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NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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September/October 2022 • Volume 12, Number 5

nytennis New York Tennis Magazine

Table Of Contents

MAGAZINE

Serena’s Goodbye

New York Tennis Magazine

At the end of the U.S. Open, Serena Williams will walk away from tennis —See page 10

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Highlights 4 2022 NYC Girls’ High School Preview 14 2022 U.S. Open Preview 28 Sportime Randall’s Island Expansion Will Feature 30 Indoor Courts Serving NYC 34 Coaching Spotlight: Larri Passos, Ross School Tennis Academy

By Brian Coleman 40 Beyond the Baseline: CourtSense, Magnus Fitness Partnership Helping Improve Player Development By Brian Coleman 48 Rakhimova Wins 2022 NYJTL Bronx Open Title

Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Dr. Tom Ferraro Contributing Writer Luke Jensen Contributing Writer

PG 4 Steve Kaplan Contributing Writer Rob Polishook Contributing Writer Barbara Wyatt Contributing Writer

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Features

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22 24 30 32 36 42 44 45 46 50 52 53 54

Developing Junior Rally Patterns By Cinto Casanova The Top Ten Tennis Tips of All-Time Part Five: The Will to Win

By Dr. Tom Ferraro Parsa’s Picks USTA Eastern Metro Region Update Racquet Sport Report presented by adidas Pickleball Broken Rackets, Smashed Balls & Verbal Abuse: What is going on?

By Rob Polishook 10 Dinosaur Teaching Methods That Need to Go Extinct! By Chris Lewit Lean on Me: Help For Parents When The Pressure is On By Mike Barrell Metro Corporate League Recap presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs More Than 30 Years In, High Country Still Going Strong Why Coaches, Parents and Students of Tennis Might Want to Read This Book By Steve Kaplan Why Coaching Today is Different Than When I Was a Kid

By Gilad Bloom The Difference Between Being a Hitter and Being a Great Player

By Botond Sari Can They Reach Over the Net? By Barbara Wyatt Metro Adult League Wrap-Up By Christopher Dong

New York Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2022 United Sports Publications Ltd.

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2022 NYC Girls’ High Schoo chool is back in session and that means a return to the tennis courts of New York City for players as the new high school season is upon us.

Last year, Beacon edged Hunter in a thrilling 3-2 match in the PSAL “A” Division City Championship, while Fort Hamilton continued its dominant reign in the “B” division with a 4-1 victory over Queens School of Inquiry.

All of that leads us into this season which gets underway in early September. New York Tennis Magazine has previewed the landscape for this year, and the following are some of the players and teams to watch out for in New York City this fall:

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Teams to Watch Beacon

One of the city’s perennial powerhouses, Beacon proved that a year ago as it won its third consecutive city title. A main reason for that victory was due to the team’s depth, and that will be a huge factor once again this season. Beacon loses its top singles player, Natalie Bergmann, to graduation, but returns the bulk of its starting lineup which will make it a title contender once again. Nyla Ferdinand competed in the second singles position a year ago and the junior will play a huge role this year, as well as Chase Thomas, Maya Joy Ollivierre, Naisha Rathi, Patrycja Filonik and Mia Sarzynska Hunter Last year’s runners-up, Hunter will be out to win one more match than it did a season ago here in 2022. Leading the charge once again will be first singles Ava Li who will look to build on a fantastic sophomore season, as well as senior Sophia Luo in the second singles position. Ella Moran will play a big role as 4

the junior competed at first doubles last year alongside graduating senior Karina Chung. Hunter will look to get big contributions from sophomore Catherine Mao, as well as the team’s young talent who will need to step into a bigger role this season.

Bronx Science

By Bronx Science’s standards, last season was a bit of a disappointment. The Wolverines finished below .500 and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. But Bronx Science returns all of its starters from last season, and has a group eager to make a deeper run than it did last fall. The singles trio of Gabrielle Usvyat, Margaux Vasilescu and Amanda Barnkow return to lead the way for Bronx Science, as does the first doubles team of Annika Richard & Sydney Siskind, and the second doubles pairing of Kelly Tching & Haleigh Heubeck. With its starters back for another year, look for the Wolverines to be competing deep into the city playoffs.

Stuyvesant One win away from the city championship a year ago, Stuyvesant will aim to build on that success this fall. The Lady Lobsters return much of its key contributors from last season including Sara Nova, who played in the top singles position as a sophomore and will be looking to have a big junior campaign. Alika Peker played second singles and returns for her senior season, as does Sonia Atlas, who played third singles a year ago. Experienced doubles player Julia Chernobelsky and Kate Bondarenko will be back to help provide needed depth for Stuyvesant as it aims to reach the city championship.

Brooklyn Tech While the Engineers will be losing Oralie Joseph Gabriel to graduation, Brooklyn Tech will be primed to make a deep run this fall. The loss of Gabriel creates a void at first singles, but the Engineers roster features talented and experienced players such as Sabrina Shvartsman, who played in the second singles spot as a sophomore last season, and Daria Gural, who, also a sophomore a year ago, played third singles. Megan Nie, Courtney Simon, Jessica Vilensky and Isabella Leyton all played a big role during the 2021 season and will be necessary if Brooklyn Tech wants to compete deep into the city playoffs.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

ool Preview Forest Hills One team that could make a surprise run into the playoffs this year is the Lady Rangers of Forest Hills. Finishing in first place in Queens A1 division last fall, Forest Hills will return top singles player Erica Phua for her senior season, as well as junior Sharon Zlatnik who played third singles last year. The first doubles pairing of Morgan Jones and Anna Kolbun, both juniors now, will be tasked with anchoring a doubles lineup and establishing depth to make Forest Hills a difficult opponent for anyone to face.

Other Players to Watch • • • • • • •

Anna Hagler-Shorr – Lab Museum United Isabella Veseli– Fort Hamilton Hope Cheung – Staten Island Tech Olivia Benton – Cardozo Mariela Pechalova – New Dorp Evangeline Carolan – Susan Wagner Taylor Russell – Tottenville

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Developing Junior Rally Patterns s coaches, it is really important we help our players understand the game of tennis; not only helping them to develop good serves and forehands, but also to really understand how to manipulate the game situations in their favor. We want our juniors to be able to make active decisions according to their own court position and their opponent’s court position. We want them to be able to be leaders in the points; we want them to become active instead of reactive.

In this article I will talk about how to develop smart juniors from a neutral position/rally position using patterns.

First of all, a pattern is a combination of two or more shots to produce a desired outcome. We call them Rally Patterns when those shots come from a neutral position on the court.

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Understand the Goals of a Pattern Before we start practicing patterns, our players have to understand well what are the goals of a rally pattern.

The goal of a rally pattern is to generate an advantage from a neutral position; to create pressure on the opponent by moving him/her and/or manipulating pace and spin in order to obtain an attack ball or to force an error.

Know the Targets The next step is to make sure our players understand the targets of the court; we should help them develop the technical skills needed to hit those targets. It’s very common to find juniors who struggle to make effective use of a simple Cross Court (CC) to Down the Line (DL) pattern just because technically they cannot hit consistently the angle targets, they lack the spin control and touch needed.

From the sides of the court: CC 6

Deep, CC Angle, DL, Center From the center of the court: CC Deep to FH, CC Deep to BH

generate pressure on the CC space and to help create open spaces to attack later on the following drills.

Understand Court Positions and Zones It’s key for juniors to develop the awareness on the court to know their own court position and their opponent’s court position. Defense, Neutral and Attack. Cognitive exercises are excellent to develop these awareness skills.

Cross Court Plus + DL Point starts in the CC Plus area only but one of the players can hit the DL when he has built the space enough to be effective.

This exercise can be used starting from FH, BH, Inside shots or Slices. It is a fundamental exercise for patterns.

Rally Patterns Basic Rally Patterns and Variations Forehand (FH) Side l TFH CC Deep and FH CC Angle l TFH CC Deep/Angle and FH DL l TFH CC Deep/Angle and FH Inside Out Backhand (BH) Side l TBH CC Deep + BH CC Angle l TBH CC Deep/Angle + BH DL l TBH CC Deep/Angle + FH Inside In l TBH CC Deep Slice + FH Inside In/Out Center of the Court (CC) l TFH/BH CC Deep + CC Deep Pattern Development Fundamental Exercises Cross Court Plus Played in the CC space plus two rackets from the center of the court.

That allows players to focus on developing Deep and Angle targets (and the Center target is also available to facilitate defense). The DL target is not allowed in this game.

This is a fundamental exercise to help our players to really be able to

Starting from Serve It uses the same CC Plus area but starting from serve. This time only the server can hit the DL target. This exercise encourages the use of patterns from the serve.

Second Serve + Return Pattern Using the same space, server starts with a second serve. In this case only return player can hit the DL. This exercise encourages aggressive return patters.

The key points for our players to master these exercises are: l To understand their own and opponent’s court position. l To understand when opponent is under pressure. l To have the technical skill to hit the needed targets.

I encourage you to allow time in your tennis programs for the development of the Rally Patterns. It is fundamental not only so the technical side of the drill is accomplished, but the cognitive and decision-making side is as well. Please use these fundamental drills in your programs and ask me any questions to my email below.

Cinto Casanova is the Director of Education and Talent Identification and Senior Coach at Centercourt Tennis Academy. He has held leading positions in Junior Player Development for over two decades in Japan, China and Spain. He has helped to develop top junior programs that produced successful national and international junior players. He may be reached at rc.cinto@gmail.com

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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The Top Ten Tennis Tips of All-Time Part Five:

The Will to Win

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

n any sport, all the greats have one thing in common: an iron will to win.

Tom Brady in football, Wayne Gretzky in hockey and Michael Jordan in basketball are all examples of players who were not physically imposing, but they all had that fire in the belly that makes for greatness.

Roger Federer is a good example of someone who is not physically imposing but he keeps on winning.

Tennis greats like Jimmy Connors, John

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McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were all smaller than average, but they too had an amazing desire to win. The 39-yearold Connors’ performance in the 1991 U.S. Open is considered to be one to the great runs in tennis history because despite age and injury, he defeated top seeds and made it to the semifinals based upon sheer will power and the support of an adoring crowd.

Let us take a moment to deconstruct the will to win and see if we can

determine both what it is and how to channel it. The following three ingredients are involved: 1. Growing up in hardship Serena and Venus Williams grew up on the dangerous streets of Compton, and they continually faced racial slurs throughout their careers. Connors witnessed the severe beating of his mother and his grandparents when he was eight-years-old, Novak Djokovic was raised in war-torn Serbia and Tiger Woods faced racial slurs growing up in California.

“That which does not destroy you will make you strong.”

There is truth to that quote in fact in a study by two psychologists about the most eminent persons in American history discovered that the vast majority of them grew up in pain and deprivation. There is something about early childhood suffering that acts like a crucible of pain and produces an iron will power.

2. Unconditional long term support and guidance Despite their tough upbringing, Serena and Venus Williams had incredible parents. The film King Richard was about Richard Williams and demonstrated his

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

parental devotion and protective support needed to nurse prodigies.

Research shows that parental support is needed for at least ten years before a talented child can display his or her true power. Steady protective support instills a sense of safety in the athlete which gives them that never give up attitude which is a part of the will to win.

3. Reasonable expectations An interesting trait of most champions is humbleness. Anger, mistakes, and disappointments are part of sports. The tennis player must learn how to cope with disappointments without undue anger and champions have the ability to do so.

Every sport is designed to be difficult and it is crucial that the athlete master their anger if they are to master their game. Tennis players, even the very best tennis players, double fault, hit long, hit into the net, endure bad calls or bad weather nearly every match

they play. If these problems are not immediately accepted and managed well, they lead to more mistakes, panic, despair, and losses. Out of control anger has to do with unrealistic expectations, and therefore reasonable expectations are another key in the will to win.

So the will to win requires early hardship as we see in the Williams sisters or in Djokovic. This hardship made them humble and made them strong. They also needed prolonged and protective support from parents who sheltered them and also solaced them.

In the end, it can be seen that champions have a very healthy core which gives them trust in themselves, it gives them resilience and it gives them humbleness and a reasonable view of what to expect from themselves. They

all know that they will not have their “A” game every time they step onto the court and they manage these lulls with grace and acceptance.

But not everyone has these experiences in childhood. Not everyone gets unconditional love. If a person grows up with self-deficits, they feel defective on the inside and will never feel satisfied, will not be able to digest victory and will lack confidence.

Behind every great tennis player are parents who give unconditional love and support over many years. These parents give guidance and allow the player to feel good about themselves without undue pressure, without guilt and who are reasonable in expectations.

And when that occurs, you create an unstoppable athlete with an iron will to win.

For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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Serena’s Goodbye

By Brian Coleman

he debate over who is the greatest athlete of all-time is, of course, subjective.

