Grigor Dimitrov: Tennis helps you build not only character, but discipline.

Posted on 10 May, 2024

Grigor Dimitrov player Emilio Sanchez Academy

In the world of tennis, few stories are as captivating as the journey of Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian player arrived at Emilio Sanchez Academy in 2007 to train during 2 seasons. Under the guidance of coaches Pato Alvarez and Emilio Sanchez Vicario, Dimitrov’s talent began to blossom and his unique style predicted he would go far.

During his stay at Emilio Sanchez Academy Dimitrov’s meteoric rise was marked by remarkable achievements. In 2008, he clinched two Junior Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, ascending to the coveted position of Junior World No. 1. With a resolute decision, he bid farewell to the junior circuit, setting his sights on the professional arena.

Under the tutelage of Dani Vallverdú, another student-athlete of the ES Academy, Dimitrov’s journey continued to evolve. Embarking on a career spanning over 15 years on the ATP tour, today Dimitrov is experiencing a resurgence in his game. In 2024 alone, he secured the prestigious Australian Open title and clinched the runner-up position in both the Miami Open and the Open 13 Provence, reaffirming his status as a formidable player in men’s tennis.

With a career-high ranking of No. 3 and currently holding the 10th position in the ATP rankings, Dimitrov’s legacy is one of resilience and determination. At the recent Mutua Madrid Open, Dimitrov crossed paths with his former mentor, Emilio Sanchez Vicario, sparking reflective conversations about his tennis journey and the profound impact of that sport on his life.

In an exclusive audio interview, Dimitrov delves into his insights, sharing thoughts on his enduring passion for tennis and the lessons learned throughout his tennis career.

Read the interview transcript here and listen to the full interview at the video-podcast below:

ES: Grigor, thank you so much for taking this time here in Madrid to speak with me about your time at the Emilio Sanchez Academy. What memories do you have from those times?

GD: I talk about my time at the academy quite often. I think it was very important for me and I think the help that I got there in my early development was vital. I come from Bulgaria, a country with not much heritage on that end, only in the women’s area. I view my decision to join an academy as pivotal and you guys were so kind to accommodate me. As you remember, I was a wild kid back then. Funny enough, I think that I needed to go through that during those years. Now when I look back, I will not trade them for anything because of all the experiences I had.

Certainly, when it comes to my performance on the court and the effort I’ve invested, I never shy away. I always knew that I could play tennis and do other things at the same time. But for some reason, I was always able to come back to my basics and that was to play the game. Even though I was not focusing on my work at times, there were a lot of things that inspired me at ES Academy, like being at a tennis academy with different players and interacting with different cultures. Therefore, I would never change those years, they were one of the best years of my life. And I think also that the experience I had shaped me and helped me not only to play better tennis, but to understand myself and go through experiences that shaped me at an early age. Therefore, to some extent, I also feel very lucky. It was a very special time for me.

ES: Were you together with Daniel Vallverdú at the time?

GD: No, I missed him by a couple of years. But I still had so many good quality players to play with. I also had a lot of friends who were at the Academy at the same time, as well as some WTA players. I even served as a sparring partner, which, once again, helped me in adapting to varied ball trajectories. Just the diversity of what I was able to do, it was something that helped my game from a very different perspective. I knew how my game was and how I could develop it. Could I have been a bit more disciplined with certain things? Certainly. But at the same time, the experience that I gathered from every other area was even more vital to me.

ES: If you had to give some advice to someone else about that experience of going away from home and staying in a different environment to improve, what would you recommend to them?

GD: I always say it’s a choice. I think I left my home at 14, but I never felt I sacrificed anything. I didn’t have many other options anyway. However, I never felt the need to do something else or to explore something different because I knew I had my mindset on the sport itself. And the dream was there.

ES: You always had this great talent and amazing style, that lead everybody to compare you with the top players from a very early stage. What would you tell a kid who has a talent, what is the most important thing to go through?

GR: Never shy away from work. I think whatever else I was doing, I never shied away. Cutting corners was never an option for me. Even now when I look back, I might have done so many other things outside of the sport. However, whenever it was time to focus, I consistently prioritized completing the task at hand, whether it was finishing a basket, completing a practice session, or finishing my work. And I think that along the way you also build not only your character, but your discipline. You cannot be like 14 or 15 and be completely disciplined yet. It comes with time.

ES: How much does tennis help you to deal with other issues in life?

GD: Actually, I’ve said recently in quite a few interviews, that tennis saved my life in a couple of moments. I’ve been close to finishing my career a couple of times and I’m not afraid or shy to say it. I had big dips, huge dips in my career when I just thought that nothing could ever take me out of that. But guess what? Tennis was there for me. And it will always be there. Whether I win or lose. That’s the sport. That’s the pillar that has given me everything, from my life, to discipline, to meeting people, to being in a tennis academy, to meeting different cultures to finance. And of course, last but not least, it all comes down from you.

ES: We always talk about the different pillars in tennis, technical, tactical, physical, mental. For you, what is the most important pillar? And which one helps you the most to be resilient or fight adversity?

GD: I think calmness. As a player you know the feeling when you’re able to slow down your heart rate at any given time during the match, that gives you a tremendous amount of confidence and makes you believe. And all that happens behind the scenes. I think when you come to play in a tournament like this one, you come to compete. You’re not here to, you know, to do baskets or to try something else or to invent something. And everything happens behind it. It starts with your nutrition, with the way you sleep, the way you practice. And I always say the more you bleed during peaceful time, the less you bleed when you start competing. That’s just how it is. And of course, there’s moments when you’re going to struggle in tournaments and places and that’s when you need to stick to your deep core.

ES: Nowadays everybody talks today about mental issues. As tennis players, we are always on the edge. We always talk in the matches because someone in front of us is bothered. And we always talk about ourselves a lot. How is your conversation with yourself in the difficult moments, and how do you come out in 25 seconds from a bad state to a good state?

GD: I it’s it’s tough, it’s a real thing. Mental toughness is, I would say, one of the most trickiest and one of the most difficult things to do. In our sport, we have a next point. That’s just how it is. And then you need to think as fast as you can brush it off, I think that is the easiest thing. Of course, you get stuck in some moments, but let them in. Don’t fight them. I always say whatever comes, don’t fight it. I think the more you try to fight it, the more you’re going to hit a wall. It’s not easy. But all that comes with your experience, with the way you’ve dealt with big losses and big wins. At times, I often remember more of my big losses than the big wins, because this is where you think next time what to do better, what to work on. It’s some sort of a barrier that comes through and it’s about tenacity at the same time. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know. Tennis is not a sprint. I’ve been 15 years on tour now and I think it’s more of a marathon than anything else. You’re going to have your good moments and you’re going to have your bad moments. Nothing is ever that good or that bad. If you manage to find a balance and you feel a little bit more comfortable in your skin, anything on the court won’t really bother you. But it’s a combined work on and off the court.

