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IMG Academy Ascenders Boys Tennis Roster
Class Year
All Class Years
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Class of 2033
Class of 2032
Class of 2031
Class of 2030
Class of 2029
Class of 2028
Class of 2027
Class of 2026
Class of 2025
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Kotaro Abe
Class of 2028
Aarav Agarwal
Class of 2028
Alessandro Agnesi
Class of 2029
Jose Antonio Briseno Mandujano
Class of 2030
Aydan Assi
Class of 2029
Enzo Badotti Cariani
Class of 2027
Alessio Battello
Class of 2028
Alexandru Benderschi
Class of 2027
Albert Berksoy
Class of 2027
Nikolai Boyce
Class of 2032
Joseph Bramurov
Class of 2028
Noah Broadbent
Class of 2030
Chase Bunting
Class of 2031
Juan Castillo Andrade
Class of 2028
Amon Castro
Class of 2030
Mihai Cazangiu
Class of 2028
Ezra Chang
Class of 2031
Javier Chiyah Felipe
Class of 2027
Joshua Chui
Class of 2030
Henry Chung
Class of 2032
Manoel Cosenza Leao
Class of 2027
Petru Cotoman
Class of 2028
Zijun Cui
Class of 2028
Ashton Curtis
Class of 2030
Grey Davis
Class of 2032
Lucas de Freitas Cancellier
Class of 2028
Khaizuran Dhia Maliki
Class of 2029
Cooper Dickson
Class of 2027
Payton Didrickson
Class of 2027
Alexander Dirlea
Class of 2028
Shepard Duerr-Cardwell
Class of 2030
Azlan Durrani
Class of 2027
Ricards Dzirkals
Class of 2027
Tomas Eduardo Ibañez Prada
Class of 2033
Archibald Eloy
Class of 2030
Samim Filiz
Class of 2027
Leonardo Freitag
Class of 2027
Paulo Frischtak Mandel
Class of 2029
Ziyu Fu
Class of 2027
Santiago Fuertes Vazquez
Class of 2030
Daniel Gardality
Class of 2030
Brighton Glazer
Class of 2031
Nicolas Grapeggia Renosto
Class of 2029
Derek Gutierrez
Class of 2028
Matias Gutierrez Marquez
Class of 2030
Sebastian Hidalgo
Class of 2028
Yosuke Hino
Class of 2029
Zhengwei Huang
Class of 2028
Yernur Indykbayev
Class of 2032
Junseo Jang
Class of 2029
Xiaohan Jiang
Class of 2029
Santiago Jose Elosua Serna
Class of 2026
Takahiro Kawaguchi
Class of 2028
Orri Keighery
Class of 2031
Grant Kleppinger
Class of 2027
Kyle Klosson
Class of 2028
Mikhail Kolesnichenko
Class of 2027
Samuel Krueger
Class of 2028
Bora Kurucu
Class of 2027
Chandler Ladenburg
Class of 2029
Philippe Larouche
Class of 2027
Ryan Le
Class of 2025
Luke LeBlond
Class of 2027
Tucker LeBlond
Class of 2028
Kayden-Reed Letson
Class of 2027
Ziyue Ma
Class of 2030
Eduardo Macedo Carvalho
Class of 2028
Pedro Magalhaes E Oliveira
Class of 2027
Ryder Mahoney
Class of 2029
Asher May
Class of 2029
Jaden Men Hei Chui
Class of 2028
Pablo Montemayor Davila
Class of 2029
Koki Nara
Class of 2026
Cruz Noel Pichler
Class of 2028
Nolan Oliver Hernandez
Class of 2032
Alejandro Pazos
Class of 2033
Felipe Pentagna Guimaraes Passos
Class of 2028
Jose Petrucci Neto
Class of 2026
Rafael Piazza Gama
Class of 2027
Shaurya Potu
Class of 2027
Cruz Quinlan
Class of 2028
Davi Quinta Vaz Oliveira
Class of 2028
Stefan Regos
Class of 2028
Mason Robinson
Class of 2027
Marc Salamina Barbera
Class of 2027
David Satalan
Class of 2031
Jesse Singh
Class of 2028
Vihaan Singh
Class of 2027
Pedro Soares De Senna Lacerda
Class of 2028
Joseph Steiger
Class of 2027
Haruto Tamaki
Class of 2030
Silvio Tanev Jr.