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How do you compare people who play different sports? How do you evaluate different eras and put them in proper context? Is it about pure athleticism or athletic achievement?

No matter what criteria you choose to use in this debate, or how you define greatest, you can not have the discussion without mentioning Serena Williams.

And for one last tournament, fans from all around the world will be able to witness that greatness as Serena announced she will be moving away from tennis following the 2022 U.S. Open.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,” Serena wrote in an essay in Vogue. “I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I used that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

Even in retirement, or “transitioning”, Serena does things her own way. Growing up in Compton, Calif. both her and her older sister Venus were tennis prodigies from an extremely young age thanks to the coaching of their father, Richard.

Though unconventional, Richard helped coach his girls to become the top junior players in the country despite not having them pursue the same pathway most junior players go through. And even when they broke through on the tour, Serena and Venus were not completely accepted as the tennis world had never seen before anything like what they brought to the tennis courts.

And all that did was motivate them more, and through the hard-work and dedication, Serena became one of the most dominant athletes in the world. Her career resume is as long as a CVS receipt, and includes 23 Grand Slam singles titles, an Open Era record, 319 weeks spent as the world number one, including 186 consecutive weeks which ties a record, and finished as the year-end number one on five different occasions. continued on page 12

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vamos rafal continued from page 10

Between the 2022 French Open and the 2003 Australian Open, Serena won all four majors to complete the non-calendar year Grand Slam. From 2014-2015, she completed the second “Serena Slam” by winning four straight majors, which was part of a run that saw her win eight out of 13 majors overall during that span.

But her impact goes far beyond the wins and losses on the tennis court. The arrival of the Williams sisters ushered in a new era of tennis.

“When the Williams sisters emerged on the scene in the late 1990s as teenagers, the women’s game changed forever,” wrote journalist Ja Allen in Bleacher Report. “The serve became more than getting play underway, it became a weapon—the underpinning of the new power game in women’s tennis. The Williams sisters were big, powerful, athletic women who grew to dominate women’s tennis and change the game forever. Their stinging serves alongside potent groundstrokes ushered in an era of power players to which women’s tennis had never seen before.”

They not only ushered in a new era, they dominated it. And while Venus would have more of the success early on when they first broke through, it was Serena who would go on to become the most dominant force in tennis. It was her constant need to be perfect, and always improving, that drove her to be the player she would become.

“Unlike Venus, who’s always been stoic and classy, I’ve never been one to contain my emotions,” she writes in Vogue. “I remember learning to write my alphabet for kindergarten and not doing it perfectly and crying all night. I was so angry about it. I’d erase and rewrite that ‘A’ over and over, and my mother let me stay up all night while my sisters were in bed. That’s always been me. I want to be great. I want to be perfect. I know perfect doesn’t exist, but whatever my perfect was, I never wanted to stop until I got it right.

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To me that’s kind of the essence of being Serena: expecting the best from myself and proving people wrong.

There were so many matches I won because something made me angry or someone counted me out. That drove me. I’ve built a career on channeling anger and negativity and turning it into something good.”

Serena accomplished all she could in

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

the tennis world, and will go down as one of the greatest athletes to ever live.

She will take that drive and passion into other endeavors in her life, which includes her own venture capital firm she founded a few years ago. She is also the mother of five-year-old Olympia, and she says she wants to expand that family, as Olympia says she wants to be a big sister.

It isn’t exactly fair that women athletes have to make the decision sometimes between having a child or continuing to play, something that male athletes do not have to worry about.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family.

I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family,” she writes.

“Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had the opportunity. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia. I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospital—although things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible; a lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give.”

Serena will make her last professional appearance at this year’s U.S. Open, a fitting curtain call on her career as she has won the title six times throughout her career. As she says, she isn’t “retiring” from tennis, just transitioning away. Either way, sports fans are lucky to have been able to watch Serena’s

career unfold over these last two-plus decades, and she can continue to serve as an inspiration for the next generation of athletes: “My sister Venus once said that when someone out there says you can’t do something, it is because they can’t do it. But I did do it. And so can you.”

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2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. O

2022 U.S. Open Preview he dog days of August are upon us, and while that means we have to endure scorching temperatures and the dread of the end of summer, it also means the U.S. Open is here!

The tennis calendar’s fourth and final Slam event brings the world’s greatest tennis players here to New York to compete under the bright lights of the city that never sleeps, and carries with it a thrilling three weeks of tennis action.

Last year, Daniil Medvedev captured the first major title of his career, winning in straight sets over Novak Djokovic, redeeming himself after he coughed up a two-sets-to-love lead to

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Rafael Nadal the previous year.

“A lot of happiness,” Medvedev said when asked how he was feeling a year ago. “That’s my first Grand Slam. I don’t know how I’m going to feel if I win a second or third one. That’s my first one, so I’m really happy. It means a lot to me.”

A star was born on the women’s side as Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu took out Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in a battle of teenagers.

"Thank you to New York for making me feel so at home, from my first qualifying match, all the way to the final I have loved playing in front of you and you have

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U spurred me on in some difficult moments,” Raducanu told the crowd.

Those special moments are what makes the U.S. Open such a thrilling event, and we expect no less in 2022.

The 2022 U.S. Open begins on Monday, August 23 with the qualifying tournament, which will run through Friday, August 26. The main draw begins on Monday, August 29. Be sure to check out the last page of this preview for the full detailed schedule of this year’s U.S. Open.

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022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview

Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers Contenders – Men’s Singles

Contenders – Women’s Singles

Carlos Alcaraz

Iga Swiatek

The young Spaniard was the talk of the tennis tours earlier this year, as his pop-off-thescreen talent is hard not to look away from. It seemed as if it was only a matter of when and not if he would win a major title. The 2022 U.S. Open could be that event. Alcaraz has the game to dominate on the hard-courts, with his blistering forehand and unabashed hustle, he is a nightmare for any opponent to play against. He reached the quarterfinals in Queens last year, and with another year of experience under his belt, could be in for a bigger run this time around.

Poland’s Iga Swiatek was nearly unbeatable earlier this summer.

She won the French Open title in dominant fashion and compiled a 37-match winning streak at one point, before falling to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon. The streak was the longest on the WTA tour this century, and established Swiatek as a household name.

Now with the streak over and the Swiatek-hype a little more tame, it could be the best thing for her. Losses can be a good thing sometimes, and with Swiatek now able to focus on tennis as opposed to maintaining a winning streak, she enters the U.S. Open with a clear mind and focused attitude. Look for Swiatek to return to that dominant form when she arrives in New York.

Daniil Medvedev The defending champion and the world number one, how could he not be considered a contender? Medvedev enjoyed the best tournament of his career right here in New York in 2021, and has had a lot of success at the U.S. Open in recent years. He was barred from competing at Wimbledon, along with other players from Russia and Belarus, so we should expect a little added motivation when Medvedev arrives in New York. His defensive prowess is unrelenting, and he has already shown he has what it takes to succeed under the bright lights of the U.S. Open.

Nick Kyrgios It has been a banner summer for the Australian. Kyrgios powered his way to the Wimbledon finals before coming stateside and winning the singles and doubles titles at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. There has never been any doubting Kyrgios’ talent, and that has been on full display throughout this year. He has been vocal and open about how he feels he is in a better place mentally than he was previously in his career, and if Kyrgios brings that well-rounded approach to Queens, look for him to make a deep run at the U.S. Open.

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Paula Badosa The NYC-born Badosa is currently ranked fourth in the world, and will put that ranking to the test at the U.S. Open. Despite being born in NYC, the U.S. Open has not been kind to Badosa in the past as it has been her least successful one out of the four majors. Look for that to change this time around though. Badosa’s steady groundstrokes, with a big serve and aggressive style from the baseline makes her game translate well to the hard-courts. It’s now about putting that together for two weeks in New York, and compiling her best result yet at a major.

Coco Gauff It’s a lot of pressure to put on an 18-year-old, but Coco Gauff seems to be the type of player who can handle it.

Gauff is already one of the best players in the world and has proven the ability to both beat top opponents as well as perform on the sport’s biggest stages. Earlier this year, Gauff showed her might on the clay as she reached the finals of the French Open, and now it is time to take that success and translate it onto the hard courts.

She has never been out of the third round of the U.S. Open, but with every match, Gauff gets better and gains more experience, which only helps her game. If she can sure up that forehand, Gauff is a threat to win this year’s U.S. Open.

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ew 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Pre Pretenders – Men’s Singles Stefanos Tsitsipas One of the most talented players in the world, Tsitsipas has still not been able to win his maiden major title. The Greek star has been a mainstay in the Top 10 for several years now, and is always one of the most talked about players. He has the game to compile a great twoweek run, but the U.S. Open has always been an enigma for Tsitsipas. He has never made it out of the third-round making the U.S. Open his least successful major event. Do not be surprised if Tsitsipas suffers an early exit again this time around in Queens.

Casper Ruud Earlier this summer, Ruud reached the finals of the French Open for the best result of his career. Unfortunately, he was

dominated in that final by Rafael Nadal, and proceeded to lose three of the next four matches he played. Ruud did capture the title in Gstaad, and overall this year has been a successful one for the Norwegian, but the U.S. Open has been a bad place for Ruud in years past. Like Tsitsipas, he has never been out of the third round, and that could be the case once again this time around.

Rafael Nadal If Rafael Nadal is in the main draw, he has to be considered a contender, right? This is normally the case, and it seems sacrilege to refer to Nadal as a pretender, but after this summer, it is hard to think that the Spanish legend is healthy enough to compete for two weeks. He had to have injections into his foot to deal with the pain during his run to the French Open final, and he withdrew from Wimbledon with an abdominal injury. At this point in his career, the injuries continue to pile up for Nadal, and while he is never someone you can count out, don’t expect Nadal to be his dominant self at this year’s U.S. Open.

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Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers Women’s Singles – Pretenders Maria Sakkari The fourth-ranked Sakkari reached the semifinals in Queens last year, and has one of the best power games on tour. But as of early August, she had lost four of her previous six matches and doesn’t seem to be competing at the same level she did at the U.S. Open last year or even earlier this year. Prior to her final four run a year ago, Sakkari had only advanced as far as the fourth round, and we could see a similar type of result this year.

Emma Raducanu It seems a bit harsh to call the defending champion a

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pretender, but despite her success last year, the 10th ranked Raducanu is still relatively new to the WTA Tour.

She only began playing WTA events after last year’s U.S. Open, and it has been a bit of an up-and-down season for her. She has the talent and the pedigree to be successful on the biggest stage, but finding consistency is something that Raducanu continues to work on, and she is still a work in progress as a player.

Simona Halep Halep’s return to her form this summer has been a great story on the WTA Tour, and it is wonderful to see one of the game’s greats back at the top once again. She is up to No. 15 in the rankings and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. Unfortunately, her game has always seemed to be better on the clay and the grass surfaces, and her results show that. She reached the semifinals here in 2015 and the quarterfinals back in 2016, but other than that, has never been out of the fourth round. Halep is a hall-offamer, but don’t expect a deep run this year.

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old and has began playing like the player she was when she first broke onto the scene, which saw her reach the quarterfinals back in 2014. She is up to No. 12 in the world rankings and has been playing consistently good tennis all year long. Bencic has shown she can succeed at the U.S. Open, and will aim to do so once again.

Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie is perhaps the best player on either tour that doesn’t get talked about enough. He has quietly put together a phenomenal campaign in 2022. He is up to No. 11 in the world rankings, won two titles and won more than 35 matches already this year. Norrie proved he can perform on the big stage as he reached the semifinals in front of his home fans at Wimbledon, and look for Norrie to bring that type of performance to New York City. He has had early exits at the U.S. Open in previous years, but expect that to change.

Jannik Sinner The Italian has proven he has what it takes to beat the best players in the world, and that was evidenced by his quarterfinal runs to the Australian Open and Wimbledon this summer. Sinner has beaten Alcaraz multiple times this season and also scored wins over the likes of Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur. Sinner is set to have the best run of his career at the U.S. Open and will aim to make it to the second week in Queens for the first time in his career.

Women’s Singles – Sleepers Belinda Bencic A quarterfinalist a year ago, don’t be surprised if Belinda Bencic returns to that stage of the event in 2022. Bencic has returned to form over the last year-orso, after injuries ravaged what was a promising young career. The Swiss is still only 25-years-

Jessica Pegula The American enjoyed the best year of her career in 2021 and has not missed a beat this season. Pegula is up to No. 7 in the world rankings and reached two major quarterfinals this year already, at the Australian Open and French Open, and is due to put together her best run at her home major. Pegula has not found success at the U.S. Open thus far in her career, but as she as established herself as one of the best players on tour, look for that to change later this fall.

Serena Announces Retirement from Tennis s if the U.S. Open wasn’t already intriguing, Serena Williams added to it as she announced that she will be retiring from professional tennis following this year’s event.

