International Tennis Performance Association

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 — 𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

A recent article from Dr. Mark Kovacs highlights how modern tennis training is shifting beyond traditional basket feeding toward more individualized and match-specific drill environments.

Small changes in movement demands, recovery time, and decision-making requirements can dramatically influence how players adapt physically and neurologically.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

For coaches, the key takeaway is simple: effective drill design is no longer about volume alone. It's about creating training environments that reflect the demands of real match play.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲:
https://www.itpamembers.org/physical-drill-design-in-tennis-moving-beyond-generic-drilling-to-a-more-specific-and-personalized-environment/

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗲-𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Research on clay-court shoe kinematics and friction highlights an important concept for coaches: movement efficiency on clay is not only about speed, but about managing traction and deceleration.

Players must constantly adapt to the interaction between the shoe and the surface. Too much grip can increase braking forces and overload the lower body, while too little grip reduces stability and push-off effectiveness.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘆-𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

For coaches, this changes how movement training should be approached on clay:

• Teach players how to decelerate, not just accelerate
• Develop balance and posture during slides
• Train timing and body control into open-stance recoveries
• Emphasize movement rhythm rather than rigid footwork patterns

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭.

“Influence of Clay Properties on Shoe-kinematics and Friction During Tennis Movements”: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705814006687

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀!

In this podcast, Ruben Neyens shares practical insights on tennis-specific physical development, building effective training environments for young players, and why every coach needs a clear methodology.

Known for his creative and highly effective exercises for children, Ruben works with federations, academies, and clubs around the world.

Ruben also discusses common mistakes coaches make, what leading countries are doing differently in youth development, and simple ways coaches can make an immediate impact.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Listen to it here: https://shorturl.at/7EAVV

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁.

In this episode, Franco Herrero breaks down what really improves movement, recovery, and quickness on court — from changing direction efficiently to recovering better after matches and why consistency matters more than extreme workouts.

One of the premier fitness coaches in tennis, Franco has worked with Reilly Opelka, Monica Puig, and Tommy Paul.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁.

Listen to it here:
https://podtail.com/podcast/baseline-intelligence-with-jonathan-stokke/franco-herrero-how-to-improve-your-fitness-and-fee/

Congratulations to our newest MTPS, Alastair Milne Home! Alastair joins an exclusive group of very elite professionals working with tennis players. "Every player has unique needs, which is why I design customized, long-term development plans that focus not only on performance but also on reducing injury risks. Whether it's perfecting technique, optimizing nutrition, or integrating recovery protocols, I work to ensure my athletes have everything they need to succeed—on the court and beyond." Read more here! https://itpa-tennis.org/alastairmilnehome.html

𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

The ITF Fitness Testing Guide is a must-read for coaches and performance specialists working in high-performance tennis looking to better understand the physical demands of the modern game and apply evidence-based testing.

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵, 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Read the full guide here:https://www.itftennis.com/media/2295/conditioning-fitness-testing.pdf

Great job opportunity. LEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH AT THE UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION working with the best players in the country. This is a great role for a CERTIFIED TENNIS PERFORMANCE SPECIALIST (CTPS) through the ITPA

Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach in Lake Nona, Florida | Careers at US-FL-Lake Nona Who We Are We are Tennis! The USTA (United States Tennis Association) is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US...

𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲
by Emil Vassilev, TPT

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 — 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

Tennis is more than technique, strategy, or athleticism. It’s a mirror — reflecting your habits, fears, identity, and potential. The real battle isn’t across the net. It’s within you.

This book is about resilience, focus, confidence, composure, and learning to play, and live, with greater freedom, clarity, and authenticity.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝘄!

Order your copy today and start strengthening your game from the inside out: https://a.co/d/05oVXH3E

RETURN TO YOURSELF: The Mental Game of Tennis and Life Tennis is more than technique, strategy, or athleticism. The real battle isn’t across the net. In this book, tennis coach and author Emil guides you through the with clarity, honesty, and a grounded, human voice. Instead of clichés or quick fixes, he offers a practical, It...

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲?

The Master Tennis Performance Specialist (MTPS) is the highest level of certification, built for coaches working with elite and high-performance players. It emphasizes advanced programming, long-term planning, and real-world application through case studies and performance analysis—all delivered in a 100% online format.

Reserved for experienced professionals, MTPS positions you as a leader in tennis performance. With the flexibility to learn from anywhere, it’s designed for those who want to deliver world-class training systems and operate at the top tier of the sport.

𝗠𝗧𝗣𝗦, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲! 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆:. https://itpa-tennis.org/mtps.html

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹?

The Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS) is considered the gold standard in tennis performance training, designed for coaches ready to go beyond the basics. It focuses on building advanced strength, movement efficiency, and conditioning programs tailored specifically to tennis athletes.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗖𝗧𝗣𝗦 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆. It’s a powerful way to elevate your coaching impact and professional credibility.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀? Join the elite ranks of CTPS-certified professionals today.! https://itpa-tennis.org/ctps-level-2.html