ES: You’ve mentioned that you have struggled at some moments in your life. What are the positives that made you come out of them? What helped you get out of those situations?

GD: The basics: family, friends. I think these are the most vital things in life. If you think about it, tennis is such a little period of our lives. I always say that because I’m realizing it more and more every year. I’m getting closer to the end than I was at the beginning. But you can still see and understand the two ends. And I also think that you need to be able to see the two sides of the coin. When I was struggling, I always leaned into my discipline. That’s it. I leaned on the hard work and, and I kept believing that it would eventually come back. Tennis is a sport where it doesn’t matter if you have two amazing weeks of practice. You could end up losing five tournaments in a row in the first round.

ES: You’ve had two seasons with Daniel Vallverdú. The first, when you did well and won the Masters. (Daniel was also a student for years at the ES Academy. He’s also going to be the topic of one of our 25 success stories because he has made the transition from tennis player to tournament director, etc.) Then you stopped working with him and later decided to team up again. How important has Daniel been in this process of coming back?

GD: He’s been vital in very different moments throughout my career. But of course, for us, it was not only that. Our friendship was more important than anything else. Everyone has fights, everyone finds their own reasons for things and at a certain moment we both needed some time apart. Now somehow, it’s a new beginning. We’ve also had to find a different way to work things out, so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. Plus, we’ve added Jamie Delgado, my fitness coach for so many years. I think it’s good to have that perspective.

ES: To have different voices is good for your motivation?

GD: I think so but also when you’re so many years on the tour you cannot be too linear, you need to have a diversity of work that helps you to keep fresh and improve, to find new goals, to be more excited to go at it every day. Of course, no one wakes up every day thinking I’m very excited to go do whatever it is that you do. We all have our moments due to the way we deal with situations. However, more and more I’ve paid attention to whom I’m having next to me. The selection of people around me has been very meticulous just because I’m very protective of my own energy and at the same time I want to make sure that when I’m going out there, I’m 100% ready. I don’t know how much time I have left to keep doing what I do, but I want to make sure that every time I’m out there I’m ready.

ES: You’ve now reached a certain age, but it seems like you are ascending like a young player climbing up because your level has improved a lot lately. Do you think that this can be the best moment of your career, due to the way you’re playing and the way you’re putting things together? Because that’s the ultimate goal, right?

GD: Of course, but to me at the same time it’s also important to enjoy my journey as well as to enjoy it with the people I’m with. The destination angle for sure is going to be the best thing, but also to look back and know that I tried everything possible and that I did it my way, that I did everything possible to invest myself into it. Honestly to me this is a priceless thing. I don’t know if I’m going be thinking like this one day when I’m retired and I look back, but for now I’m treating the wins and losses kind of in the same way. When I’m having good tournaments it’s when I’m very appreciative and thankful, but also when I’m having losses like last week from two match points, I’m like, OK, it was meant to happen that way. Sometimes a door closes but a huge window opens, so you never know.

ES: Can you mention three words about our Tennis Academy? Whatever comes first to your mind.

GD: Experience, hard work and hustle.

ES: Thank you so much Grigor, you’re the best. Good luck and thank you.

By Emilio Sánchez Vicario, ES Academy CEO and Susana Zaragoza Añón, ES Academy Marketing Department.

Sam Bencheghib: In tennis, every defeat is an opportunity to improve and pursue your dreams.

Posted on 4 April, 2024

Sam Bencheghib_ ES Academy 25th Anniversary, 25 Alumni success stories

The path to success is paved with dedication, passion, and a spirit of service that transcends the boundaries of sport and embraces global causes. Sam Bencheghib, a former student-athlete at ES Tennis Academy and American School, embodies this philosophy in every step he takes. His story is an inspiration to all those who seek to make the world a better place while pursuing their dreams.

Sam’s name has recently resonated worldwide as one of the winners of the prestigious 2024 Elevate Prize, an award that recognizes visionary leaders who are positively transforming society and the planet. Sam has been honored for his remarkable work at Sungai Watch, an environmental organization he founded in 2020 to fight plastic pollution in the rivers of Bali and Indonesia.

Nonetheless, Sam’s journey started years earlier through his passion for tennis. He was a student-athlete at our Academy from 2012 to 2015. During that time, Sam stood out not only as a talented tennis player but also as a committed leader. His role as president of the student council in 2015 demonstrated his ability to inspire and motivate others to work together towards a common goal. He then pursued his tennis career at the collegiate level at LeHigh University, where he competed in NCAA Division 1 tennis for four years.

Sam had grown-up in Bali and had seen over the last decades the increase of plastic on its beaches and rivers. After graduating from college, he felt compelled to take action. He embarked on a series of impactful initiatives from establishing a media agency (Make a Change World), to launching the “Ocean2Ocean” expedition consisting in running 23 miles daily from New York to Los Angeles to raise awareness about plastic contamination, to founding an organization to clean-up rivers and oceans in Indonesia. Emilio Sanchez and Susana Zaragoza caught up with him to find out what he has accomplished in the past recent years and, and how, if at all, tennis has helped him achieve his goals. Here’s an excerpt from the interview, which you can watch in full in the video at the end of the article.

SZ: Sam, you were recently granted the Elevate Prize award for your contribution to the environment. Tell us more about what has been going on in your life in the past years.

SB: After graduating from ES Academy and School almost 10 years ago I attended Lehi University, a D1 University in Pennsylvania where I played tennis for four years. After that, I took a very different approach to most of my college friends who wanted to work in the business world. I told myself, “I’m not going to work in a bank, instead I’m going to run across America from New York to LA to raise awareness about plastic pollution”, which is a problem that I was seeing a lot in Indonesia, where I live and grew up. Since then, I have been dedicated to finding ways to combat plastic pollution, specifically the waste that goes into the ocean, because once there it’s very difficult to collect it and it breaks down into microplastics. It’s not just a problem for people who live on the coastline, but it also poses a huge health problem for everyone as we’re now eating up to the equivalent of a credit card of plastic every day.

ES: Tell us about Sungai Watch.

SB: After running across the United States, I wanted to have a more on the ground impact. Back in Bali my siblings and I came up with a simple but very scalable and cheap solution to stopping plastics from entering the ocean. We installed one barrier next to my parents’ house and the very next day the trash was caught, we cleaned it up and stored it in our parents’ garage. Very quickly we saw the potential of the barrier and how efficient it was at stopping plastics from reaching the ocean and that’s how Sungai Watch was born. That one barrier quickly grew into two, five and three years later we have 300 barriers installed throughout Indonesia’s most polluted Rivers, with a team of 120 full-time staff cleaning rivers and collecting 3,000 kilos of plastic a day, 2 million kilos of trash since the beginning.