In her own words, Serena wrote an essay in Vogue to explain her decision, and discuss what is next for her.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,” she wrote. “I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

She explains how difficult the decision was for her, but also how happy she is with where she is at in her life.

Serena Ventures was her venture capital firm that she founded a few years ago, and her daughter Olympia is now five-years-old.

She wrote: “A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”

Serena will walk away from tennis as the most decorated player in the sport’s history, man or woman. She is the owner of 23 major titles and has given everything she has to the game of tennis. In addition to her success on the court, she has created a brand and persona which has been crucial to the sport’s development and growth.

“My whole life, up to now, has been tennis. My dad says I

A

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022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview 2022 U.S. Open Preview first picked up a racket when I was three, but I think it was even earlier. There’s a picture of Venus pushing me in a stroller on a tennis court, and I couldn’t have been more than 18 months,” she wrote in Vogue. “Unlike Venus, who’s always been stoic and classy, I’ve never been one to contain my emotions. I remember learning to write my alphabet for kindergarten and not doing it perfectly and crying all night. I was so angry about it. I’d erase and rewrite that A over and over, and my mother let me stay up all night while my sisters were in bed. That’s always been me. I want to be great. I

want to be perfect. I know perfect doesn’t exist, but whatever my perfect was, I never wanted to stop until I got it right.”

Before she walks away from tennis, though, fans will have at least one more opportunity to witness her greatness.

Serena is a six-time U.S. Open champion, and it would be something if she adds a seventh title to that resume as she rides off into the sunset.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year.

And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try.”

Reasons to Love the U.S. Open Tennis under the stars There is something special about summer nights in New York City, and that only gets amplified during the US Open’s fortnight.

Late-night tennis featuring star-studded matchups have become synonymous with the US Open. From Onny Parun and Stan Smith at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to Andre Agassi and James Blake nearly 15 years ago, the tennis stars always deliver big performances under the stars late into the early morning hours in the city that never sleeps.

Practice court access A two-story practice gallery debuted at the 2014 US Open, which allowed fans unprecedented access to see their favorite players as they prepared for their matches. In addition to the viewing area of the practice courts, the gallery is also adjacent to Courts 4, 5 and 6 where matches are taking place, giving fans 360 degrees of tennis.

New York, New York Tennis is an international sport with fans and players from all over the globe. But for a three-week period in the late summer, tennis’ home is located right here in our backyard.

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the sport’s host site and welcomes the best players and millions of fans to come celebrate the sport, and the city’s energy always brings out the best in the players.

Return to Normalcy While we are not completely done with the pandemic, the return of fans to the U.S. Open signals that we are close to getting back to a normal way of life. That may be a simplistic view of things, but with the energy of New York taking over the National Tennis Center for three weeks, this year’s U.S. Open is the perfect way to close out this summer.

Witness the Greats Some of the greatest players in our sport’s history are in the latter stages of their career, including Federer, Nadal and Serena. While we all wish they could play forever, there is no way to know just when each will hang up their tennis shoes. The U.S. Open is the best way to witness these legends, right here in our backyard in New York. The intimate access to the practice courts are always packed when players of this caliber are training, and who knows, it could be the last time these greats will be here in New York.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

COMING IN NOVEMBER

Distribution scheduled for 10/31/22 This edition will feature: • Coaches Roundtable Discussion • Tennis Travel Destination Guide • Holiday Gift Guide • 2022 Girls’ High School Recap • And Much More!

Print distribution across New York at 300+ locations.

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

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of New York Tennis Magazine November/December 2022!

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

With the help of Parsa Samii of Compass Real Estate, we’re showcasing one of these beautiful homes for sale. Samii is a former professional tennis player and coach who has transitioned into real estate, with a strong understanding of both the tennis aficionado and the home buyer.

As Compass puts it, “Parsa is the ideal professional to navigate the ever-competitive real estate market.”

For more information, photos or to see more listings, email parsa@compass.com or call (516) 965-7445.

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4 Valentine Farm Court Glen Head, NY $12,800,000 Six Beds – Seven Baths ntroducing 4 Valentine's Farm Court, an untouched masterpiece nestled privately within pristine gated grounds at the end of a private drive. Exceeding 11,000 interior and 13,000 exterior square feet, this dramatic and decadent estate delights as much as it delivers. CustomDesigned murals ornament 28 foot ceilings overlooking a double-curved dynasty staircase.

A kitchen suited for every occasion features professional

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PARSA’s picks grade stainless appliances in abundance. Bedrooms, baths and accoutrements flow seamlessly over hardwood floors, next to wrapping balconies and under cathedral ceilings.

Navigate between 4 floors and a 5-car garage seamlessly with an interior elevator. Decadent lower level

features a 500-bottle Wine Cellar and steps out directly to the in ground gunite pool, pool house, and tennis courts.

This is the perfect home for comfort, privacy, relaxation, remote work, and large-scale entertainment, by delicately blending the intricate interiors with a picturesque landscape.

The State of the Real Estate Market with Parsa Samii How would you assess the real estate market currently as we head into the fall and winter?

The market has continued to be trading well when homes are priced correctly. Prices have certainly slowed but inventory is still lower than normal for the time of year in most local markets. I look for the market to continue to be strong as long as supply remains low.

How has that changed, if all, from what we saw at the beginning of 2022? Why is that?

The beginning of 2022 we were winding down the COVID market which was fueled by super low interest rates, buyers seeking more space, and historical low supply. Our supply has started to increase in most local markets, interest rates are higher but I would say buyers will still be there just not in as much abundance, so certainly a different market than the beginning for the year but still healthy.

Do having tennis courts on your property increase property taxes on it? If so, why?

Great question. Anything that effects the overall appraised value of the property will increase property taxes in Nassau County. In theory a property featuring a tennis court and in ground pool is seemingly more valuable than a property without those in a structure of similar age and property size.

If not, do courts increase the value of a home, are they a worthwhile investment?

I would say it’s very dependent on the buyer. The hybrid type courts where they can be used for other activities as well are definitely more of what people are looking for if a court were to exist. That being said tennis has gained popularity in this pandemic era.

I’m a buyer in this market, what are the 3 most important things I should be aware of while

navigating the purchase process in 2022?

1: Educate yourself. Surround yourself with the best buyer agent in your neighborhood and ask people you trust who they have interactions within the industry.

2: Find what your ‘Must haves’ in a property are and also what you would ‘Prefer’ in your next home. Make sure that the home you bid on has all that you NEED and as much of what you really would prefer. There are sacrifices in this market. If you’re clear on your objective then the chance of success in the end will be significantly higher and relatively stress free.

3: Prepare your finances. It is very important to understand what risks you can take in order to make your offer more appealing to a seller versus another bid. Differentiation in the amounts of cash in a deal, waiving a contingency or a quick close are different ways that an offer can be structured that could mean something to a seller. Know what you can do, then ask the right questions of the seller and see if you can make your deal a little more appealing to the seller while minimizing your threshold of risk.

I’m a seller in this market, what are the 3 most important things I should be aware of?

1: Hire the most knowledgeable agent you can find. Its important that your listing agent demonstrates knowledge of the homes that have sold in the area and also their general knowledge of the real estate market. Just with a couple of simple questions you should be able to identify the right person for the job.

2: Marketing the property which includes photography, brochures, advertisements etc. Its important that you have someone who cares about their brand and the material they produce for their listings which would include your property.

3: The absolute most important. Presentation: Your house must be presented in the best light possible when potential buyers are visiting. From staging, to painting, to minor changes of furniture positioning can make all the difference. Most of the time this is the most under utilized tools from sellers who see it as a risk but in reality most who don’t pay attention to their presentation leave money on the table.

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USTA Eastern Metro Region Metro Region Council Hosts Second Essential Workers Clinic

Essential workers received free lessons from coaches at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Courts in Brooklyn, N.Y.

uoyed by the success of a similar event last summer, USTA Eastern’s Metro Region Council hosted another clinic for essential workers on July 9 at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Courts in Brooklyn. Just like the inaugural installment, the outing served as a thank you to all those who risked their lives to help others during the darkest moments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone is slowly returning to a new normal after two years of COVID,” said Metro Region Council Director Ioonna Felix, who helped organize the event. “We wanted to create more opportunities for everyone to engage [with tennis], especially since certain restrictions were lifted.”

Just like last year, all 30 participants—who ranged from doctors and nurses to teachers, principals, mail

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couriers and legal assistants—received instruction from local coaches and also spent a little time rallying with each other. Admission to the session, in accordance with the overall mission of the event, was free of charge for all who attended.

“The overwhelming feedback from attendees was how much happiness and joy they felt while playing,” Felix said. “It’s important to continue to celebrate this group during a frightening time in the world.”

Felix and the Metro Region Council spent several months marketing the endeavor and collaborated with Charles East, president of the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association, to make it a reality. The event is always particularly personal and meaningful for Felix, who, when not volunteering with USTA Eastern, works as a

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USTA Eastern Metro Region physical therapist.

“As a healthcare employee who showed up to work every day during the entire pandemic, I wanted to celebrate my fellow essential workers who selflessly did the same,” she said. “It is a way for me to give back to my colleagues, communities and tennis family.”

The council is already discussing a potential third

installment in 2023—which would meet popular demand, it seems.

“I met these two friends who traveled from another borough to participate, which, on the weekends in New York City is not always easy,” Felix said. “At the end of the day they both told me, ‘We want more! We are hooked!’”

NYC-born Davis Brothers Inducted into the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame

The Davis brothers with their longtime coach Sydney Llewellyn (front), who also coached Althea Gibson to five Grand Slam singles titles ennis aficionados, Harlem natives and brothers Robert C. “Bob” Davis and Wilbert “Billy” Davis were two of the six individuals inducted into the Eastern Tennis Hall

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of Fame on August 26. Both received the honor for their lifelong commitment to improving access to the game in their continued on page 26

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USTA Eastern Metro Region community, as well as their exemplary on-court accomplishments.

Astoundingly, Billy—who discovered the sport at age 10—captured 11 American Tennis Association (ATA) national titles over a 33-year span, beginning with the boys’ 16 national junior championship in 1945 (in both singles and doubles) all the way through the Men’s 45 national championship in 1978 (in singles). Over that timeframe, he also collected five men’s singles titles: in 1958, 1959, 1963, 1966 and 1967. Billy also competed at the U.S. National Championships and at Wimbledon, and served as a mentor for many of the Black athletes in his orbit, including both Grand Slam champions Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson. Later in life—in addition to building a 27-year career at IBM—Billy served as the president of the ATA as well as the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP), and in the 1990s he was appointed New York City’s Associate Commissioner of Parks & Recreation under former mayor David N. Dinkins.

Bob, too, won several big championships over a long period of time, including the ATA National Junior Championship in 1961 and the USTA Mixed Doubles National Championship in 2006. Arguably his greatest achievements in the sport, however, have occurred offcourt, as he has focused most of his professional career on introducing the game to young children. With Ashe and renowned tennis coach Nick Bollettieri (a fellow 2022

Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee), Bob helped lead the Arthur Ashe Safe Passage Foundation—an organization that used tennis as a means to improve the lives of kids in urban areas across the country. Through the work of Safe Passage in the 1980s and 1990s, a whopping 80,000 kids received the opportunity to pick up a racquet, including in New York City and Newark, N.J. Bob was introduced to the sport through Billy, who was 14 years his senior. The brothers claimed an ATA National Doubles title together in 1962 and shared a special bond through the game. Billy passed away in December 2021, but to this day Bob continues to share his sibling’s philosophy wherever he can. “[Billy] realized what tennis had done for him and me and for so many juniors,” Bob says. “Look at all the kids who have benefited from tennis: People who went on to run their own academies, to own their own businesses, to go to college and just succeed. He wanted to impart that to children. This is going to change your life forever as it did for all of us…I miss him today. He was a wonderful guy.

And I don’t think you’ll find two people on this planet who would say anything different about that. [But] that’s the legacy he left for me. Try to aspire to be like Bill.”

The other members of the 2022 Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame induction class: Bollettieri, acclaimed broadcaster Ted Robinson, former world No. 15 Caroline Stoll, and Grand Slam champion Virginia Wade.

Eastern Competes in Battle of the Sections

wo teams representing the USTA Eastern Section traveled to compete in USTA’s Battle of the Sections.

The Girls 16s and 18s team were coached by Columbia head coach Ilene Weintraub and traveled to

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Claremont, Calif. for their competition, where they finished in fourth place. The Boys 16s and 18s team were coached by Mark Savage and played in Byron Center, Mich.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

S? LO L OVE TENNIS A CAREER BEGINS B HERE Enhance your caree er with a Professional Ten e nis Management (PTM ) Certificate from Queens College-CUNY

Te ennis Management (PTM) Certificatte The Queens College-CUNY Professsional T Program offffers students the oppo ortunity to hone their tennis teaching, sales, marketing, program administration and facility management knowledge to pursue a care eer in the tennis industry.