Class of 2028
Darsh Tewari
Class of 2027
Stanley Trinh
Class of 2029
Chace Underwood
Class of 2026
Henry Waddell
Class of 2028
Chaozeng Wang
Class of 2029
Ziheng Wang
Class of 2031
Luke Waunford-Brown
Class of 2026
Maximilian Wise
Class of 2027
Felipe Wright Roman
Class of 2028
Jeremy Zhang
Class of 2032
Cheng Zhong
Class of 2027
Oliver Zinaja
Class of 2027
Coaching Staff
Staff Directory ›
James Arias
Director of Player Development
James "Jimmy" Arias serves as Director of Player Development for IMG Academy tennis, a role held since 2024. That role followed more than six years as IMG Academy's Director of Tennis, from 2017 to 2024.
Arias turned pro at 15 and reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1984. A junior standout who was ranked No. 1 in the country in the 12s and 14s divisions, Arias won the 1981 French Open mixed doubles title alongside Andrea Jaeger at age 16, reached the US Open singles semifinals in 1983, and reached the semifinals of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics tennis demonstration event. Arias earned the ATP's Most Improved Player award in 1983 and is a member of the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame. That career also included wins over future world No. 1s, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Boris Becker.
Before joining IMG Academy, Arias served as an assistant coach for the University of South Florida men's tennis team for the 2016-17 season. Work with WTA Tour players has also been part of that career, including Jessica Pegula, and Arias has coached Monica Seles.
Beyond coaching, Arias has built a long career as a tennis broadcaster, working as a color commentator for Tennis Channel, ESPN, and NBC, including Olympic coverage, and has won two Emmy Awards for that work.
Arias's coaching emphasizes technical fundamentals early on, then shifts toward match-play situations that simulate competitive pressure, helping student-athletes learn their own strengths, weaknesses, and most comfortable patterns. At IMG Academy, Arias focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Weylu Chang
Assistant Director, Boys Tennis Technical Director
Weylu Chang serves as Assistant Director and Boys Tennis Technical Director for IMG Academy tennis, overseeing the boys tennis program with 11 direct reports across a team of 30 coaches and 120 student-athletes. Chang has been an IMG Academy team member since 2011, working through roles including Junior Tennis Coach, Head Coach, and Team Leader from 2011 to 2019, including a term as Tournament Director for the Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships from 2013 to 2014, before moving into department leadership.
Early in Chang's career, before IMG Academy, Chang served as coach and hitting partner for WTA player Monica Seles in 2001, followed by a stint as hitting partner for WTA player Ai Sugiyama later that year. Chang then worked as a Head Tennis Professional and Performance Director at clubs and academies in Connecticut, Bradenton, and Sarasota from 2002 to 2011.
Chang's own playing career included top-20 USTA New England junior rankings from 1988 to 1991 and top-20 USTA Florida junior rankings from 1992 to 1996, along with a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 1011 on tour from 1993 to 1998. Chang played for the University of Alabama men's tennis team from 1995 to 1999, then served as Team Manager and Assistant Coach for the program from 1999 to 2001, and holds a bachelor's degree in management from Alabama (2001) and a master's degree in leadership from Liberty University (2016), along with USPTA and ITPA certifications.
Chang's coaching philosophy centers on developing disciplined people who think, compete, lead, and continually improve, using tennis to build strong character and good habits. At IMG Academy, Chang focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Amar Vora
Assistant Director, Sport Operations
Jennifer Pourchier
Head of College Placement
Jennifer Pourchier serves as Head of College Placement for IMG Academy tennis, a role held since joining IMG Academy in 2025. That role draws on 23 years of collegiate head coaching experience at Reinhardt University, including two Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards.
Eight All-Americans and 15 Academic All-Americans came out of that coaching career, along with a top-15 national ranking sustained for 12 consecutive years and more than 200 international student-athletes recruited. Directing the EXCEL Tennis Academy rounded out that chapter of Pourchier's career.
Pourchier played four years at Middle Tennessee State University, holding the program's career record for doubles wins and a national doubles ranking earned there. Growing up, Pourchier was ranked No. 3 in the state of Georgia in the 16-and-under division and finished a high school tennis career with a 73-4 record. Pourchier holds a bachelor's and a master's degree, both from Middle Tennessee State University.