And even if we think that what we’ve done is great, it’s still a drop in the water. We’re in 2 islands in Indonesia, but there’s still 700 islands where people live as well as other countries that also need our help, so we’re looking for a solution to scale and grow. For now, we’re looking to expand to the most polluted islands in Indonesia, as well as to a second country, the Philippines. Our main goal is to fight plastic solution one river at a time and find ways to stop plastic waste.

At Sungai Watch anyone can sponsor a barrier, an individual or a country. Funding goes not only to the barrier and waste pick up, but also to the storage and treatment of the collected trash. One barrier costs $6,000 for the year. We send the donor a report of the amount of trash, which amounts from 2,000 to 50,000 kg a year.

SZ: You recently started a new project related to creating furniture. Can you tell us more about it?

SB: Some weeks ago, we launched a new business to treat the amount of plastic we have collected, 2 million kilos of plastic sitting in our warehouses. The recycling industry in Indonesia is not very developed, and if plastic is not recycled it goes into the landfills and when it rains the trash goes back into the river, so it’s a vicious cycle. We have worked with engineers and scientists to work on a specific design to turn plastic into furniture. We’re working specifically with plastic bags, which is the number one pollutant that we find in the rivers, representing 36% of what we collect. We’ve focused on design and comfort, and we’ve launched the ‘Ombak chair’. Ombak means chair in Indonesian. One Ombak chair is made from 2,000 plastic bags.

ES: This failing and looking forward and failing and looking forward reminds me of something. Where is tennis in your life now? What memories do you have of playing tennis at our tennis academy, and now as an adult? You’re talking about resilience and fighting for a dream.

SB: Definitely. It’s very similar to playing tennis.

Tennis teaches you many things and probably an important one comes from losing. When you lose a match or you’re one set down, you have to sort out how to pivot, how to stay confident or look for new ways to beat your opponent. Now the opponent is plastic, and the challenge is how to combat it. It’s about finding ways of being resilient and thinking that no matter how many times you lose, you can still improve and there’s still ways to get better. It’s just a matter of looking inside of you and being persistent. Tennis teaches you that.

When you play tennis you’re by yourself, there’s a net in between you and your opponents and no one else is going to do it for you, therefore you have to be a fighter and keep going despite the elements in the way. Cleaning rivers is the same, sometimes there are crazy storms, the barriers break, but we need to find new ways and acknowledge that we might not be the best right now but that we’re doing something good and that’s what matters and to think that every day is a new day and we’re collecting 3,000 kg and the number is growing, and I think that tennis taught me that.

ES: We’re now celebrating our 25th Anniversary and you are one of our top success stories. What advice would you send to our student-athletes and to our network, most of whom are young tennis players, about your journey through tennis in high-school, college and now this huge match you’re playing?

SB: When I graduated from ES Academy and School my main thoughts were about how to get into the best University to play college tennis or how to become a tennis pro. Those were the best years of my life and made me realize that I had to do what I loved. My first match in college, I’m pretty sure I lost 60 61. It was the first time I was playing for a team and I was very nervous, but I got to realize that you get a lot better with experience. No matter how many times you fail, keep trying, keep looking for new ways to get better. And do what you love. Therefore, the best advice I can give is: “Be persistent, do what you love and enjoy the moment”.

ES: If you had to define yourself with a brief sentence, which would it be.

SB: We had a motto for a long time which was “No idea is crazy enough”. That was the slogan when I ran across the States. Therefore, if you have a crazy idea just do it and see where it takes you. I had one small crazy idea of putting a barrier in the river and it’s lead to this organization that I never thought it would become and we are cleaning rivers every day.

SZ: Would you like to close with a message to our ES Academy and School student-athletes?

SB: Enjoy the time that you have at ES Academy and surround yourself with people that can help you. You’re going to realize they will be the best years of your life. Find your passion and stick with it. It might be difficult at first, but when you throw yourself at something you’re passionate about, success will come. It will happen after a few years or if you’re lucky sooner, but I guarantee when you get to that point where you enjoy what you’re doing it is going to be very fun. I found out that cleaning rivers is what I enjoy.

This is only a summary of the interview we did to Sam, there are many more inspiring messages in the full interview. Do not miss it and watch the video below. Congrats Sam on your many accomplishments and best wishes for your future steps. We will be rooting for you!

By Emilio Sánchez Vicario, ES Academy CEO and Susana Zaragoza Añón, ES Academy Marketing Department

ATP rankings, Top 100: Has the USA managed to overtake Spain in the production of tennis players?

Posted on 18 March, 2024

Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Roberto Bautista, Pablo Carreño, Albert Ramos, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniel Rincón, Davidovich, Martín Landiluce Giron, McDonald, Eubanks,Tiafoe, Fritz, Paul, Kovacevic, Korda, Shelton, Nakashima, Michelsen, Isner, Querrey, Johnson, Sock, Young

By Emilio Sánchez Vicario and Susana Zaragoza

In 2016 I wrote an article comparing Spanish and American tennis. Upon moving to Florida in 2012 I observed the changes made by the USTA (United States Tennis Association) to its calendar and found them to be accurate. Considering this data, I anticipated that it was only a matter of time before many American players would ascend to the ATP rankings top 100 as it had happened in the 1990s and early 2000s. My analysis was strongly criticized by some sources in Spain and even by some players and coaches, who thought I was wrong in saying that the United States would overtake Spain even though it had led in player production for the last 40 years.

At the time of that review, Spain had had 14 players in the top 100 that year, 11 at the time of the article, but 7 of them were over 30 years old. However, there were several factors that were changing. Spain had almost no young players in the top 500, while the USA already had 10. If the data were analyzed from bottom to top, the question arose as to how the best generation of tennis players that Spanish tennis has produced, led by Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Roberto Bautista, Pablo Carreño, Albert Ramos, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero, would be replaced.

Eight years have passed, and the numbers speak for themselves. Spain has gone from 14 players to only 6 in the top 100, placing it in the fifth position in the ranking this last week, while the United States has increased from 6 to 12 players, placing it at number one. Virtually all the Spaniards who were at the top are now retired and we have not been able to replace them.

The most worrying data is found at the base of the pyramid, where if we analyze the ages and number of players, we find that Spain has gone from having about 140 players with ranking in 2005 to 90 today, compared to the United States which has increased from 120 to 210. This remarkable increase brings countless opportunities for Americans in the next 10 years.

Although recently Spain has been fortunate to have Alejandro Davidovich in the top 20 and to experience the explosion of Carlitos Alcaraz, who with the majesty of his game has generated illusion and hidden our shortcomings, the publication of the ranking last week with only 6 players in the top 100 evidence this new reality more clearly.

The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), with Miguel Diaz at the helm, began to change its strategy three years ago and created the pyramid of Spanish tennis tournaments, following the system implemented by the United States more than a decade ago, moving from Futures tournaments to Challengers. To do so, he multiplied the aids and increased the number of tournaments. However, this work may take 5 to 7 years to bear fruit and for Spain to return to having more opportunities as in its golden age, it will also be necessary to bring players up from the junior stages and to have more competitive groups that want to make the transition to professionalism. We must fill that bottom of the pyramid if we want to go back on top.