This three semester program combines on-court workshops with online and cclassroom learning and experiential learning through internships and job placement.

Visit www w..qc.cuny y..edu/pcs to learn more about the PTM Program at Queens College

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

© 2019 USTA. All rights reserved.

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Sportime Randall’s Island Expansion Will Feature 30 Indoor Courts Serving NYC or the last decade, Sportime Clubs, LLC has been working on a plan for the expansion of its Randall’s Island facility, the flagship home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and the largest indoor tennis facility in NYC. When completed in the fall of 2023, Sportime believes that the expanded and upgraded facility will be the largest indoor club and academy in the world.

“We have been working on this project for almost 10 years now, including a two-year delay caused by the pandemic, so it was definitely not fast or easy to get to this point,” said Ben Schlansky, the Vice President of Sportime Clubs and the Senior Managing Director of Randall’s Island and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

“But we were lucky and relieved to be able to restart the expansion project this past spring. Our challenge, once approvals and agreements were finalized, was and is to execute a $40 million expansion of one of the busiest urban tennis facilities in the world, while never closing it, and while only losing courts for one outdoor season, which turned out to be this summer. So far, we remain right on schedule.”

The referenced approvals and

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agreements included an extension of Sportime’s license with NYC, under which it operates the Randall’s Island facility, now until at least 2049, and which allowed for construction to begin this past May. The club’s 10 existing Har-Tru courts, and the area to the east of them, became a construction zone for the first part of the expansion, and this fall those 10 courts will be replaced with 14 HarTru, soft courts in two brand new air-structures, equipped with all the latest technology.

Seven of those new courts will remain in an insulated, air-conditioned, climatecontrolled air-structure throughout the year, which bubble will also feature translucent skylights for natural lighting during daytime hours.

The other seven new soft courts will be Har-Tru HyQ courts, the latest technology in sub-surface irrigation, which saves water, while keeping the courts perfectly hydrated in all conditions, both indoors and out. Those courts will be housed inside a new, translucent air-structure during the indoor season, and will be outdoors and lighted for evening play, with new LED, stadium-quality lighting, during the outdoor season.

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The construction doesn’t stop there, as work will continue throughout the 20222023 season, with the club, which will offer 24 courts for the upcoming indoor season, remaining fully operational. By September, 2023, a new permanent building on the easternmost edge of the Sportime campus will be unveiled, and will house six new, oversized, airconditioned, hard courts, bringing the total number of courts to 30. Also within the new building will be a dedicated, clear-span, fitness training space.

Air conditioning will be added to the existing hard court building to the west of the main clubhouse, which houses five hard courts. More improvements will include a new, two-story, secondary clubhouse building with viewing both into the new Har-Tru courts and into the six new hard courts and fitness area. There will also be four new outdoor Under-10 red ball courts, accessible to park users, with the goal of creating a welcoming environment for New York City’s newest and youngest tennis players.

“Our dream was to build the largest and best indoor club and academy facility in the world, here in New York City, right down the road from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and the U.S.

Open, and to have this great facility be the flagship site of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, which has been running at Randall’s Island since 2010,” said Claude Okin, President & CEO of Sportime Clubs.

“We believe that we will have achieved those goals when the expanded facility is complete.

Sportime will have raised, and invested more than $60 million into our NYC facility, and in partnership with the 501(c)(3) Johnny Mac Tennis Project, will now be able to bring free tennis to thousands of NYC school kids each week, and to provide millions more each year in scholarships to under-resourced NYC kids who want to change their lives through tennis.”

Sportime’s expanded pledge to provide free tennis to so many kids from in and around New York City, which will not only help to grow the sport, but also directly impact young lives, is what makes all this extra special for Okin.

“Having turned 60 this year, and having, myself, been a NYC kid who could not afford to play tennis yearround growing up in our City, I am really proud that we got this done,” he said. “I believe that Sportime Randall’s Island is truly a gift to NYC and to the game that we love.”

The overall expansion project does not stop at increasing the total number of courts by 50%; it also seeks to upgrade and improve all of the existing facilities and structures. There will be new VRF HVAC systems throughout the existing clubhouse, and the new clubhouse, providing high-efficiency “green” climate control: both state-of-the-art and

environmentally-friendly.

Expanded and upgraded locker rooms, new public restrooms, reconfigured offices, larger viewing areas, and a new outdoor terrace and central courtyard, are all part of the planned upgrades.

“The expansion includes many new and upgraded facilities, including new outdoor lighting, sub-irrigated soft courts, and, maybe most important to our players, 18 permanent indoor courts that will be fully air-conditioned, and climate and humidity-controlled year-round,” added Schlansky. “We thank our players, members and students for their patience and flexibility, and we thank all of the hard-working staff members and professionals that are helping us to manage this process on schedule.”

All of this will be the culmination of a more than decade-long dream, since Randall’s Island first opened to the public in the summer of 2009.

“One of our goals has always been to use tennis as a means through which

we can positively impact the lives of New York City residents, and especially kids. Since we find ourselves in the middle of a surge in tennis participation, the timing could not be better,” explains Okin.

“It’s a team effort, and we have a big and experienced team, and one of the things that drives us each day is to make John and Patrick [McEnroe] proud,” said Okin. “I know that they both love this facility, where they spend so much time. Once JMTA launched in 2010, I had a personal sense of the opportunity to have an impact on the tennis culture of the City where I was born and raised, and where I learned to play tennis in the parks and later through my work in the industry, and I wanted to do as much as possible. What I didn’t imagine is that the pandemic would drive another “tennis boom”, as folks took up and returned to tennis, and how much those new and returning players would love the game. So I am proud of it all, and I also feel lucky that this is a good time for our sport and that we are expanding to meet demand from a new generation. That is just cool and happy timing.”

It continues to be an exciting period for tennis both locally and nationally, and by this time next year, New York City’s largest and newest tennis facility will be fully operational.

“I am more than excited to be a part of Sportime’s expansion of its tennis facility on Randall’s Island in NYC, the flagship location of my Academy,” said John McEnroe. “We believe that ours will be the largest indoor training facility in the world, with 30 courts during the indoor season, and with state-of-the-art features befitting my hometown of New York City, the greatest city in the world!”

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Racquet Sport

Report presented by

adidas Pickleball

Pickleball Continues to Take Over, National Championships Set for November verywhere you look nowadays, it seems as if pickleball courts are sprouting up and the sport is gaining new players. Pickleball continues to rise in popularity and gain traction with each passing day.

Perhaps there is no greater evidence of this trend then is ESPN producing a recap of last year’s 2021 USA Pickleball Championships as players prepare for this year’s Nationals.

The video was broadcast on ESPN2 and helped introduce pickleball into so many new households. In addition, Good Morning America did a segment on Pickleball as hosts Eva Pilgrim and Will Gans hit the Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City to try out the sportr and showcase it to the national audience.

That sets the stage for this year’s Nationals, which will be held from November 5-13 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden just outside Palm Springs, Calif. The venue, which hosts the famed BNP Paribas Open tennis event each year, features a unique championship pickleball court.

The 2022 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships

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are open to players who have participated in at least one of the qualifying USA Pickleball sanctioned events between June 2021 and September 2022.

The Nationals feature an array of pro divisions including the following pro competitions. There are also junior divisions which range from players from eight-to-18-years-old.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

• Under 35 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 35-49 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 50-54 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 55-59 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 60-64 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 65-69 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 70-74 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 75-79 – 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 • 80+ - 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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Broken Rackets, Smashed Balls & Verbal Abuse!

What is going on?

By Rob Polishook ith the U.S. Open approaching, there are so many great players to watch and emulate.

Conversely, there are also other professionals not worthy of copying especially regarding the mental game. This article is not about calling out professional players that sabotage their games by disrespecting themselves, their opponents and the game by throwing rackets, smashing balls and verbal abuse. Rather it’s to try to understand what’s happening below the surface when a professional player, junior or everyday joe implodes on the court.

Think about this: how many times have you seen a professional player throw their racket or smash a ball, either hitting or narrowly missing a linesman, ball boy or fan? Or verbally abusing the umpire, or even chirping directly at their opponent? To me this is unacceptable, unappealing and completely unsportsmanlike. Now, let’s bring it closer to home: imagine it’s your child that you’re watching. They are on the court, cursing, smashing their racket and just self-destructing. Parents often relate that when this happens they often leave, not wanting to support this behavior from their child. Then the player looks to the side fence, doesn’t see the parent and sure enough the ingredients for a heated car ride home are waiting to be cooked!

Sound familiar?

Certainly its key for the parent and/or coach to not only address the behavior (broken racket,

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smashed ball, verbal abuse) but also to look into the underlying cause(s), below the surface. In reality, upon deeper reflection, hints or triggers that all has not been well have probably been simmering for a long time.

However, like a volcano, until it blows, there is not much attention on it. If your kid were a robot you could turn a switch and viola, their behavior changes.

Now, of course that’s not realistic, and equally you cannot put a band aid over the behavior, and say “it won’t happen again”, or, “this was a one off”. In this instance, you merely have affixed a bandage to the symptom, not the cause.

So, what is the underlying cause?

What’s going on below the surface? This is where things get complicated and are unique to each individual person that plays the game. However, there are some common questions which come up in my client work which would be worth exploring with your child, and as a player, coach and parent self-reflecting on.

The following are common pressures, thoughts and triggers that kids (and pros) internalize.

Questions like these often relate to the turbulence a player carries in their body and ruminates on in their mind. Here are a number of them: Is your child feeling intense pressure to win? Where is this coming from? Are the expectations of friends, coaches, and parents getting to them? Is the child afraid of failing? What would failing mean to them?

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

Does the child feel like they are being judged every time they walk on the court? By whom? Is it that they are trying to validate their worth, value and standing as a person in matches? Is it that under pressure they skip the process and jump to thinking only of the results and forgetting about what they must do to get that result?

Are they coming back from an injury? Or holding the stress of an injury in their body because they don’t want to admit vulnerability?

Is it that they are thinking of the post-match critique while bottled up in the car? Is it that the child is trying to be perfect, because that’s what they think is expected? Is it that they are trying to prove themselves to others and winning is the only way to do it? Is it that they don’t understand that tennis does not define them as a person and therefore a loss is more than disappointment, but it is shame, as it means they are not just not good enough as a player but worse yet as a person.?

These are just some of the underlying fears and beliefs that may be behind bad behavior.

In reality, another lens to see things, though it may be hard to believe…but true. The bad behavior throwing of the racket, verbal abuse etc. is an emotional release for the child, the only way they know to vent and release their overwhelmed energy at that moment. A young junior tennis client told me he used to punch himself in the stomach when he got into tense match situations. He explained to me that he was just trying to punch his nerves and fear

of losing. On another occasion, a top-notch high school player told me she would throw her racket into the back fence during a match to relieve the pressure.

Again, let’s be clear, I am not condoning ill behavior. In fact, I dislike it even more from the pros because young aspiring players observe it and this behavior then gets normalized. However, it is crucial that we attempt to understand what is fueling these actions and address them from the root level. It’s important to note that if the roots of the problem are not resolved, two things will happen: the emotional cause of the tension will be released in a different way, or the athlete will hold the issues inside and erupt on court at another time. Neither of these results is conducive to balanced mental health and playing your best.

In summary, to address and

change the bad behavior we must first understand what’s going on below the surface, what’s triggering things, and what are the thought patterns the player is having. On a personal note, I share with my clients, and also remember when I am playing competitive matches: “Tennis is not who I am, it is

what I do.”

Because it’s not who I am, it’s not personal, there’s nothing to prove, and I don’t have to be perfect. My goal is to just play, be the best I can be and bring who I am (resilient, competitive, problem solver) to what I am doing. The result will be a consequence which I can learn from, win or lose.

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 bring their heart, energy, and spirit to their sport. Rob is author of 3 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone, Baseball Inside the Zone and Golf Inside the Zone. He speaks and conducts workshops nationally and internationally, and his work has been highlighted on ESPN 30 for 30 series and other prestigious media such as tennischannel.com, Sports Illustrated and the New York Times. 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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By Brian Coleman

Coaching Spotlight

Larri Passos Ross School Tennis Academy or the last few years, famous Brazilian tennis coach Larri Passos has spent time out in East Hampton on Long Island, working as a coach and consultant at the Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA).

RSTA’s Director of Tennis Vinicius Carmo is a fellow Brazilian who knows Passos from their time in South America, and Carmo has arranged trips for RSTA students to go down to Brazil and see how the players train there. Two years ago, Passos reciprocated that trip by spending time on Long Island and teaching students at the RST. Passos is now a head coach for RSTA, and spends about 20 weeks out of the year at the school.

“I fell in love with the school,” said Passos. “I invited my family to come here. My daughter is now a boarding student here, and she also fell in love with it, both the academic aspect and the tennis.”

