Tennis Stories

When Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix brought together her two passions: tennis and speech language pathology, something magical happened. Students who were shy and reserved were over time able to communicate and enjoy the sport. Through a system she developed using on-court banners that have graphics representing feelings and actions, her adaptive tennis players were laughing and playing alongside new friends while developing language, social and motor skills. Taking her experience as a USPTA & PTR Elite Tennis Professional, she created Love Serving Autism, which is now a national nonprofit organization.

Did you know that a woman experiencing a heart attack won't necessarily have the same symptoms a man would have? And that heart disease, not breast cancer is the #1 killer of women in the United States?

It's so important women know what red flags to look out for relating to their heart health, and playing a sport like tennis can help women both maintain heart health and even identify underlying cardiac issues. Not to mention, a 2017 Copenhagen City Heart study found that playing tennis may increase life expectancy by 9.7 years!

We sat down with former USTA Eastern junior, Dr. Ersilia M. DeFilippis who is an Assistant Professor of Cardiology and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center to find out how women in particular can benefit from playing tennis.

Aki Wolfson has seen firsthand how tennis transformed the lives of people who use wheelchairs. She views tennis as medicine, wherever a person is in life.

Wolfson is a USPTA Wheelchair Tennis Professional who has taught at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for over 25 years and has served as the Tournament director of the Jana Hunsaker Memorial Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, a role she has held for over 20 years.

Aki Wolfson is currently the Tennis Director under CommonpointQueens at Alley Pond where Commonpoint is a non-profit organization where its mission is to sustain and enhance the quality of family and individual life for all members of the community, regardless of religion, ethnic or cultural background, national origin, gender identity or expression, age or disability within an inclusive environment that facilitates growth, meets individual needs and builds community.

When Kelsey Shea graduated from college after playing Division I tennis at Colgate, she knew she wanted to transition her passion into a career. She is now the tennis manager at Armonk Tennis Club. College students, take notes!📝

Nick Zieziula loved sports growing up and found his niche in tennis, reaching 15th in the Eastern section his senior year. Like many of us, Nick caught the tennis bug and has been coaching and organizing ever since. He is now the head coach of the Binghamton University Men's tennis team, and he coordinates an adaptive tennis program called Createable The Magic Paintbrush Project. 

Phyllis Orlowski lives to share the sport of tennis! As a teacher in Oneonta, NY she revitalized the defunded tennis program in her town with a little determination and some help from Net Generation!

Mike Smookler has been coaching tennis since 1989 and currently serves as the USPTA Eastern's Vice President and tennis director at the West Orange Tennis Club. 

Anda Perianu gew up playing tennis under the Romanian sun during her summers growing up. Her tennis journey took her to great heights playing college tennis, and then professionally. She now manages Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, NY. Hear her journey and why she thinks that if you can't get tennis out of your head, then you should pursue a career in the industry.

Liezel Huber left South Africa at 15 "with a suitcase and a dream" to pursue a career in tennis. After years of collecting doubles titles, she's now the executive director of tennis at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning. 

Art Carrington has been a renowned tennis coach for decades, and his son Lex has followed in his footsteps in high-caliber coaching as well. This interview with both Art and Lex Carrington touches on so many aspects of their careers in tennis, with a focus on what it will take to grow tennis in the Black community. 

Amber Marino, the president of USTA Eastern's board of directors, merged her love of reaching kids through education with tennis. As Executive Director of 15love, she oversees tennis programs for underserved communities that go beyond delivering tennis.

If you need a dose of positivity in your day, check out our interview with Luke Jensen, former pro and full-time tennis enthusiast. Hear from his perspective what kinds of opportunities are available in the tennis industry.

Gigi Fernandez and her doubles partner Natasha Zvereva won 14 grand slams over the course of 5 years. Hear exactly what she attributes that level of success to in our latest edition of Acing a Tennis Career.

When Cesar Andrade immigrated to the US, he fell in love with tennis. Today he is a citizen and director of operations at his own tennis academy. His career has been shaped by his passion for tennis as he worked his way up through the industry. Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Cesar!

"We want to make tennis look like America. That's what we say, that's not always what we've done. So really, that's the focus going forward."

Patrick Galbraith, Chairman of the Board and President of the United States Tennis Association sat down with us to discuss his career, the USTA's future, and recently announced plans about the US Open. We are so appreciative he took the time to speak with us in the midst of such a busy time for our organization!

Katrina Adams broke barriers in many positions she has held throughout her tennis career. We thank her for taking some time to sit down with us to share her thoughts on the current state of our country, and reflect on her pioneering role in tennis history.

When he was in eighth grade, Bob Bynum hated tennis. But once he tried it, he fell in love with the sport. Now a renowned and beloved coach, Bob wants everyone to know how rewarding a career as a tennis coach can be!