This arduous and laborious effort does not give results from one day to the next. First, we must increase the level and then create or take positions, and we have some super talents that will move up, such as Martín Landaluce or Daniel Rincón. However, even if they succeed, if they are not accompanied on the journey by between 140 or 150 players in the middle part of the ranking (between positions 100 to 2000), these gifted players will be very lonely.

I would like to encourage the network of Spanish clubs to keep pushing, to become part of the tennis pyramid by training in their clubs, competing and above all improving the level to make the competition grow, even if it is hard. Spain does not have unlimited funds from a major tournament as the USA does, but it has the clubs that the Anglo-Saxon country lacks. For the most part, these clubs are the engine that drives players and creates professional tennis players, and this is where we must continue to make a difference, by managing to place more young people in the transition from youth to professional level.

And I can’t help but to be self-critical as a club and as an academy, since many of the competition schools of these clubs have become social and the competition groups no longer travel as they used to. In parallel, the academies and best coaches dedicate our main resources to foreigners, who are the ones who pay the bills. At this point, we should all together with the federation be an active part of the pyramid, participate by betting on some Spanish players and encouraging renowned coaches who have managed to teach the Spanish model to so many champions to be part of this pyramid that we sell so much.

If we look at the list of players coached by Spaniards in their development we find Djokovic, Rublev, Zverez, Kachanov, Lajovic, Zheng, Sakari, Ruud, De Minaur, Fils… the list is endless. What if we dedicated only half or less of that quality of Spanish coaches to Spanish players, where would we be? Here the federation should be the point of union and collaborate with many of those best coaches in the world to get them involved and everything would change in a short time. Still, it is a big cultural change because the federation has not worked with private coaches. To give an example, in my academy in 25 years and after producing more than 20 top 100 foreign players ourselves, we have never been approached by the federation to help them with any Spanish players. I know for a fact that most of those top coaches have never been approached either.

My last question is, if for 40 years Spain produced more than 100 players in the top 100, where are they now? How is it possible that some of them are not involved in the pyramid? Fortunately, many of them are the driving force behind the clubs and academies. For me, the same change that has started with the tournaments must be done with the coaches who are known to be valuable, to implement that culture of the tennis player, and that return to enjoying the transition from junior to professional.

2024

2016

I’d like to highlight that these data are relative to men’s tennis and that we will make another in-depth analysis of women’s tennis in the future, considering different circumstances, since Spain never invested in any of the formative stages evenly in the past. Cultural changes are on the way but unfortunately the female pyramid speaks by herself, and a reminder that we have never dominated as men’s tennis has done for 40 years.

A Journey of Discipline and Excellence: The Story of Jerry Shang

Posted on 8 March, 2024

Success in tennis is built on a foundation of discipline, resilience, and constant self-improvement. The story of Jerry Shang, a talented young athlete, exemplifies these qualities and serves as an inspiration to all those who strive for excellence.

In 2015, Jerry embarked on his tennis journey at the Emilio Sanchez Academy in Nanjing. Under the watchful eye of his first coach, Daniel Sorribas, Jerry began to develop his game.

In September 2016, Jerry made the bold decision to join the Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy at the age of 11 years old. The transition marked a turning point in his development, as he began to train under the guidance of the academy’s esteemed coaches, including Emilio Sanchez himself. After the Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl tournaments, he connected with Coach Victor Hugo Camargo, who is the author of the following story.

Jerry’s first contact after the winter tournaments was interesting; his personality was disperse, and he lacked discipline during warm-ups of those first practices. Later on, he quickly displayed a willingness to train with greater quantity, more volume, and higher intensity, all while making improvements quickly but in a gradual and progressive manner. Rapidly he stood out from his group and advanced into the next group with older and more advanced level of players. He had to adapt to a higher demand level, more constant warm-ups, the ball coming faster, a higher self-care while stretching, more discipline during tournaments choosing what to eat among other details.

His semester went fast, he started achieving those first and second steps of the plan where he would sign up for Level 6’s and would win it, Level 5’s, another win, Level 4’s and the same, and with all the ranking he opened doors to play more L3’s and top tier tournaments such as “Les Petits As” among others. That is why he was able to go to National Clay Court championship and take the title. He wasn’t able to play ITF juniors until the age of 13. However, once he entered, he rapidly gained ranking, placing himself around the top #200 in the world and advanced until he became the top junior world ranked.

At the heart of Jerry’s journey were the four pillars of tennis development: Technical, Tactical, Physical, and Mental. Each pillar played a crucial role in shaping Jerry’s game and prepared him for the challenges.

Tactical: We started to work on using his forehand more, look for it during key moments, and move to the net to close the points. The plan had an organization to be more aware of his game to avoid using too many drop shots when nervous, and dominate during crucial points.

Technical: Jerry’s technical skills came by nature, he knew how to do things that you usually don’t teach. We started working on a foot movement structure to work on diagonals and positions. His backhand needed a longer progression, his volleys were a strength of his game and his serve he started to develop here. His forehand came very natural, very talented and with less details to work. The only focus was on the legs to be a complete player in all situations of defense, attack, high and low balls, etc.

Physical: Jerry’s physical conditioning was a key factor in his success on the court. Under the guidance of the academy’s fitness trainers, Jerry focused on building strength, agility, and endurance to avoid injuries. His commitment to his physical fitness was evident in tournaments such as the ITF, where he outlasted his opponents with his stamina and resilience.

Mental: Perhaps the most crucial pillar of Jerry’s development was his mental strength. We worked on knowing “how to have a good practice”, on living the tournament and competition moment, and preparing for situations. We improved the details during the off court time of a tournament such as the nutrition, the concentration, the objectives, how to deal with emotions, being the favorite and having pressure. He developed a good equilibrium and present moment of knowing how “to be” in each situation.

Every player and coach relationships has its ups and downs and there was times where I made him leave the court and we had disagreements but because I wanted him to learn the purpose of coming to court, not to be there just to be there or because they make me but, to realize the purpose. Jerry’s dad also played a crucial role in all of this, supporting throughout the process and helping maintain balance between the moments and situations.

Through it all, Jerry remained grounded and humble, never forgetting the values instilled in him by his coaches and mentors. His journey at the Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy was not just about winning trophies, but about personal growth, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence. What I liked the most states Victor: He lived naturally the situations of pressure, he had the support of his group which had a much older age than him and he was respected not because of his level but, because of his personality.

He was talented, we all knew it, and usually when you are talented you find excuses but what we could gain is that he found his way to be honest and stick to the objectives working and being in the present moment.

What makes you proud says Coach Victor is to see the details of his persona, the fact that he can differentiate the competition and life, that he remains humble even at this level. He treats the ball boys with respect, his spirit of constant self-improvement, and his way of thinking of one point at a time, one day at a time. When he wins a tournament automatically puts a new objective.