While he was a talented junior player in his own right, from an early age Passos felt a passion for coaching. After coaching at a club for more than a decade, Passos became a private coach and began working with fellow Brazilian Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten beginning in 1990.

“I met Guga and his father when Guga was young,” recalls Passos. “His father had asked me if I

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could coach his son. I couldn’t do it at the time, but I made a promise that one day I would coach him.

A few months later, his father passed away, and I knew I had to honor my promise. We moved down to the southern part of Brazil, Santa Catarina, and I began coaching him. He was around 14-years-old at the time, and I would coach him from then until he was 32-years-old.”

Under Passos’ tutelage, Kuerten would become the top-ranked player in the world and would win the French Open three times.

Their coach-player relationship would last for nearly two decades, and Passos helped Kuerten become an International Tennis Hall of Famer.

“I think the best moment we had was in Lisbon, when he beat Pete Sampras in the semifinals and Andre Agassi in the finals,” said Passos, recalling the only time a player has beaten both Agassi and Sampras in the same tournament. “We both grew up in Brazil, and the dream was always to beat the European and American players. Also, months prior to that, in Miami, he had beaten Agassi in the semifinals but lost to Sampras in the finals. Then he would beat both guys in Lisbon, and he became No. 1 in the world after that. It was fantastic.”

Based on his experience coaching the best player in the world and a multipletime Grand Slam winner, Passos knows top-level talent when he sees it. He carries that knowledge and keen eye to the junior players he coaches.

“I think I bring a lot of passion to the tennis court. And a big part of my concept is I teach young kids the same way I would teach the pros,” said Passos, who has also coaches Brazilian pro player Thomaz Bellucci. “When I’m teaching them drills or a technique, I tell

them that ‘the pros play like this’. I always start first with the technique, then control, and then we go to the speed.”

Asked to name the trait that he looks for when trying to spot a talented young player: “If I see a player can read the ball well, that’s the first thing that tells me he or she is a special player. If you can read the ball well, you can already see the next shot. Kuerten understood that, his mind was so fast.”

Passos now brings his wealth of knowledge of the game from Brazil to the Hamptons, seeing similarities between his academy and the way RSTA operates.

“My program in Brazil was almost identical to the one here at RSTA,” he said. “In the morning, my players would go to school until about 11:30, and then we would have our transportation

pick them up and bring them to tennis. So to combine academics with tennis, I think RSTA is doing it the right way with this system. I hope we’re able to continue that and do even more. Your mind needs to be focused all the time, so it helps to do both together. And I love that this is the way RSTA runs its program.”

Passos officially became a United States citizen earlier this year, and is embracing the challenge of trying to develop a potential American major champion, notably a French Open champion.

“I want to bring a Roland Garros title to an American man,” said Passos. “I think the key is to establish consistency on clay courts, and that comes from experience. I had a talk with Jim Courier recently and we talked about how we need to have Americans playing more tournaments in Europe to develop that experience. We have all the resources here in America, but we need to do more.”

Passos has brought his energy and passion for tennis, as well as his track record of success, to the players at the RSTA. His infectious personality and love for teaching is evident in any class or program he is running, and Passos is eager to continue teaching all he has learned in this game to this new crop of players and students.

“I believe in academics, and finding the right balance between academics and tennis. That’s what RSTA is all about, and the opportunity they have given me here has been an amazing experience,” he said. “I work with my heart, and I love passing on what I have learned to this new generation of players.”

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

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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10 Dinosaur Teaching Methods That Need To Go Extinct!

By Chris Lewit just finished a super season of summer camp in Vermont. Players from all over the country and world visited our small academy in the green mountains for serious high performance training.

It’s becoming harder and harder to find serious training in the summer. Many academies and camps offer more recreational programs—Mickey Mouse type training—with watered down tennis and easy fitness. In addition, good coaching is also hard to find in the summer as the top academy coaches usually are traveling or only working with the best players. I’m proud to keep it real in summer by offering intense training with only two players per court and coach and professional level fitness. And I work with all campers personally: from beginning tournament kids to top ranked players. Thanks Each summer I am shocked at the skills and tactics that some kids are being taught back home. I call them dinosaur techniques and tactics because they are very old school.

Come on coaches! Let’s get with the program! It’s 2022, not the prehistoric ages—or even 1980!

Let’s evolve and teach players the modern technical and tactical game.

Here are some old school pet peeves of mine—outdated techniques and tactics that are being taught—and what should replace them:

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1. Forehand follow through to the shoulder and catching the follow through How many top players in today’s game follow through like back in the 70s and 80s, around the neck or at the top of shoulder—or high and out in front? Very few. Medvedev and Djokovic come to mind— 36

sometimes—but the vast majority of pros windshield wiper their forearm and rotate their shoulder creating a finish lower than the traditional high to the shoulder one that has been taught for decades. I say we should leave this technique in the past. Just teach players to wiper their forearm and rotate their shoulder like the pros do. Finish to the side of the deltoid. Finish to biceps. Finish to the elbow. Heck—finish to the waist! And don’t catch the racquet with the opposite hand! Just let the racquet finish fully behind the body and wrap the finish around the trunk without catching.

In anticipation of the catch, players will often reduce their racquet speed pre-impact. In addition, the follow through to the neck or top of shoulder decreases the elasticity in the arm and creates a stiff hitting arm structure. If I had a dollar for every kid who came to my program with a stiff, tight forehand, I would be rich indeed. Most of these kids can’t generate natural, easy power or high rpms because their local coach has had them “following through to the shoulder” ad nauseam since their first red ball lesson.

I like to teach my students modern parobolic swing shapes, inverted finishes where the racquet head is below the level of the hand, the wrap finish and the low finish.

2. Two-handed backhand with wrists locked The days of Jimmy Connors and Chrissie Evert are over. The twohanded backhand should not be stiff and flat. The wrists should move, creating a “flip,” as Rick Macci and Brian Gordon describe it, with a lag and snap effect. This movement in the wrists and forearms helps to

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

create racquet speed, whip and topspin. If you have trouble seeing the pathway of the wrists on the backhand during the acceleration phase, I highly recommend filming the stroke and analyzing the swing in slow motion.

3. Only closed stances It’s not that closed stance is necessarily bad; it’s that coaches stubbornly insist on teaching only the closed stance on forehand and backhand. There are a multitude of stance options from closed to open and they should all be taught, along with their related movement patterns, to children and adults from the very beginning.

I have had excellent results teaching kids open and semi open stances, not only on the forehand, but on the backhand side too. Open stances are fundamental nowadays because the game is fast and players are being stretched laterally to the max. The open stance has become essential to be able to move and rally consistently, to defend well, and to prepare and recover quickly in the modern game.

I have also discovered that the open stance can be more natural for some players and help them swing more fluidly with more elasticity.

Oscar Wagner has been arguing this point for years and he is right.

For many players the open stance can feel liberating and help them to feel the correct load-explode kinetic chain, and the open stance can also promote a more parabolic swing shape, which typifies the modern forehand swing path.

4. Only grounded shots It’s not that grounded shots are bad either, it’s that coaches teach only grounded shots and refuse to allow

or encourage players to leave the ground for airborne shots. The modern game is typified by airborne shots with players leaving the ground routinely during the explosion phase of the swing. It makes no sense to force beginning and intermediate players to stay on the ground for every shot. That’s the way everyone played in the 1970s.

In today’s game, being airborne is fundamental. In addition, learning to jump in a controlled way helps a player develop lower body power, body control, and balance, and encourages players to rotate their hips better than when staying grounded.

On the serve, one of the best techniques to introduce to a beginner is loading the legs and jumping up to the ball. Yet most beginning players I meet tell me their coaches want them to stay on the ground. Crazy. I have taught jumping on the serve successfully to kids and adults of all

ages and skill levels. Jumping is a great way to get the lower body activated and to work on balance.

In addition, when you get players to jump on the serve, you can start honing the critical timing of the racket drop in relationship to the leg drive, which is critical (more on this below).

5. Serve—racquet on the back The all-time worst way to teach a beginner kid or adult—besides using no legs—is the classic method of breaking down the serve into parts and starting the player in the backscratch position or with the racquet resting on the shoulder or upper back. This type of half serving can create one of the worst habits and severe biomechanical flaws in tennis serving. The reason is that when players are taught this way, they learn to stop the racquet in the backscratch when they should

be taught how to keep the racket moving quickly through this position. A hitch is created and many kids start developing a racket entry into the backscratch position too early and before the leg drive.

This poor sequencing can lead to a loss of power. Rick Macci astutely describes this early racket drop as an epidemic in junior tennis and it’s even present on the pro tour, especially on the women’s side of the game. The early racket drop problem is clearly exacerbated by all the coaches out there forcing beginner kids and adults to rest the racket on their back, shoulder, or behind their head.

6. No spin on serves I see dozens of players visiting me each month who have never been taught a spin serve—any spin serve. They only hit one serve. This continued on page 38

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10 dinosaur teaching methods that need to go extinct continued from page 37

is dead wrong. Players can’t hope to develop into champions with one flat first serve and then softer flat serve for a second serve. That’s a joke.

Players should be taught from an early age how to brush up and create topspin on the second serve and how to hit a side spin slice serve in order to open up the deuce court. The worst is when a player tells me that he or she has a good spin serve because his or her coach told them it was good. Then the kid shows me and the ball has little movement and barely any rpms.

Poor kid! I can’t discern if these coaches are just being nice or if they honestly don’t know what a good spin serve looks like—or how to teach it.

7. Only forward movement patterns Many coaches are still teaching that tennis is a one way highway and that good players always try to move forwards. The entire system in Spain is predicated on the opposite of this philosophy. In Spain, good players are taught to move in 360 degrees, both forwards to attack and backwards to defend. Never

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just one way. Many ways! I meet so many players who never move back from the baseline and, in fact, many of them have well-meaning coaches who tell them that moving back is plain wrong, even cowardly.

In reality, moving back on tough balls is smart. It will be easier to manage a deep and/or powerful ball by retreating to achieve a better position to receive the ball rather than holding one’s ground and fighting the ball with a half volley. The player can hit better topspin by moving back in the court and can often be more consistent because the player has a little more time and space to set up for the shot.

8. Always play crosscourt for defense It’s silly to teach players to always play anywhere. Tennis is a game that requires surprises and unpredictability. I am commonly told by my students that past coaches have instructed them to always defend cross court. This is very foolish because it’s important that the attacking player can’t anticipate the defenders intention. The

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

defender has to be able to play both cross and down the line with equal control.

Players should not be afraid to defend down the line. The court is a bit shorter and the net is a little higher, but a well-placed high and heavy shot line can be a wonderful defense.

9. Always approach downthe-line or down the middle These two golden oldies tactics will never die! Many players tell me their coaches said to always approach down the line. Many coaches also still encourage students to approach with middle shots. Many coaches also still teach a slice approach line or middle. These ideas are straight out of the 1970s and 1980s playbook. These plays are antiquated and usually don’t work as successfully as they did in the past. These types of tactics are not as effective because the game has changed. The surface is no longer predominately grass and courts have become slower in general, racquet and string technology has allowed players to hit with more power and spin, and players are passing with more power than ever before. Therefore these plays are less effective. Even the great Spanish coach William Pato Álvarez believed in approaching angle cross court and he has recommended that strategy since the 1970s.

In today’s game, the smart approach shot is a big powerful forehand with topspin. The shot should go towards the opponent’s weaker wing in general, but must be disguised and mixed up from time to time—sometimes cross and sometimes down the line. It never made sense to tell players to always approach down the line!

The opponent would pick up on

that pattern very easily in a match.

Players attacking the net should use the forehand (unless their backhand is better) and attack the weaker side, while sometimes attacking the strong side as a surprise. Players should not be afraid to attack cross court or approach on an angle shot.

10. Always look to finish points at the net This is related to number 7. Many coaches tell students that the only way to win points is to attack the net. According to these coaches, finishing points at the net is the holy grail of tennis. While it’s certainly a good pattern for some players to move forward and finish with a volley, many famous players and highly successful competitors never or rarely come to net. It is possible to be a champion tennis player and rise to the net infrequently, but kids are rarely told that in the U.S.. For certain personalities, player

abilities, and game styles, coming forward a lot may not be the best strategic option. For example, some players are very successful luring their opponents to the net rather than going to the net themselves.

From what I have learned from players visiting me at the academy, there is no nuance about the net being taught. Most coaches are telling the kids to go to the net, and that if they don’t master the net they cannot become top players. This is a fallacy that needs to stop being promoted. The net is good, but the net can also be bad. The net can be a dangerous place to be. Alcaraz, for example, can win at the net, but he is equally adept at baiting

people to come forward with a drop shot. Helping players understand the nuances of the net is the right thing to do. The idea that moving forward to the net is always right is dead wrong.

