the community known as Naples Bath and Tennis Club. At the center of the activity, directing the players and calling out commands in Spanish, Italian, and English, is a fit, 57-year-old man—the eponymous founder of the academy. The sports world knows Emilio Sanchez best as a former professional tennis player from Spain with celebrity status. Among the many, his wins include five Grand Slam doubles titles and the men’s doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Today, however, the king of the court is known simply as Coach Emilio, and he is doing what he loves best: training kids to excel at life through the sport of tennis. Sanchez first started playing tennis when he was 8 years old at the country club where his family belonged. It wasn’t so much that Sanchez chose tennis; it was the only sport available to play at the club at the time, because, as Sanchez recounts, “the developer had stolen the money and left the country after promising a variety of [sports] options would be available.” An athletic
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FORMER TENNIS PRO EMILIO SANCHEZ ON HOW TENNIS PROVIDES THE BONES FOR A LIFE WELL-LIVED
7/26/22 3:37 PM