Pourchier's coaching philosophy centers on respect for yourself, your peers, and the game. Family is central outside of coaching: Pourchier's household includes four children and two dogs, with their combined sports schedules keeping things busy. At IMG Academy, Pourchier focuses on helping student-athletes find the right college fit and prepare for the next level.
Jakub Grzeslo
Senior Head Coach
Jakub Grzeslo serves as Senior Head Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2003. From 2004 to 2013, Grzeslo served as IMG Academy's College Coordinator for Tennis.
A Division I playing career at Coastal Carolina University (1999-2003) included Big South Conference Player of the Year honors in 2000. Grzeslo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Coastal Carolina and USPTA certification.
At IMG Academy, Grzeslo focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Aggelos Venizelos
Senior Head Coach
A native of Athens, Greece, Aggelos Venizelos serves as Head Coach for IMG Academy's competitive boys tennis group, a title held since 2025. Venizelos has been an IMG Academy team member since 2021 and has coached ATP Tour player Denis Shapovalov since 2024, part of a stretch that has produced three tour titles in 2024 and 2025: the Dallas Open, the Serbia Open 250, and the 2025 Los Cabos Open.
Before joining IMG Academy, Venizelos spent 2016 to 2021 as Lead Coach of the competitive group and traveling pro coach at Bruguera Tennis Academy. Across that career, Venizelos has developed more than 11 ITF junior players ranked in the world top 100 and two junior world No. 1s, and has coached Rei Sakamoto to the 2024 Australian Open junior singles and US Open junior doubles titles, Max Schoenhaus to the 2024 Wimbledon junior doubles title, Danil Panarin to the 2024 Orange Bowl 18s boys' singles title, and Hoyoung Roh to the Osaka Mayor's Cup.
Venizelos holds a Level A certification from the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association (GPTCA). That coaching is built on consistency and showing up to give full effort each day, trusting a long-term development plan over the pull of immediate results. Venizelos leads by example, bringing the same discipline and focus to the court expected of student-athletes.
At IMG Academy, Venizelos focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
David Ayme
Senior Head Coach, Bollettieri Tennis Program
David "Red" Ayme serves as Senior Head Coach of the Bollettieri Tennis Program at IMG Academy, where Ayme has coached since 1987. Over nearly four decades, Ayme has worked with two players who reached world No. 1 in the ATP rankings, Boris Becker and Marcelo Rios, and coached Tommy Haas full time for ten years, from 1995 to 2005, a stretch in which Haas reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 2, three Grand Slam semifinals, and 13 tour titles.
Ayme began coaching in 1987 after years of varsity college tennis attending Nicholls State University and one year as an assistant coach, then spent 20 years traveling full time with professional players. Along the way, Ayme has developed thousands of college and competitive junior players, conducted clinics around the world for IMG Academy and Nick Bollettieri, and holds USPTR certification.
Ayme has been a featured speaker at tennis symposiums worldwide and presented at the 2023 World Tennis Conference, appeared in live tennis coverage on ESPN, USA, and CBS during the 1995-2005 span, and written for Tennis Magazine. A Screen Actors Guild card followed a speaking role in the tennis film "The Break" alongside Martin Sheen and Vincent Van Patten, and Ayme now also works as a motivational speaker for corporations, including Fortune 500 companies, and charity events.
At IMG Academy, Ayme continues that work today, helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Dorian Cudina
Head Coach
Dorian Cudina serves as Head Coach for IMG Academy tennis, joining IMG Academy in 2025. Cudina previously served as Head Coach at Alliance Tennis Academy in Katy, Texas, from 2019 to 2025, and founded Cudina Private Training LLC, also in Katy, in 2024.
A Division III college playing career at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, included the university's Scholar Athlete Award in 2024. Cudina holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, with a minor in Sales, from the school.
Coaching, for Cudina, emphasizes fundamentals and movement. At IMG Academy, Cudina focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Tina Cvetkovic
Head Coach
Alvaro Figuerola
Head Coach
A native of Miami, Florida, Alvaro "Figo" Figuerola serves as Head Coach for IMG Academy boys' and girls' tennis. Figo coached at IMG Academy from 1999 to 2009 and returned in 2026 to take on the role. Figo holds USPTA P1 certification, held since 2001, one of the sport's most demanding coaching credentials.
Figo has developed nationally and internationally ranked junior student-athletes across multiple age divisions, including Todd Reid (2001), G.D. Jones (2005), Pierre Durali (2005), and Phillip Dell (2010), ranked juniors in the 12s and 14s divisions. That work has helped student-athletes reach the NCAA Division I level, with placements at programs including Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, NC State, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma, reflecting a long-term approach built around college-pathway preparation.