Conclusion Watch out for outdated teaching!

My recommendation is that if you witness any of these dinosaur methods being taught, run as fast as you can. Get away! They are dangerous to your tennis game.

Find a coach who is teaching the modern game with forward thinking, cutting-edge technique and tactics. Your tennis life and future may depend on it.

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.

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NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND

beyondthebaseline

CourtSense, Magnus Fitness Partnership Helping Improve Player Development

By Brian Coleman hat does it take to build a great tennis player?

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Teaching footwork, stroke technique and match strategy are all integral components of developing a top player.

But at the core of any great tennis player is a foundation of strength and fitness, which allows a player to perform all the actions he or she works on during practice and demonstrates during matches.

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With this principle in mind, CourtSense Tennis Training Center in New Jersey and Magnus Sports Performance have established a partnership which has allowed the tennis players who train at CourtSense to have access to top-flight fitness training to help elevate them to the next level.

“I am definitely noticing the improvements,” said Ivan Nikolovski, one of CourtSense’s top high-performance players. “I feel like the conditioning helps

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

a lot when it’s hot outside, which is important, and we do a lot of conditioning. I have seen it pay off during my matches this summer; it helps a lot.”

The Magnus side of the partnership is run by Dr. Donald Shrump, who has brought his strength coach and Chiropractic Physician backgrounds in injury prevention and performance optimization to the tennis players at CourtSense.

Shrump was a Division I track & field

OND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

athlete who had hopes of competing at the Olympics before a careeraltering injury threw a wrench into those plans. He had studied marine biology while in college and worked as a marine biologist for a few years.

It was in this field that he learned the importance of studying and using objective data, something he would carry with him when he decided to pursue another field.

“After a few years of working as a marine biologist for the federal government, I went back and got certified to be a strength coach,” said Shrump. “As an athlete I was always intrigued by the strength and conditioning aspect of sports. I began as a track coach and then started my own personal training business. I’ve always been interested in testing athletes from a scientific perspective, and using objective data in order to do that. Then,12 years into my training career I grew tired of referring athletes out to chiropractors and physical therapists, so I decided to go back to school to be a rehab-focused chiropractor with a Masters Degree in Clinical Nutrition. This way I could better understand how bodies move and recover.

While at Chiropractic College, I helped run the Human Performance Laboratory where we worked with a number of universities, national organizations, and local teams in various sports.”

While Shrump did not know a lot about tennis when he first joined CourtSense, he knew how to evaluate information and use it to improve the performance of athletes.

The more he learned about tennis and what was needed to help them, the learning curve became much easier.

“One of the things that is interesting about tennis is that it’s faster and more powerful than it’s ever been, so to me, when developing a program for adolescents, focusing on mobility, strength and power is crucial,” said Shrump. “We had to make sure all of our programs were working on those things.”

In order to cultivate that data and information, Shrump has had the players use the CoachMePlus app on their phones, which tracks everything from the player’s sleep patterns to pain levels and

much more. By using this data, Shrump and his team are able to focus in on what an individual player needs on a day-to-day basis to maximize the results of the work they are doing.

“All the athletes here are in that system, and they can access it on their phones, ipads, or other tablets,” he said.

“Each day, there is a health questionnaire they fill out where they indicate where on their body they are feeling sore, how much sleep they got, etc. It’s just very helpful to see that. If they say their shoulder hurts, I can go to the tennis coaches and talk to them about it, and we can figure out where that pain is coming from, whether it’s in the weight room or on the court. We can evaluate the cause of the pain and how to fix it.

Since we have integrated this, the injuries have gone way down.”

One of the most important aspects of this player development is the constant communication between the fitness coaches and the tennis coaches, creating a synergistic relationship with the only goal being the betterment of the player they are discussing.

“We spend an hour every week talking through every player, and it’s a really open dialogue between all of us,” said Shrump. “All the coaches are there, and I can bring up any issues I am seeing on the fitness side, the coaches bring up any issues on the tennis side.

For example, if a coach wants to work on a player’s serve, but I see that they are experiencing some shoulder pain, I’ll suggest we do some individualized

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE stretching for them to improve the shoulder flexibility first before they go back to working on the serve. It’s also important to have an understanding of their tournament schedules, because we tailor the workouts and conditioning drills depending on when players are competing and what tournaments they are competing in.”

This emphasis on fitness and conditioning is not solely for the program’s high performance players as Shrump and his team have use the same concepts to build routines for its other junior tennis players as well.

Shrump says he has seen a drastic increase in fitness levels in players, and the players themselves back that up. We have had a drastically hot summer this year which has made conditions for tennis tournaments even more difficult than usual.

“My improved cardio has helped me a lot, especially since sometimes we are playing two three-set matches in the same day,” said Santi Salazar. “Being able to maintain your highest level throughout the whole tournament is so important.

Magnus provides the best of both worlds in strength and conditioning, and it has definitely helped me improve my game.”

As the game of tennis continues to become faster and more powerful, it has never been more important that young tennis players who have dreams of playing collegiate tennis or perhaps professionally understand how to work their bodies in order to maximize performance. The partnership between CourtSense and Magnus has laid a foundation of good habits and proper skills and technique for the program’s tennis players to not only get stronger and faster, but understand how to do so and why it is necessary.

“We don’t want fitness to be the thing that is holding them back from reaching their true potential,” added Shrump. “If you are going to lose to an opponent all things being equal, that’s okay, that happens. But we want to make sure that all of our players have the necessary foundation of fitness and cardio to allow them to be the best player they can be.”

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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Lean on Me

Help for parents when the pressure is on

By Mike Barrell

ost things in sport as in parenting are not objective.

We are all products of the environment we grow and live in, and we all see the world, and probably the value of tennis a little differently.

As a parent there are times when you are completely confident in your decision and other times when you may need a coach too. It’s normal.

Who among us as parents has never made a mistake or wished we had access to more of different information? Many people around us forget that there are times when your child is likely to look at you for answers, even though you may not have them, and it’s you that is feeling the pressure.

I explore six key times when it’s ok to ask a coach for a little help and just check yourself to make sure you are happy with the steps you are taking. I call these times flag moments: times when we are under pressure to do the right thing and times when you should stop, ponder and consider what the next move might be. Flags stir emotions and raise awareness.

In the July/August edition of New York Tennis Magazine, I explored three of these flags. You can read Part One at NYTennisMag.com. Here are three more flags:

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When the world is not fair There will be a time and chances are 42

it has already arrived that something happens that is not fair. It’s the nature of sport. It may be the tournament draw, an opponent whose line calls are questionable at best or a situation where another child is chosen over yours in the program.

Either way you know that what you are getting is not what your child deserves.

Steps a. Ask what can be learned from the tough situations. I once had a young player who was suffering from some very poor line calls.

The first time, he questioned, the second time he warned his opponent he was not happy and would call the referee and on the third stopped the match and waited for the referee to arrive.

His father was about to explode until I pulled him aside to remind him on how proud I was of his offspring. Not only did his actions show a maturity beyond his years but he accepted the adversity and overcame it. Challenge accepted and lesson learned. b. Don’t fuel the fire in front of your child. Of course, if something is genuinely wrong you can voice your disapproval but how you deal with the situation sets an example for your child. If you can avoid a public drama and follow

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the chain of command. If it’s a player that cheats talk to the referee and explain your concerns. If it is a situation in the program ask to see the Head Coach or Director of Tennis and explain your concerns. Solutions are not always as easy to find as the issue but that doesn’t mean you should not calmly voice your views. Our emotions are always present in any sports situation the challenge is using them positively and sometimes keeping them on a leash.

Who is that kid who looks like my child 90 percent of the time our kids are the apple of our eye. And then there is that other time when our logic and their emotions don’t align, when it all gets too much for them and they suffer a mini melt down. Remember the most important experience in life are always connected to our emotions. The big victories, the big decisions, and the big disappointments. They are all fueled by emotions. So, what do you do when you look over and the emotions have taken your child to a place that is causing you frustration.

Steps a. Set your expectations way ahead of time. If you don’t create the

ground rules for your child in advance then they have nothing to go to when things get tough.

I like the bridge analogy for this one. Imagine driving over a bridge late at night that traverses a deep ravine. If the bridge has no sides then you would drive more slowly and with greater trepidation. Add some solid sides and you drive faster and with more confidence. Creating and agreeing on some rules of combat in advance can help your child feel safer when they have a bridge to cross. b. Talk about it. Rather than expect your child to have the mentality of a paratrooper at eight years old help them to understand emotions. We cry, get excited and get angry because we care, because the outcome is important to us. So just like the opponent with questionable line calls don’t pretend it will not happen, but instead help your child to deal with it. Practice breathing and refocusing. Make sure you explain how proud you are of your child when they deal with the challenges and that this an important part of playing any sport. c. Check the mirror. Our children love us and want us to love them. Sometimes they associate victory or accomplishment with our approval. Of course, we are proud when they win and we feel some validation when they make progress, but we must make sure that they maintain ownership of the journey. Sometimes we step into a space without intending to.

For example, when you said: “I don’t care if you win or lose!” your child’s brain registers this subconsciously as my parent talks to me about winning and losing! If you are not smiling some younger children will even register this as Mom and Dad were mad when I didn’t win.

Pressure comes from all around a child and our job is to minimize the fear of consequences whilst encouraging them to behave in a way that we expect.

When the peacocks circle The final time when you should check that flag is when you are getting advice from all corners.

Peacocks are those people that are just louder than others, full of advice and pseudo expertise, and often appear at a time when you are searching for answers. Should your child go to this coach, this club or put something different on their tennis menu? The reality is that coaches and programs are like any service or product. We all have slightly different needs and goals for our child and their tennis. One program may be the best cultural fit and the other less so.

Steps a. Keep a dialogue going with your coach. This doesn’t have to mean a two-page report after every lesson but a few minutes with the right questions will provide a check to make sure that you are all on the same page. b. Be honest with your wants for your child’s program. As program directors we may not always be able to provide what you want but we can create a

menu that might get very close.

And don’t feel bad about asking for what you want, just remember that you may not always be able to have everything you want. c. Be loyal. Any relationship is a twoway street. No good program or coach wants a purely transactional process, lesson, money, bye, see you next week. We want to know that we are respected enough to be part of a player’s development.

So, while you may want to go shopping around to see if your child is getting the very best program, maybe the first conversation should be with the team their currently with, and give them the chance to deliver what you are looking for.

As I age I have come to a realization, as much as, expertise and help was and is all around me, in order to feel like I was in control I used to keep the door closed rather than open it and look for answers.

Being a parent of a child in sport is a multi-faceted role and although many may judge our actions, including our own children from time to time, one which came without a manual.

As coaches, we want the best for your child on and off the court and we know that while our role may be challenging at times, yours is infinitely harder, so if there is anything we can do to help feel free to do a little leaning!

Hailing from the UK and a coach for more than 30 years, Mike Barrell is the Executive Director of Tennis for SPORTIME Clubs. A coach for over 30 years he is a Level Five LTA Coach, a former PTR Professional of the Year, and ITF Expert. As a coach and consultant around the world he has worked and delivered training in over 80 countries, supporting the development of tennis in five continents. He has been a keynote speaker at three ITF Worldwide Conferences, and presented at multiple USPTA World Conferences, PTR International Symposia, plus multiple National Conferences including USTA events.

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Metro Corporate League Looking Towards 2021 Presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs

Summer 2022 Season Coming to a Close he 2022 Summer Season of the Metro Corporate League is wrapping up as we head into the fall. The end-ofseason finals are set to be held on Tuesday, August 30 at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, after this edition is published.

Be sure to check out the November/December 2022 edition of New York Tennis Magazine for a full recap of the finals and Summer 2022 season.

At the time of publication, the Summer 2022 standings were:

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Advanced Division 1) Bloomberg (V) – 172 Total Games 2) Proskauer Rose – 159 Total Games 3) Bloomberg (J) – 46 Total Games Advanced Intermediate Divisions 1) BlackRock – 183 Total Games 2) BNP Paribas – 124 Total Games 3) Latham & Watkins – 81 Total Games Intermediate Division 1 1) BlackRock [1] – 172 Total Games 2) Bloomberg – 153 Total Games 3) PwC – 135 Total Games 4) Latham & Watkins – 133 Total Games 5) Sullivan & Cromwell – 81 Total Games Intermediate Division 2 1) BNP Paribas – 190 Total Games 2) Bloomberg (Bianca) – 164 Total Games 3) Bloomberg (Bryan) – 148 Total Games 4) “Across the Streets” & Friends – 145 Total Games 5) BlackRock [2] – 119 Total Games 6) Paul Weiss – 102 Total Games The champion of the Advanced league will receive the Corporate League Champion trophy. The winners of the Advanced Intermediate and Intermediate leagues will receive the respected trophies. All trophies will be displayed at the companies' respective headquarters until the end of the following season, when they will be relinquished to the new champions.