Victor says “One time we were in Mexico with my father who came to see him, but he had to leave and Jerry was surrounded by press. When my father wanted to say bye Jerry stopped the press he put them aside and made his way out to go say goodbye to my father and thank him for being there. I will always remember that moment because that is a trait that he carries around. It is a resemblance to Alcaraz’s personality.”

In conclusion, Jerry is an exceptional individual and an as a player he became number 1 junior in the world and is at the doors of jumping in the top 100, he is an exceptional player. From the ES Academy, we wish him the best in his career and are thrilled to see those particular traits that allow him to showcase his best self.

By Victor Hugo Camargo ES Coach & the marketing department of the ES Florida,

Alice Ferlito and her opportunity at Princeton

Posted on 23 February, 2024

Every year thousands of young people dream of having the opportunity to experience living in the United States in order to forge a tennis career and play with a top team in the University League. It is important to note that even for some ATP and WTA players, this experience allows them to mature for the professional circuit …

But how do you get a scholarship at a TOP university? What does a player have to do to stand out, be selected and achieve their dream of becoming a professional tennis player?

After graduating in 2023 from Emilio Sanchez Academy & American School, our alumni, Alice Ferlito, is fulfilling her dream. Alice is studying and competing at Princeton, in one of the most outstanding universities in the world.

While the numbers give us some idea of one´s journey, often the stories can offer us a broader and more detailed vision of the sacrifice and effort required to achieve those goals.

Fifteen years ago, Alice Ferlito first encountered tennis when she enrolled in our summer program. She was hooked after just a few weeks of tennis and decided to enroll in our school with tennis as an extracurricular activity.

Little by little, Alice´s passion for tennis motivated her to compete in both local tournaments and national tournaments, where she rapidly improved her results and began to stand out.

At one tournament, our CEO and founder, Emilio Sanchez Vicario, spoke to Alice about her great potential and shared a message that she would remember forever:

“Emilio, after a tournament, I remember he spoke to me and told me, you have talent, you have strong qualities, so you have to train, work hard. If you make that effort, I’m sure you will stand out,” Alice recalls with excitement.

Alice especially loved competing and points out: “I remember playing in a final, winning it, and that incomparable feeling, which I can hardly describe in words, that made me go through my body with that special feeling, and that got me hooked on competing”.

Through her achievements, she was rapidly growing in her tennis career and progressed from the extracurricular program to the Academy´s annual program, where she combined tennis and studies at the highest level. This implied increasingly demanding competitions, with team championships, championships in Spain, ITF, Tennis Europe…

2019 Runner-up Infantil Catalonia

Champion teams Infantil Catalonia

2021 Champion cadet Catalonia

ITF ranking 2021: 1829. 2023: 356 … J4 Nairobi ITF Junior Champion … J4 Tarragona … Spain ITF Junior Champion … J3 Barcelona ITF Junior Finalist … J5 Limassol Doubles Champion … J4 Nairobi Doubles Champion … J4 Tarragona Doubles Champion … J4 Les Franqueses del Valles, Spain Doubles Champion … J200 Cap D’Ail Doubles Champion

Surely, you may be asking yourself- at such a young age, how did Alice, like other student-athletes, manage all of these demanding commitments? She shares that it is her values learned during her journey at ESA that made all the difference: “values such as respect, hard work, discipline, resilience, in short, giving my maximum effort on every occasion, because you never know what the final result will be”.

Her coach since her beginnings at ES Academy, Alvaro Pino, summarizes Alice’s profile by highlighting that “Alice is one of the people I know who has liked and loves tennis the most. In fact, her character is so perfectionist, so we worked hard to establish specific goals”

“I always tried to motivate her and make her understand that achieving goals involved accepting and combining days when you have a lot of motivation and others when perhaps not. And the score it´s not the most important. Although it is true that she had great results in championships in Catalonia,” adds Alvaro.

From the tactical point of view, “the development pathway was fundamentally based on her game pattern, being a player with a vocation to dominate the points, attack, she had to understand that part of the game was to accept situations in which first you need to defend, to take the initiative again.”

About her stay at the University, Alvaro highlights that he speaks weekly with her coach “for Alice earning a position on the team, having that responsibility on the team, helps a lot in maturity, and she is a player who likes to make her team proud of”.

Her passion for tennis was endless, but there was a key moment in her journey when the Academy decided to grant her a scholarship to support her in reaching her potential. As it turns out, those qualities of success that Emilio Sanchez had identified years before had come to fruition, and it was now time to help her in the following stages ….

Alice was based at our headquarters in Barcelona, but she also visited Florida in the summer and toured universities throughout the United States during her time there. Coincidentally, one stay in Florida coincided with the visit of a university tennis team, who offered Alice to train and live with them. Alice´s determination, enthusiasm for tennis, and values made quite an impact, and at the end of the team´s stay, she received a call from the coach, who was none other than the Head Tennis Coach at Princeton University…

Video story by Victoria Sánchez: https://youtu.be/9xtrPRqJVWs

Now, Alice continues to write her own story in university and is building a future full of opportunities after her time at Emilio Sanchez Academy & American School.

By Daniel Muñoz Pozo. Communications & Media ES Academy

25 Years of growth, passion, and success: A Journey with Emilio Sanchez Academy

Posted on 5 February, 2024

This year marks a significant milestone for us – our 25th Anniversary, which commemorates the beginning of the first Emilio Sanchez Academy in Barcelona, Spain.

Together with the rest of the ES Marketing team, we held an initial meeting to discuss our plan of action for this 25th anniversary – a plan that would showcase a celebration of 25 years. Initially, our focus was on revisiting past experiences, moments of triumph, and the small steps that brought us to this point.

However, after several meetings and deep reflections, we came up with the fundamental question: “What truly defines our success?” The answer became clear – “Our student-athletes.” They serve as the driving force behind our achievements, embracing the success of our training methods and our excellent academic development. Every year, we have the opportunity to open the doors to fresh faces filled with excitement and dreams. Throughout their stay, these athletes not only excel on the court or in school but also undergo a transformative journey, developing into independent leaders who embody our values of respect, effort, and discipline.

Our academy is more than a training ground; it’s a family-oriented community. We have a group of dedicated staff that prioritizes the care and development of our student-athletes. Our commitment extends beyond sports, aiming to shape these individuals into well-rounded scholars, athletes, and, above all, exemplary members of society.

Together, we have been part of many great moments: witnessing many student-athletes successfully entering a college journey; junior athletes achieving milestones at Grand Slam juniors; the opening of a new academy & school in Florida and a tennis academy in Dubai; organizing more than 20 tournaments per year, including a challenger per site and top pros exhibition events; coaches obtaining certifications under our system; special visits from sports icon Arantxa offering valuable advice to the younger generation; hosting a group of winter college athletes from prestigious schools & Tennis pros. We also navigated through a world pandemic and weathered two hurricanes with categories 4 and 5, making us stronger even in moments of adversity.

In all these moments, what truly made the difference was the remarkable resilience of our athletes, the dedication of our staff, and, in general, the supportive family environment we have fostered.

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we continue to embrace our mission of providing opportunities in tennis, education, and life.

We invite you to join us in commemorating 25 years of passion, growth, and success! Throughout this year, we will be sharing with you 25 success stories of athletes who have embarked on their journey at the ES Academy.

We hope you enjoy reading these amazing cases, as many more stories like theirs will unfold, and yours could be the next one.

By all the staff of the Emilio Sanchez Academy,

Will Sinner and Alcaraz be able to compete with Djokovic in 2024?

Posted on 16 January, 2024

By Emilio Sanchez Vicario CEO of the ES Academy,

Technical Serve

J.S. First Ball: Improved from last summer and changed by putting legs together and hitting more to the right, improved slice, flat, and even the T serve, which uses continental grip, I believe there is a small advantage for Jannick with serve.

J.S. Second Ball: Very deep and aggressive, more risk than Carlos.

C.A. First Ball: To improve %, jump to the ball is to study, looks like an antelope, jumps so much inside the court, uses continental grip, but throws more over his head, serves with more topspin, but suffers a little with slice and flat.

C.A. Second Ball, more spin, can vary thanks to topspin on the backhand.

Forehand

All two are very complete on the forehand side, can play attacking by transferring weight forward, also very good at open counterattacks in lateral and also walking backward for backhand for defense.

J.S. Strength, depth, groomed execution, low legs, high point of impact, incredible fast arm speed. Very heavy ball. Can play Zone 3 pushing both inside out and inside in.

C.A.: Strength, depth, and angles, execution with racket a little higher in preparation giving him more options of heights, also very fast arm speed, but can vary more with high effects, normal, and base balls. Also plays a forehand in Zone 3 pushing inside out and inside in.

Backhand

Slight advantage for Jannik on the two-handed in attack, above all to the response of second serves. In counterattack similar performance, but defensively and running Carlitos has more heights with topsin and incredible angles.

We could talk about the top backhands in the world together with Novak, all two can make the difference in attack, counterattack, and defense.

Crosscourt directions are touching excellence, but the change on the down the line is devastating and on top, they open up the court to later dominate with the forehand.

Jannik’s grip is closer on the right hand, almost Eastern, Carlos continental in the right, allowing him to change faster from the topspin to the slice or to the drop.

Backhand Slice

The slight advantage of Carlos because the continental grip allows them to wait until the last moment to hit the two-hand or one-handed slice not showing the intentions, the same for the drop shot. But Carlos still does not use slices so much, in the future he will realize the possibility of staying more inside the court to be more aggressive later with the forehand.

Jannik, on the other hand, goes with a more open racket because of the more closed grip, he loses a little bit of the intention of the shot when trying to slice, he is working a lot on this, and in the future, he will surely fix it, or it also helps him to do a lot of one-handed backhand volleys, very similar execution.

The playing on hard courts will make them work and will help them so much, and like a race to see who will be able to use it more sooner.

Drop shot

As in the slice, an advantage for Carlitos, I explained in backhand the more natural grip and not needing to change it makes it have more time for execution, Jannik on the other hand has to move the grip and takes away time, after the serve Carlos on the first ball can handle it faster, even coming off the forehand they spread it, he can change trajectory at the last moment with the forehand and leave the ball dead stopping the execution completely.

Carlos as a child played a lot on the wall at his father’s club, and he also played little square on the service square, this gave him the ability to use short balls and an advantage over other players who did not expect it.

Volley

In this part of the game both of them are working hard to develop more, Carlos has been doing it longer and putting more time into trying to improve the volleying game, he won matches with players who play far on returns like Medvedev and Ruud, and he does a lot of serving and volleys.

Jannik in the second part of the year, serving better, and being more aggressive, is losing his fear of advancing and has shown how much he has learned in the matches with Djokovic at the end of the year that he chooses also to serve and volley.

And is against these super top that the two have to finish closing the circle to dominate more and finish more points at the net, above all in key moments, as Carlos did in London against Novak. Also, the two tend to use so much the drop volley. Instead, they need to keep working on transition towards the net to keep volleying in open spaces and close the gaps for the opponent.

Tactics

In such a fast type of tennis where you get to these levels of excellence mainly with the proper use of the serve, the top players get to win during the year close to 90% of their serves. Federer 93% when played, Rafa 90%, Novak 89%, and where are Jannik and Carlos?

The main objective is to get to serve first serves but after to be able to continue dominating with the plus 1, the volley, or the plus 2 or 3, but always dominating. If by chance we are missing, the second serves as well have improved to the level of winning more than 60% so also the chances of winning games get to those numbers of 90%

Carlos and Jannik are in the door to have this dominance but still with the service there is room to improve, instead with the returns they are at the level of Novak.

Serves

TRA I TOP	NAME	1 SERVE %	POINTS 1 SERVICE%	POINTS 2 SERVICES%	GAME WON %	ACES
4	NOVAK	64	76	57	88.7	7.2
9	JANNIK	59	76	56	87.5	6.0
14	CARLOS	65	72	56	85.2	4.1

Returns

TRA I TOP	NAME	1 SERVE %	2 SERVES %	GAME WON %	BREAK POINTS CONVERTED %
2	CARLOS	35.4	53.8	31.8	40
3	JANNIK	32.8	54.4	29.1	42.3
4	NOVAK	33.0	53.8	28.8	42.4

Important points under pressure

TRA I TOP	NAME	BREAK POINTS %	BREAK SAVES %	TIE BREAKS %	LAST SET%
1	NOVAK	42.4	67	77.8	71.4
2	JANNIK	42.3	69.3	58.6	73.9
4	CARLOS	40.2	64.4	70.6	66.7

The differences are small but they are there, with service Novak is still nice 2 points above Jannik and 4 above Carlos. In the free points as well, there is a remarkable difference.

In the response, both of them almost outplayed Novak, who is the best. Carlos, who on the serve is the last one, makes up for it by getting a little more breaks, almost 4 points over Novak.

Under pressure, Novak is to remember better the right tactics above all in the tiebreaks. So, the 2023 record of tiebreaks in slams was stratospheric, more than 20 tiebreaks won, 16 in a row between Paris and London. Stand out that until the final and the tiebreaks with had come so ness in unforced error, we see his quality in the important moments.

Both Carlos and Jannik will have to work on making fewer errors in the key points of the sets, above all on the serve, because in the response they are doing it, and the year has surpassed Novak.