Figo has also served as a Camp Director at IMG Academy and conducts clinics for student-athletes and coaches across the United States and internationally, extending those coaching methods beyond individual instruction. In the current Head Coach role, Figo is responsible for developing IMG Academy's next generation of top student-athletes, across both boys' and girls' tennis.
Outside coaching, Figo competes as an ultra-runner, applying the same discipline and endurance principles that shape his high-performance training. As Head Coach, Figo supports IMG Academy's mission to empower student-athletes to win their future.
Arnaud Petel
Head Coach
Wafik Bennacer
Senior Assistant Coach
Wafik Bennacer serves as Senior Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2005.
Over that tenure, Bennacer has worked across IMG Academy's junior and adult tennis departments and has traveled with pro player Philip Bester to the Miami Open. Bennacer's own playing career included tournaments across Belgium, Spain, and France, along with two appearances in the Miami Open pre-qualifying rounds.
Bennacer holds a business degree and USPTA, Cardio Tennis, and CPR certifications.
Bennacer's coaching specializes in technical and mechanical fundamentals, working with foundational groups to build the technique needed to develop into future pro or college players. Outside coaching, Bennacer's daughter also plays tennis. At IMG Academy, Bennacer focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Martin Damm
Senior Assistant Coach
Martin Damm serves as Senior Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2021. Damm is the father of, and one of the coaches for, current ATP Tour player Martin Damm Jr., alongside fellow IMG Academy coach Micah Klousia.
Damm's own playing career reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 42 in singles and No. 5 in doubles, with five ATP Tour singles finals and 40 tour-level doubles titles, including the 2006 US Open men's doubles title alongside playing partner Leander Paes, a former world No. 1 in doubles.
Coaching duties for Martin Damm Jr. aside, Damm has served as tour coach for ATP players Martin Klizan (career-high No. 24) and Blaz Rola (career-high No. 90).
Damm attended high school in the Czech Republic. Damm's coaching centers on hard work, self-belief, giving full effort on court, and learning something new every day. Outside coaching, Damm enjoys golf, ice hockey, rock music, and family time. At IMG Academy, Damm focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Isaac Johnson
Senior Assistant Coach
A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Isaac Johnson serves as Senior Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2024.
Before joining IMG Academy, Johnson served as Student Manager for the Michigan State men's tennis team from 2022 to 2024 while completing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. During that span, the program produced three All-Americans, the country's No. 1-ranked singles and doubles player, two athletes who competed in Davis Cup for their home countries, and several players now on the ATP Challenger Tour. Since 2024, Johnson has also worked with top-ranked ITF juniors and USTA athletes at IMG Academy, including Hadley Appling, Sara Shumate, Junseo Jang, and Samim Filiz.
Johnson's coaching centers on discipline and hard work, with the belief that coaches must model those qualities daily. At IMG Academy, Johnson focuses on building trusting relationships with student-athletes while challenging them to raise their standard of excellence.
Micah Klousia
Senior Assistant Coach
Micah Klousia serves as Assistant Coach of Elite Boys and Assistant to the Pros for IMG Academy tennis, and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2021. Klousia is currently coaching ATP Tour players Martin Damm Jr., who has climbed into the ATP Tour top 100, and Michael Mmoh.
Over four years in IMG Academy's Elite program, Klousia has coached three junior world No. 1 players: Shintaro Mochizuki, Jerry Shang, and Rei Sakamoto, who went on to win a junior Grand Slam title. Many players who have come through the program have gone on to NCAA Division I tennis, and some are now on the professional tour.
Klousia played No. 2 singles at the University of Nebraska and reached the NCAA doubles national tournament, and holds a marketing degree from the school.
Klousia's coaching starts with building a relationship with each student-athlete first, getting to know who they are as a person and a player before creating an individualized development plan tailored to their potential. At IMG Academy, Klousia focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Peter Kovats
Senior Assistant Coach
Peter Kovats serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2024.
At IMG Academy, Kovats has traveled to ITF and USTA tournaments with full-time players, helping Ava Rodriguez reach a top-100 ITF ranking behind a finalist finish at the 2025 J300 Costa Rica and Christina Li win the 2025 Orange Bowl 14-and-under doubles title. Before IMG Academy, