Tennis Prose




May/10

18

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy Officially Launches

John McEnroe’s tennis journey first began at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy in Port Washington, New York.

On Wednesday, May 19, John McEnroe will commence a new phase of his career as he will officially open his own junior tennis development facility at SPORTIME at Randall’s Island in New York City, The John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

For McEnroe, it is a new direction, a new challenge to apply his energies and knowledge of the sport – one that he is clearly looking forward to, even though his previous experiences coaching ATP level players did not work out as well as he might have hoped.

McEnroe doesn’t mind starting from the beginning. “I’m gonna look actually to get even younger kids (than just-beginning ATP touring pros). That’s a whole other animal. The mentality of a coach is to travel, give a guy tips. Any time any player ultimately sort of – I’d like to think there was a camaraderie as an ex-player, and commentator – I’d like to see them maximize their abilities. So if they actually want to ask me something, I’d be more than happy to tell them what my opinion would be. And I’ve done that.”

McEnroe says the players he worked with – Sergi Bruguera, Boris Becker and Mark Philippoussis – were not quite as receptive to his input as one would expect: “I don’t think a single person’s listened to a word I said so far,” he says with a smile. “The guys that actually came to work with me a little bit – so I don’t know if I didn’t have what it takes to sort of get in their heads, when they needed it, however brief it was. I’d like to prefer to put the blame on them if possible.”

McEnroe, who won seven grand slam singles titles, 77 singles and 78 career ATP doubles titles, is more optimistic that he will be better able to connect with and influence the games of the younger players. “Ultimately I think that younger kids, that maybe have heard of me at least, and sort of can see what I can still do out there – when they’re just starting and into their teens – might be a better fit. And then sort of lead them. And then if you actually work with them when they’re younger, then maybe they come back a little when they’re older.”

On Wednesday May 19, McEnroe will also announce his plans for a unique “open call” opportunity for young tennis players to try out and earn a scholarship to the Academy starting in September 2010.

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5 comments

  • Joe Sch · May 18, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    Good move Mac !
    The tennis academies need some new life, especially in the US. McEnroe maybe able to help produce a new wave of kids that can play allcourt attacking tennis and bring back more of the tennis skills that have been missing since the days of Serve/Volley.

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 18, 2010 at 10:04 pm

    It’s easy to imagine McEnroe producing future champions. In every aspect of tennis that he has worked at throughout his life, he has succeeded in flying colors. Wonder what he would think about having the kids play with wood racquets for about an hour a week – to improve their hand-eye coordination.

  • ahacker · May 19, 2010 at 5:58 pm

    Hopefully it works out, but he hasn’t proven himself a great administrator — or someone who stays on task for more than about 6 months at a time (remember the game show?). Who will actually be running the Johnny Mac show at Randall’s Island and will they be able to bring together the right coaching pros AND be able to get McEnroe to work within the situation (remember the Davis Cup captaincy) to help everyone, which means all the players, parents, coaches (again, everyone) who aren’t as innately gifted

  • ahacker · May 19, 2010 at 6:25 pm

    Hopefully it works out, but he hasn’t proven himself a great administrator — or someone who stays on task for more than about 6 months at a time (remember the game show?). Who will actually be running the Johnny Mac show at Randall’s Island and will they be able to bring together the right coaching pros AND be able to get McEnroe to work within the situation (remember the Davis Cup captaincy) to help everyone, which means all the players, parents, coaches (i.e., everyone) who aren’t as innately gifted

  • Costas Vitkon · May 19, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    Great news. US tennis needs a breath of fresh air.

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