The winners of the Intermediate division will move up to the Advanced Intermediate division the following season. The winner of the Advanced Intermediate division will move up to the Advanced division the following season.

The Winter 2022 season starts on September 19 and runs through December. For more information on the league, how to find a team or how to register, contact luis@metrotennis.com, or visit MetroTennis.com/Registration.

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

More Than 30 Years In, High Country Still Going Strong n 1988, Bill Silverman, along with a college buddy, bought what was then called Racquet & Ski Shop in an old banking building in Livingston, N.J. A few years later, they would move to a bigger location and rebrand the store to High Country Ski & Sports, and for the last 30-plus years, have been providing New Jersey with top-of-theline equipment and apparel with unparalleled customer service.

“In the beginning, we brought in golf, hiking, biking swimming and more. We wanted to be everything to everybody,” Silverman recalls. “And we did that, up until 2000, when a golf store moved in across the street, and a hiking chain store moved in down the road. So we began taking out some sports, and we are now just a ski & tennis shop. We have a featured sport for each season, but we’re year-round with both sports.”

By minimizing the store’s focus to two sports, Silverman and his team have become the go-to store for both ski & tennis lovers in the state. Silverman, being a devoted skier and tennis player himself, is able to understand the needs of his customers, and provide unmatched service to ensure that every person who walks into his store is taken care of.

“Customer service is our top priority,” he said. “You can go down the road and get ignored by the big chain places, but when you come in here, we tailor our work to ensure you get the product you need. It’s absolutely what we are all about. We try to make sure we have what our

I

customer wants, and if there's something we don't have, we do our best to get it in store quickly so that they can enjoy it.”

Over the last year-and-a-half, the retail industry for tennis has boomed as more and more people flock to the tennis courts as a safe way to exercise and have fun. Silverman says this year is on pace to surpass the success they had in 2021, and the same goes for skiing.

“We’ve had a great season so far,” he said. “We’re ahead of last year by far.”

High Country Ski & Sports is open seven days a week, and in addition to the array of equipment and apparel, also offers stringing services, grip replacements, as well as repair work and more for skiers and

snowboarders.

“When I started in 1988, there must have been 40 tennis shops in New Jersey, and there are very few now,” said Silverman. “We’ve become sort of the kids of tennis in the state.”

With an established brand and success that only continues to climb over the last couple of years, the next step for High Country is to expand farther.

“We’re hoping to open some other stores in the future,” said Silverman.

“There are a lot of areas that seem to be ripe for tennis, and our goal is to continue expanding and growing into those areas.”

High Country Ski & Tennis is located at 465 West Mountain Pleasant Avenue in Livingston, N.J.

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Why Coaches, Parents, and Students of Tennis Might Want to Read This Book

By Steve Kaplan ohn Carpenter called me up from Atlanta around the time of the U.S. Open back in 2019 B.C. (Before Covid), seemingly out of the blue.

He explained that he had read many of the articles I had written for local, well-regarded publications: Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines.

He had written a book on the history of tennis instruction and thought I might be open to peer-reviewing some new teaching concepts. I didn't know him, so I was skeptical, but John was so persistent and enthusiastic I couldn't say "NO!" We arranged to meet at my club, Bethpage Park Tennis Center here on Long Island.

He brought with him Chuck Tomlin, who he introduced as "my equal in tennis knowledge," and they talked for an hour about a new paradigm for tennis instruction. Now I was even more skeptical and wondered what these guys were trying to sell me? I listened politely to what they had to say and

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then was passively dismissive.

And for several years, I gave this meeting little thought.

When I reflect back on this encounter, I wonder to myself, why was I so resistant to their novel ideas? After all, I had always thought of myself as the ultimate anti-tennis establishment coach.

Why didn't I even want to give them a

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

chance? This brings me to the present, in what pretentious intellectuals call "a moment of ego clarity.”

Like many tennis coaches, I might have as my epitaph, "Often Wrong But Never In Doubt." I preach humility to my students every day, but coaching is empowering, and such power corrupts at times. My epiphany, however, gives me a greater understanding of why John and Chuck have found the need to write this book and why the tennis industry really needs this book.

For many years, the foundation of tennis information that most fans read and hear has been built and credited to the work of former top players. We read them in tennis publications and watch them on tennis broadcasts. The industry gives these former stars credibility in a kind of "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball" inference logic which is a funny line in a movie but less so when it is the foundation for choosing the voices of an industry. Therein lies the problem.

Great players know what they know, and they know how to play great, but not always why they played great.

Great players see the big picture of how to win, and I believe that they see tennis as a grand scheme process.

They are the classic example of what The Greek poet Archilochus talked about in his fable about the Fox and the Hedgehog. The Fox is clever, quick, and always on the move, gathering information and slickly using it to extricate itself from crisis. The Hedgehog, on the other hand, has a coat of spikes, so he simply hunkers down and moves ahead. While the Fox knows many subtle things, the Hedgehog only needs to see one big thing.

We learn like a Fox, but at the highest level, we play like a Hedgehog because we have already learned.

Armed with this knowledge, we just put our heads down and bully ahead, focused only on the prize. The tennis teaching industry has been built on the broad shoulders of Hedgehogs, but it desperately needs the wisdom of The Fox. Enter John Carpenter and Chuck Tomlin.

John seeks answers in history, which is a nearly forgotten ideal, but as Robert Heinlein said, "A generation which ignores history has no past-and no future.” Tennis instruction is steeped in history, but why should I, as a coach, care about what someone with tweed knickers and a wood racket,

strung with someone’s house pet named "Whiskers" said about how to hit a running forehand 100 years ago?

(Sorry John, I know it's cow intestine, not "catgut.")

The answer, as John knows so well, is that "Past is prologue," as Antonio in Shakespeare's, The Tempest first noticed. Everything that has taken place in the history of tennis instruction is a preparation for the opportunities to come, and don't we as coaches want to be cutting age in our understanding of our craft?

This is where Chuck's model for tennis congruence comes in because it is the future of tennis instruction and will stand the test of time because it is based on immutable laws of the physical world. Many coaches already know what Chuck will present but knowing is not the same as understanding and is a far cry from mastery.

Chuck understands that tennis is a 3D sport that has been previously explained in 2-D words using onedimensional techniques. His gift is in his

ability to organize a system and a vocabulary that removes barriers that take tennis instruction from the darkness of analog explanations into the light of high-resolution understanding.

John and Chuck were born to undertake this challenge and have dedicated their professional lives to satisfying their curiosity which is the defining feature of leadership.

They have no ego issues because they not only mentor as coaches, but they reverse mentor and seek out the mentorship of others wherever they can find it, as you will read in this book.

John and Chuck answer more questions in this book than most tennis "experts" ever thought to ask and raise more questions than they answer in the process. And that's the point of this work because if you are a coach, you are a student first, always asking why and always searching for answers and truth.

I do not doubt that the curiosity of these professionals will inspire them to continue to seek more truth and will inspire the curiosity and interest of all coaches, as they have inspired me.

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

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Rakhimova Wins 2022 NYJTL Bronx Open Title fter a three-year hiatus, the NYJTL Bronx Open returned to New York this summer as The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning hosted this ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour event in August.

The event brought professional tennis back to the Bronx and an exciting week of action here in New York as we prepare for the U.S. Open. In the tournament’s singles final, Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova would square off against Mirjam Bjorklund.

Rakhimova would prove to be too much for Bjorklund as she captured the title with a 6-2, 6-3 victory, her sixth career ITF singles title.

“My mental state is really nice right now,” Rakhimova said afterwards. “I’m feeling confident on the court. I’m just trying to do

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my best in each moment and just enjoy the game.”

That approach would turn out to be a good one for Rakhimova. The 20-year-old secured the match’s first break to establish a 3-1 advantage in the opening set. Another break gave Rakhimova a 5-1 lead, and even after Bjorklund was able to break back, Rakhimova turned up

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her return game to secure one more break and win the first set 6-2.

Bjorklund attempted to make headway in the match as she broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set. But both players continued to struggle on serve and continued to trade breaks of serves including on four consecutive service games to bring the set on serve. Rakhimova was able to hold serve for a 43 lead before Bjorklund called for the trainer to deal with a back injury.

Sensing an opportunity to seize the match right there, Rakhimova broke Bjorklund’s serve in the ensuing game following the injury timeout, and proceeded to calmly serve out the set and the match.

Rakhimova hopes this win is a sign of things to come for her as

she looks ahead to the U.S. Open.

“Of course the main goal for me is the Grand Slam,” she said. “But it’s nice to have this tournament for the preparation and for my confidence.”

In the doubles final, the RussianSwiss pairing of Anna Blinkova & Simona Waltert beat the South Korean-Japanese duo of Han NaLae & Hiroko Kuwata 6-3, 6-3, to claim the title, their first title as a doubles team.

Throughout the week, the level of competition at The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning was extremely high.

"The level of tennis was extraordinary. It was more than we expected to be honest,” said Joe Ceriello, Chief Marketing & Development Officer for NYJTL, and the 2022 NYJTL Bronx Open Tournament Director. “I don't think you'd find another 60K challenger that's quite this strong. It was closer to a 125 or even a 250."

The event was more than just the great tennis on the court, but also a celebration of the sport itself and for the work that NYJTL and the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning does in the community.

Throughout the week, there were

free clinics for youth players, with several hundreds of families attending and participating.

In addition, tickets to the matches were completely free to the public, a great way to showcase professional tennis right here in New York, and players in the NYJTL programming also served as the

tournament’s ballkids.

“We brought out hundreds of kids during the week, and then they get to come out here and see these incredible athletes,” Ceriello added. “That’s really why we do it.

We do this event for the community.

We want to introduce people to this great sport.”

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Why Coaching Today Is Different Than When I Was a Kid The times they are a changing…

By Gilad Bloom

rowing up as a young tennis player in the late 1970s was very different from the reality that junior tennis players are facing today. In Tel Aviv, Israel where I grew up, the coaches were all using a wood racquet and they all used to play with one grip: continental. They all used to play with a one handed backhand, mostly slicing it.

In those years the top players on the the tour were Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Nastase, Vilas, a mish mash of styles and characters that made the game very exciting, they were strong personalities with contrasting styles, the game was changing rapidly in front of my eyes.

By the early 1980s most of the tour had switched to graphite racquets and soon after the oversized and wide body frames (and some say the strings too) changed the game forever). As a result we saw two major changes, the first one was that 99 percent of the players nowadays hit the backhand with two hands and use a semi-western grip for their forehands.

The second was the disappearance of the serve and volley game.

In the old days there were a few different styles of play and quite a few ways to win points, but in today’s game there’s really one major way that most players play. Strategically

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the game has become a bit one dimensional (although the quality of the shots improved), and rewards power over finesse which wasn’t the case with wood racquets.

From a coaching perspective this is major. The older generation of coaches who were trained with wood racquets and a one handed backhand had to now start teaching the twohander which is a completely different stroke. Also, now that most players use the double handed shot there is a direct effect on the backhand slice, the backhand volley and, most importantly, on the style of play.

My old coach in the 70s told me that the best way to win a point is to hit deep, be patient, build up the point, wait for the short ball and then come in behind a good approach shot and punch the volley for a winner. This way of constructing a point still would work today but it’s not the preferred strategy of most current pro players.

Their ability to produce winners from all corners of the court means that there is almost no such thing as a defensive shot.

The pace of the game in the high level is such that you just can’t hit one passive shot, any half chance to attack is taken advantage of, if you blink for a split second the point is over.

The data of today’s high level tennis tells us that about 70 percent of the points end in between 0-4 shots, if you

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

take away the serve and the return, that’s only a two shot rally.

Given the stats, as a High Performance coach you have to put an emphasis on the serve, the return and the first shot after each of them, that means a lot of serves plus one shot drills or return plus one. I once saw Madison Keys return serve in practice for one hour without a break, that’s because she understands how critical that shot is, in today’s high pace game a good return means an early lead in the point and a quick point so perhaps it’s a bit more important to hit a million returns instead of hitting a million cross courts like we used to in the 80s.

At the pro level, most times it comes down to how well a player serves or returns on a given day, it is as simple as that. The serve was always the most important shot in tennis, that didn’t change, we used to serve buckets of serve in the 80s but we used to run to the net behind the first serve and also come in behind the second shot.

Today the main use of the serve (besides to ace or get a free point) is to hit a forehand right after the return in order to open up the court and make the opponent run right away.

Today’s serve sessions alway include the first shot after the serve, that quick preparation after the serve

is vital and needs to be repeated thousands of time, in fact the faster the serve is the quicker the server would need to re-orient themselves because in the high pace game that ball is coming back very quick.

