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,

What are Mondays like?

Posted on 29 September, 2023

We get these questions with a high frequency; Parents want to know what we do at the academy and their kids are unaware of what it is like to be at our annual Tennis+School program. So, let’s go together and walk along a Monday in our student-athlete’s life so you can read and understand what it looks like.

With an early start, those students who are boarding in our onsite apartments set their alarm for 6 a.m., they have already made their bags the night before, so they just need to brush their teeth, get dressed, and be ready.

They get their bags and walk out at 6:15 a.m. At a slow pace, they walk to the clubhouse and head down to the locker rooms where they drop their bags and go up for breakfast. Breakfast is a tough choice but usually, some scrambled eggs, toast, some fresh-cut fruit, and a glass of juice sounds good to most of our group.

After breakfast, athletes put their shoes on, get their tennis staff ready, open their locker to grab the last things, and head to the front desk where there they can find a paper with their names and placement on the court. At 6:50 a.m. groups of athletes start going down to their assigned courts, they get together and start the warmup as a group. The warmup lasts for about 15 minutes and serves to make sure all the body has been activated and along with the stretch bands prevents them from getting injured.

Coaches already have balls on the court, so now it is time to go to their assigned court and start their court routines where they start their tennis warm-up with each other. Slowly moving to baseline, they are waiting to hear the scream to start, when that happens it is time for rotations. Rotations are life balls that have point play in them so once the end of the rotation call gets called, they move up and down in a lather depending if they win or lose, placing themselves on the group of that day based on their performance.

Once rotation finishes, groups get together, and the coach explains how the practice is going to go and what they will work on during the training time. Practices are planned following the ES Tennis teaching system that has 30% Controls, 30% Drills, and 30% Matchplay, the remaining 10% is up to the coach.

During the practice, coaches have 2 players per court and around 6 to 7 players per group. With several water breaks, the players have high-performance training with many learning opportunities led by coaches who have been trained under the same system and have plenty of experience in the field. After the 3 hours of play, athletes rush to the showers to get ready for school time.

They put on their sports uniform and go to our ES private American school onsite to start their day. Each day is an A or a B Day of classes where they are taught in small settings to help them be more attentive and learn better with a personalized approach. During the day they have 3 courses of 1:30’ each with 2 breaks in between the first one for lunch at the dining room with homemade daily food made by our kitchen staff and the last one a 10’ break to get a snack. Today students had AP US history, PreAP Biology and for A3 they had PreAP Geometry.

Once the clock indicates 4 p.m. it is time for their afternoon activities. On Mondays, they don’t have regular fitness in the afternoon, instead, they have hydro tennis in the first hour in which they do fitness at the pool to help them with mobility resistance, and strength, followed by a mental session happening at the dining room during the second hour.

During mental, they talk about different topics that affect them during their on-court performance and ways to solve them. Motivation, Goals, and Negative thoughts among others are covered during the sessions… Afterward, they enter their last shower of the day and head upstairs for a dinner break. Dinner is served in a buffet style as well; students have time to eat and rest until their last item on their schedule for the day which is study hall.

The last hour is dedicated to an hour of study that they have 3 times a week where they get to advance in their homework and exams among others. After their study hall, it is time to pack the bags and head home, a place where they can rest inside their house, get ready for the next day, or use their free time until curfew to walk around our campus with their friends to disconnect.

During the whole day, our student-athletes follow a rigorous schedule that allows them to train to develop their game and at the same time do academics to grow their knowledge, a mix to take the best of our student-athletes. It is a schedule that brings out the best in both sides helping them become unique individuals.

By the marketing department of the ES Florida,

Carlos Alcaraz, a mix of modern and ancient tennis in emotional moments.

Posted on 21 July, 2023

By Emilio Sanchez Vicario, CEO of the Emilio Sanchez Academy & Former Tennis Pro.

And for many more years, we will remember the wonderful final that went into the history of this past Wimbledon 2023 on the central court of the “All England Club”

Author: Emilio Sanchez Vicario

Pure sport, physical, mental, generational fighting, opponents were 16 years apart. On the one hand, Carlos I could rank the most technically complete player in history at his age. He has revolutionized tennis, using his punches in any of the zones, both on his side and the opponents, with his drop shots, a mixture of high and low balls, strong and soft, topspins and slices. He plays deep and strong like all modern tennis players, but he also plays in the inside half of the court as players did in ancient tennis and there is the great evolution. Or REVOLUTION.

In front of him, he has had the champion in his maximum expression by building together all the pillars technical, tactical, physical, and mental. Djoko has found his best version after getting the best form, he lives tennis in a spartan way. Taking care of his physique in an innovative way, living, eating, and sleeping to take care of his body, developing that survival instinct of the most truthful predators, using their best weapons when emotions betray you. He is able to enter a state where he never makes mistakes and abstracts himself from the emotions that during the game can often make him vulnerable. But when it really counts, it does not affect him, it is as if there were two Djokos, the one who is negatively excited when he things don’t count, and the one who does not affect him and appears in the moments that matter. Since Roland Garros he had won 16 tiebreaks, more than 100 points and, we could count his mistakes on one hand. Carlos broke that record and was better in emotional moments.

-Wimbledon.com. (n.d.). https://www.wimbledon.com/

The Spanish player could read better, be more patient, more aggressive, confident, be more happy, and, above all, be more predatory. In the points that change the matches, he was happy and found the formula to make his best game and, get Djoko to show his negative emotions in the key moments, which are the ones that count. In the 5-4 down in the tiebreak, Djoko missed two backhands in a row, his best shot, and there the game changed. Carlos managed to win the battle of emotions to end up dominating in the third. Drop a little in the fourth, but after Djoko’s mistake in the net at the break point of the third game. In the fifth, Carlos kept his composure and fought the battle the same way. These epic matches are defined in those few points and Carlitos knew how to endure without being weighed by emotions, as happened in Paris. In there, everyone thought he was winning, he found a wall. In London. Carlos won the emotional battle to win the biggest game of his career. He was more resilient, a fighter, positive in adversity, confident, calm, and inspired by victory.

-Alcaraz during the ATP Challenger of the Emilio Sanchez Academy, Barcelona.

Carlos did not make one of the matches that characterize him with total domination, but he did grow as progressed. He won in the cathedral against the champion of the last 5 years, against the tennis player who has played more finals in history. But the most important thing is to win in the final of Wimbledon against one of the top 3 in history, Djoko, Rafa, and Fed, and it is not the same to beat them. Therefore this victory counts triple, it strengthens him in the world top and leads him to the glory of getting closer to becoming like them.

By Emilio Sanchez Vicario, CEO of the Emilio Sanchez Academy & Former Tennis Pro.