Physical

To get to where they are, we can say that they have a very gifted physique. Carlos is more spectacular in his movements, he runs for any ball, and he is fast, resistant, elastic, and flexible, we can compare him to Novak or Roger. Jannik is not far behind, and his center of gravity is lower, probably because of his experience with skiing. He is not so fast but instead, endurance is there, that’s why he wins so many matches in the third or fifth set. He also developed running strokes with a decimal strength but without taking risks.

The physical pillar we can split it into different attributes. I think Novak with his preparation still today at 36 is slightly in front of them, but both are super close because they worked hard and improved so much. It was surprising the Roland Garros nerve breakdown from Carlitos in the final but looked fine in London and US Open.

Here is a chart with different characteristics and small differences.

	CARLOS	JANNIK	NOVAK
SPEED	10	9	10
ENDURANCE	9	10	10
BALANCE	10	9	10
POWER	9	10	9
CENTER GRAVITY LOW	9	10	10
ANTICIPATION	10	9	10
ELASTICITY	10	9	10
FOOTWORK	9	9	10
MOVEMENT	9	9	10
EXPLOSIVENESS	10	9	9

We see that Novak is still slightly superior to the others in almost all categories, having that physical ability allows him in the important points to make those exchanges that with footwork make him confident in himself and be able to make the right attacks.

Rafa was the only one to drive Novak crazy, especially by making him work longer in the exchanges, making him make more mistakes in the decisive moments, and get into his mind.

In Australia, there are perfect conditions for Novak, but given the speed of the court, my brother said he has never built such fast courts anywhere. Then Jannik, given the level shown indoors and being so fast, will have his chance for sure. Javier is the one making the courts of the Aussie Open in the last years.

Carlos has everything to do it right, is rested, and has the quality, we will see how he comes after the defeats of the end of the year, it will be more mental than physical that will be fresh. I would like to see the Carlos that was aggressive but didn’t mind to run, defend or grind; there is when he becomes really dangerous.

Novak, on the other hand, arrives like the last two years, with some pains before the event, but the last two years with pain he also found the way to win, physically is at his top, like Jannik almost did not stop, and are really top form.

Physically, we can say that Jannik has the slight advantage of having finished so strong and not have any problems.

Mental

The physical is almost attached to the mental; the physical is the amount of time that you are able to do what you do well, and the mental the quality of time that you do it. You play the game 100%, but when you get to those key points the mental state would be, how you think, how you feel and how you approach the difficulties.

When you serve, you play the key points, but you make a mistake. What do you feel? How do you get out of that emotion to face the next point? How do you talk to yourself after losing that point? What do you say to yourself? You only have 25 seconds to forget, and then forget and think what you do well and use it in the next point.

After 2023, Novak is the rival to beat, 3 slams, 1 final, Masters, and semis in Davis, spectacular season. Confidence is at a high level, and emotions seem to be controlled at key moments, although at times his attitude and manners of speaking to himself betray him.

Carlos started well, final in Paris, and champion in London, but after had a drop in results; mentally for sure he doubts on his head. For me after Wimbledon, he realized the ability and opportunity to play many ways, with all weapons, and that is a double-edged sword, to try things in key moments that are not the moment to try; also there was a decline in the hunger, for me it must find the 2022 Carlos who gave everything in both attack and defense, winning many points in two ways; in the second half of the year, it seemed that he did not want to enter that battle.

Jannik, on the other hand, had a year that went from less to more, he exploded in the indoor season with the final at home soil in Turin, beating Novak in the group to end leading Italy and beating again Novak to win the Davis Cup. He’s full of confidence; he believes it, and mentally that victory over Novak put him on the level of the other two. Emotionally controlling the moments better, and his conversation within himself was more him; even in the victory in doubles, we saw a leader, a champion, and facing a slam with that confidence put him at the top of the favorites for Australia even if he has never won.

But to win the slams, you have to make the difference in everything; win 90% of the serves, get to break free serves above 30%, but the rival as well will have those numbers, and it becomes a battle or a fight. Matches are decided by a few points, and there the champion is where they stand and make the difference, in attack with the serve, in defense, counterattack or attack to the response but above all being there all the points. The greatest of the game Federer, Sampras, Agassi, Rafa they try to win with their weapons, but in case they can’t, they wait and become patient like wolves until the rival shows weakness; that is what makes a difference, and use their privileged head, seems that they don’t get affected by errors, emotions, talks with themselves, they always play the next point, their purpose to win or to fight all the time makes them exceptional. And Jannik and Carlos if they want to take Novak’s place from his podium, they will have to touch excellence with their service, take risks to take initiative away from their rival, and be present the whole match.

Let’s divide the factors that decide the mental state from the three from 2022 comparison to 2023.

Confidence, emotions, thoughts, and purpose are decisive in defining attitude.

	2022	2023
CONFIDENCE	CAR	JAN
	NOL	NOL
	JAN	CAR
EMOTIONS	CAR	NOL
	NOL	JAN
	JAN	CAR
THOUGHTS	CAR	NOL
	NOL	JAN
	JAN	CAR
STRUGGLE	CAR	NOL
	NOL	JAN
	JAN	CAR
PURPOSE	CAR	NOL
	NOL	JAN
	JAN	CAR

We finished 2023 with a mentally plethoric Carlos, a promising Jannik but slowly Nole took the place away from them, starting for Australia, Paris, in London Carlos recovered but the match that changed everything was in Cincinnati, Carlos changed and let himself down, maybe the year was too long, but from there he was not the same, neither at US Open, nor in China, nor on the indoors he came back with the same strength and determination. Nole kept the competitiveness with his best season, and Jannik grew and grew to put himself on the agon of the favorites.

By Emilio Sánchez Vicario CEO of the ES Academy,
Photos by Paul Zimmer

Back-to-back Women’s PRO Tour to start 2024

Posted on 12 January, 2024

We find ourselves in the quarterfinal round of this empowering Germain BMW of Naples ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s $25k by the ES Academy. This week has been nothing short of exhilarating, with fierce matches pushing players to their limits, some extending to a remarkable three hours on the third set. As the courts buzz with intensity, emerging talents and seasoned players alike have left an indelible mark on this prestigious tournament, setting the stage for a two-week celebration of women’s power in tennis.

Louisa Chirico is poised to showcase her tennis skills. The formidable number 1 seed from the United States, world-ranked #261, advanced to the quarterfinals after a tough three-set match against Pieri, who emerged from the qualifying rounds. As they vie for a spot in the semifinals, spectators can anticipate an exhilarating and empowering clash between two athletes at the zenith of their game, each determined to leave an indomitable mark on the tournament.

Throughout the week, ES Academy athletes Fernanda Naves, Sophia Cisse and Cookie Jarvis have added an extra layer of dynamism to the competition, stepping into their first pro matches with remarkable skill and tenacity. This two-week back-to-back opportunity for players striving to break into the top 100 serves as a powerful testament to the immense talent and drive within the women’s tennis community. It’s a celebration of their journey, and everyone should rally behind these opportunities, recognizing the incredible talent that graces the courts.