Having said all of that we need to remember that we are not all John Isner or Nick Kyrgios, and for the vast majority of players it is of course very useful and essential to be good in the longer rallies, many times the long points that go 4-12 shots or longer are the points that decide the match. If you have a great serve and a penetrating return like the players mentioned above you make sure that the rallies never last longer than 4-5 shots, the free points on the serve and the easy holds allow those types of players to play freely and aggressively when receiving.

In my opinion, at all levels except the pro level and high Division 1 college level, it is still the consistent player that will win matches and not the 0-4 shots mentality player. My point is that if you’re going to go for the lines and play ultra high risk aggressive tennis you better be really good or you’ll lose many matches to more conservative players who choose to play the percentage game.

Therefore we still need to do the good old consistency exercises but it has to be done with a purpose, not just meaningless crosses but deep, accurate shots and mainly inside out forehands in order to open up the court.

There are 3-4 patterns that usually happen in a point,and those patterns should become second nature and should be repeated in practice thousands of times, most of them involve running around the backhand and hitting a quality inside out or inside in forehand.

With the high tech light racquets it is possible to hit an aggressive shot from almost anywhere on the court, therefore when working on defense It’s still important to have power and depth (no moon balls but penetrating

shots that can shift you from a defensive position back to an attacking position).

As we know, in today’s game it is a must to develop a weapon early on in a player’s career. You need a shot that can open up the court and create an advantage early or late in the point, as being able to dictate the rallies and to force your style of play on the opponent has never been more true. That’s why it pays to encourage the players to go for their shots in practice and play aggressively from a young age. That doesn’t contradict playing smart, it’s possible to play aggressively and still play high percentage tennis, but it’s about having the right aggressive mentality, initiating contact with the the balls, cutting the angles,and taking the ball on the rise.

Once you develop the right mentality it comes down to shot selection, knowing when to pull the trigger and not hesitating when you need to, hitting to the quality areas, not too close to the line, not too close to the middle. If you choose your shots wisely you can still play aggressively and give yourself a high chance to win.

In the old days we used to serve and volley a lot during practice, especially during grass season. Now it’s merely a surprise tactic, something you do once a game at most, the chip and charge is ancient history, and there aren’t too many “special shots” that can make a difference, like a backhand slice for example. Most

players have a two hander thus don’t feel comfortable slicing it with one hand to mix it up, and most rallies are slugfests with tow players standing a few feet behind the baseline. That’s where the drop shot emerged as an antidote to the baseline players who park deep behind the baseline, as the ability to change up the pace with a surprise drop shot can be a difference maker. We see the rising Spanish star Alcaraz use the drop shot as a legitimate weapon.

Another example of how coaching has changed involves how active today’s youth is. We used to play outside all the time, when we didn’t play tennis we were playing soccer and if not soccer, we would be on the beach or outside in general. Today’s youth spends a crazy amount of time in front of the screen and does way less exercise than 40 years ago. As a result many kids lack basic athletic and motorized movements that were natural in the past. A tennis coach can’t just think as a tennis coach, you have to train them in basic athletic movements, teach them the importance of stretching, nutrition, playing another sport and also resting.

We now know the long term effects of over training to the body and mind during the junior year. Burnout is a main reason for injuries and quitting.

As a coach I insist on kids taking time off every few months in order to recharge their battery and I always keep a close eye to see if the kids are over training.

Gilad Bloom is a former Israeli Davis Cup player and two-time Olympian, played on the ATP Tour 1983-1995, reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 1990, reached a highest ranking of 61 in singles, was Israel Singles Champion three times. Bloom has been running his own tennis program since 2000 and also was director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years. He can be reached at bloom.gilad@gmail.com.

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The Difference Between Being a Hitter And Being a Great Player

By Botond Sari ’ve been obsessed with understanding the game within the game of tennis since I finished my competitive career in Europe 10 years ago. And now I’ve been lucky enough to learn about the Global Online Teaching Technology Access (GOTTA) system and language, and boy has it changed my perspective on how to look at the sport.

Although I was a top junior in Hungary, I look back realizing that I was more of a great hitter then a great player. Meeting and learning from coaches such as Brett Hobden and Gordon Uehling was a game changer in my coaching career. Let me tell you why.

We can all agree that tennis is an open skilled sport, a question-answer game. Do you understand the question your opponent is asking after they hit each shot in your direction? If you do understand the question, do you have the skill set to give the best answer possible? This clarity of thinking is what the game of tennis is ultimately about if you want to “think and play like a pro.”

Skill is the ability to bring about some end result with maximum certainty and minimum outlay of energy, or of time and energy. Open means that the game has variables and split-second decision making involved, in other words a player has to constantly adapt to all the situations they are presented with. So, in order to excel in an open skill sport (like tennis) you have to be able to perceive and sort the needed information, make a decision and actually be able to execute the certain task needed in that situation. Now this is where the game gets a bit tricky.

Every situation has a different solution and if you are only practicing cross court ground stroke rallies from the baseline or being fed a friendlier ball all of the time you might become a great hitter but you will never become a great player.

So let's talk about some key concepts you might want to seriously consider if

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you want to go from being a hitter to becoming a great player. GOTTA tennis breaks down the tennis court into five distinct zones: • ZONE 5 is the deepest part of the court where you want to think, “RED ALERT” • ZONE 4 is three large steps behind the baseline and this is the zone where you want to think, “BE Prepared” • ZONE 3 is three large steps inside the baseline where you want to think, “PRESSURE ON” • ZONE 2 is the transition zone where you want to think, “MOVE IN” • ZONE 1 is roughly 6 large steps from the net and this is where you want to think “FINISH IT”

Also, there are five modes of play defined by the degree of difficulty of the incoming ball otherwise known as the question. They are the following:

The ZONE + the MODE = the SHOT TYPE you need to produce. It is that simple! The following are all of the shot

types. Below are the “MUST HAVE” and “ADVANCED” shot types: “MUST HAVE” Shot types 1. Drive: hit with power, moderate spin, small net clearance 2. Arc: hit with higher clearance, most frequently used as a rally ball 3. Loop: similar to the arc but even higher over the net 4. Lob: high ball with the goal of a gaining time or to go over a player at net 5. Drop shot: short ball with the goal to make the opponent run forward “ADVANCED” Shot Types 1. Dip drive: similar to the drive but hit from shoulder height downward into the court with moderate topspin. This shot is the most powerful out of all the ground strokes.

2. Up & Down: contact is below the knees and by using a lot of topspin, the ball will go quickly up and down generally traveling closer to the net.

3. Angle: balls that are leaving the court through the singles sideline/crossing the doubles sideline before crossing the baseline 4. Dipper: shots that are dropping immediately below net level after going over it and usually staying low after the bounce 5. Bender: is a combination of topspin and side spin that will make the ball travel in a curved pathway.

The sooner a player understands the above, the more of a chance that it starts playing tennis rather just hitting tennis balls. Obviously this is a process that takes time, however with the above concepts and the clarity that they present, the players can benefit rather sooner than later.

Botond Sari is a coach at CourtSense Tennis Training Center. A former Top 5 Junior in Hungary, Sari is a Certified Level 1 and Level 2 ITF Coach, and worked at one of the most successful junior clubs in Hungary where he coached future national champions.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

Can They Reach Over the Net? t began with the innocent question, "You hit a winning shot in our court.

I have a question, did your racquet cross over the net?"

Those words launched a friendly match into a contentious battle. If the racquet crosses over the net, who calls it? The player with the racquet, or the opponent? This wrong question was created by misinterpreting one rule (don't reach over the net) and spilling it over to another (who calls a ball out).

A racquet may extend over the net in several situations, but not all.

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Can my opponent's racquet swing over the net into my court on any return?

Your strong volley sends the ball flying into the opponent's court. That clever opponent lines up, sets up for a mighty return, and watches the ball hit the ground. After the ball bounces in their court, they hit the ball on their side and the follow-through extends over the net. Can their racquet swing over the net? Yes, provided the ball bounced in their court and was hit on their side of the net. They win the point. (ITF Rule 25.e)

Can my opponent reach over the net to hit the ball?

You've worked with a tennis pro to master the slice. Finally, in a USTA match, you see the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your perfected stroke.

You draw your racquet back, check your continental grip, move to the ball sideways on, and hit the ball. Your return lands in the opponent's court and spins back into your court! With a little help from the wind. Your opponent lunges to the net, extends their racquet over the net, and hits the ball while it was on your side of the court. You cannot return it. Who wins the point? Your opponent. It doesn't happen often but when a ball is blown or spun back, your opponent can reach over. ITF Rule 25 b.

On a separate note, I wanted to

By Barbara Wyatt

give an update on iKnowTennis.com.

Thank you for your input to www.iKnowTennis.com! I usually receive questions from players just after a match, on court as they pack up their gear. The player may have won, or lost, the match but they remembered a moment in the heat of the game when the rule was unclear to all players. Please share www.iKnowTennis.com with your teammates and even your opponents!

See you on the courts…

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.

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

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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adult league

wrap-up

By Christopher Dong

Manhattan 3.0 Women captained by Rosemary Moukad and Maria Ieni

Manhattan 3.5 Men captained by Tom Rinaldi

Manhattan 4.5 Men captained by Mitchell Low, Roger Freed and Michael Doane

Queens 3.0 Women captained by Donna Healy

he Sumer 2022 USTA Metro Adult League Season has come to a close with both the regional and sectional championships taking place.

There were will be a few teams headed to Nationals later this year to represent the Eastern Section. Those teams are listed below with their respective team captains: Eastern Sectionals Champions l 18 & Over l 3.0 Women: Donna Healy l 5.0 Men: Mohammad El-Haj Ahmad l 8.0 Mixed: Theron McInnis l 10.0 Mixed: Gustavo Padilla l 55 & Over l 8.0 Mixed: Sue Robichek

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Below are the Metro Regional Champions for all of New York City as well as the champion from each specific borough: Metro (New York City) Regional Champions l 3.0 Women: Donna Healy 54

l 3.5 Women: Alina Lekser l 4.0 Women: Tracy Kleinberg/Lisa Newell l 3.5 Men: Tom Rinaldi l 4.0 Men: Dan Bindler/Steven Bricker l 4.5 Men: Mitchell Low/Roger Freed/Michael Doane Bronx Champions l 4.0 Men: Scott Radar Brooklyn Champions l 3.0 Women: Deborah Fantera/Bridget Brennan l 3.5 Women: Rene Trujillo Manhattan Champions l 3.0 Women: Rosemary Moukad/Maria Ieni l 3.5 Women: Ashley Rowe/Ariane Qureshi l 4.0 Women: Linda Eichenbaum/Karen Hyams l 4.5 Women: Akiko Tohmatsu l Open Women: Ria Julich/Carolina Torres l 3.0 Men: Wilson Heredia/Sam Markovich

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

Queens 3.5 Women captained by Alina Lekser

Queens 4.0 Men captained by Dan Bindler and Steven Bricker

Queens 4.0 Women captained by Tracy Kleinberg and Lisa Newell

Staten Island 3.5 Women captained by Ed Perpetua

l 3.5 Men: Tom Rinaldi l 4.0 Men: Brian Silvestry l 4.5 Men: Mitchell Low/Roger Freed/Michael Doane l 5.0 Men: Mohammad El-Haj Ahmad l 55 & Over 8.0 Men: Daniel Katz

Below are the upcoming leagues for the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 seasons: Fall 2022 l Tri-Level 3.5/4.0/4.5 l Mixed Doubles Manhattan

Queens Champions l 3.0 Women: Donna Healy l 3.5 Women: Alina Lekser l 4.0 Women: Tracy Kleinberg/Lisa Newell l 3.5 Men: Alex Pham/Seth Rosner l 4.0 Men: Dan Bindler/Steven Bricker l 4.5 Men: Adam Moramarco

Winter 2023 l Tri-Level 3.0/3.5/4.0 l 40 & Over l 40 & Over Mixed Doubles l Mixed Doubles Queens

Staten Island Champions l 3.0 Women: Lillian Escobar/Deborah Fafian l 3.5 Women: Ed Perpetua

New players, teams and captains are welcome. For more information, please contact Christopher Dong, Adult League Coordinator, Metro, at cdong@eastern.usta.com.

Christopher Dong is the Adult League Coordinator for the USTA Eastern Metro Region. He may be reached at cdong@eastern.usta.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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Long Island Tennis Magazine

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2022 • NYTennisMag.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2022 • Long Island Tennis Magazine Long Island Tennis Magazine

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New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2022 • NYTennisMag.com

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('&%$#"!% && %$& (&"% "%(& % % &#" % &" %#% "# &% % "% #(' #!% " "# % "% %# & % %&#$' " "# % % & & %( % " &% #!&"% % %# & # " " #(&%& & (%# %& " %("# ( ('" ' (%('&% ! ( % #(' #! % %$" ( #%# & &% " % !% ! ( " % % $#"! && ! " "# " ! ( " $#"! && " NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine

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