Marie Benoit, ranked 265 in the world, brings her seasoned experience to the competition, showcasing a strategic defensive game and mental strength that resonates with the unstoppable force of women in sports. Her pursuit of a coveted spot among the top 100 embodies the unwavering determination that defines women’s power in tennis.

As we progress through the tournament, don’t forget about the semifinals and finals – all free to come watch! The climax arrives on Sunday January 14th around 10:30 am with the singles finals, providing a captivating spectacle for all. Looking ahead, the anticipation builds as next week’s $25k pro tournament takes center stage, featuring the dynamic United States player Robin Montgomery as the first seed and world number 191. This two-week extravaganza is a remarkable way to kick off 2024, a celebration of women’s power, resilience, and skill on the tennis court.

Let’s extend our gratitude to the sponsors who make it all possible: Germain BMW of Naples, Better Balance, Waterdrop, HEAD Tennis, and the organizations orchestrating the ITF World Tennis events. Additional thanks to Naples Marco Island Everglades, USTA Pro Circuit, and the onsite physio/doctors team from Orthocollier. Major appreciation goes to Emilio Sanchez, CEO of the ES Academy, for his significant role in nurturing the future stars of women’s tennis. This is a moment to celebrate, support, and champion the remarkable women shaping the tennis landscape as we kick off a powerful and inspiring 2024.

By the marketing department of the ES Florida,

Tristan’s Climb to Greatness

Posted on 8 December, 2023

From battling a rank of ATP #500 to the brink of greatness, Tristan Mccormick’s resilience and determination are the beating heart of this incredible story. This isn’t just a story of a tennis player; it’s a celebration of passion, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence that leaves an indelible mark on the world of tennis. Tristan’s story began when he was young, his love for tennis intensified as he started to compete and perform well. During his 13-14 years, he began to train with the ES Academy.

He embarked on a journey of competition and training at a high level. After his junior competition years, he decided to transition and embrace the college level. During this time, he excelled at one of the top schools in the country, Notre Dame, and completed his last year of eligibility at the University of Georgia.

During the interview with Emilio Sanchez, the CEO of the Emilio Sanchez Academy, he asked;

“So, you decided to jump into your dream of playing professionally after that?”

Tristan responded; I never lost sight of that dream. I was already on the tour got to 356 and broke my foot at the end of July, which kept me out for four or five months. I have been rehabbing since then, and it caused a drop in my ranking. However, I now feel great and view that injury as a positive thing. I believe it happened for a reason.

“What is the biggest difference between college and the pro tour?”

During the college years, many things are taken care of for you. You have 10 different teammates for practicing, a set schedule of practices, and everything is paid and organized for you during travel. Your job is to show up, play, and perform at your best. Once you transition to the Pro tour, numerous challenges arise. You have more responsibilities, such as ensuring you get enough sleep and managing your practice schedules. It’s like transitioning to the real world; you go from everything being fun and games to taking more personal responsibility. You have to take care of yourself and approach things with a higher level of professionalism.

“So, if you have to introduce yourself and tell people who you are, how would you define yourself?”

My biggest strength is my desire to improve and the aspiration to achieve greatness; I would say that’s my greatest asset, and it influences how I approach every day. Regarding my game, I feel that since working with you, Emilio, I have significantly improved in understanding my identity. I am sharpening my tools and becoming a more complete player. My next steps involve getting back out there, choosing a path of tournaments, and being ready to compete. Every time I envision my comeback, I get a butterfly feeling.

“You had the chance to play with Brandon Nakashima (ATP#134, career high #43). What are your thoughts and feelings so far about this experience?”

The experience of playing with such a top guy like him – well, first, he is a great tennis player. He excels in many aspects, and when you’re not locked in and moving your feet, he’s going to back you up. But week by week, I have been getting more used to the speed of the ball and his rhythm. His intensity makes me appreciate every minute of every practice because he is a top player. With that intensity and his professionalism, he is an inspiration to me. Seeing how he works and understanding what it takes to be a top player is invaluable.

Check out the full interview below featuring the story of Tristan McCormick, currently ranked ATP #743, as he strives to make it to the top!

By Emilio Sanchez CEO of the Emilio Sanchez academy & Tristan Mccormick ATP Tennis player.

Beyond tennis

Posted on 8 November, 2023

The past two weeks we celebrated one of the greatest moments in our tennis academy. Resilience, hard work, pain, and satisfaction rose on the Emilio Sanchez Barcelona tennis courts where the 2023 NEC Wheelchair ITF Masters and ITF1 Wheelchair Catalonia Open were held. With two weeks full of life, sensations, and emotions all the assistants had the opportunity to attend a tennis tournament, participate in a wheelchair clinic, sit at a conference with a guest speaker, and witness a dinner of awards.

Diversity and integration are celebrated in today’s tennis as part of the sport, tennis is not a stop for anyone, and which better example than from Daniel Caverzaschi (ES Athlete) who stated “I am what I am because of my own personal history, because of how my parents raised me, always from a normal perspective, without complaints, because being in a wheelchair is not the end, for me it was the beginning of everything” Another athlete Niels Vink, current number 1 in the world in the quad modality, commented that “Sometimes you have to explain to people what you are like and the ability you have to do things, because they simply think that you can’t do them, but I am capable of it.”

The event NEC Wheelchair Masters proclaimed Alfie Hewett as the champion making this his third ITF alongside 57 other titles throughout his tennis career. In the women’s draw Diede de Groot took the trophy making this one her 82nd title in her career and her sixth ITF Master. Along with her achievements, she has 20 Grand Slams and a silver medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

In the Quad test, Niels Vink has been crowned for the second consecutive week in Barcelona and in the Doubles Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid were crowned champions of the men’s draw and in the women’s event, the Japanese Yui Kamiji and the South African Kgothatso Montjane were proclaimed champions after a well disputed final.

One of the best days for this wonderful event is when the inclusion came to our student-athlete’s minds by having the opportunity to participate in the wheelchair clinic. This clinic allowed them to discover the magic of the sport behind a chair. Together with the Emilio Sanchez Vicario Foundation, the clinic had the pleasure to see the participation of ES Athlete Daniel Caverzaschi, ES Athlete WTA player Fernanda Contreras, the CEO himself Emilio Sánchez Vicario, and students of the Emilio Sánchez Academy & American School. This experience made the students empathize with the difficulties of wheelchair tennis and created an atmosphere of learning and growth.

A dinner gala was celebrated to recognize the Emilio Sanchez Academy Barcelona, its facilities, and the CEO Emilio Sanchez alongside ITF, FCAT (its president Jordi Tamayo), and el Prat Council.

During the last two weeks, our tennis academy had a unique experience that made our student-athletes understand why sport is so important and that, even in the difficulties when it comes to goals and objectives, they have to go for it appreciating all the moments and the opportunities they have.

By the ES Barcelona team,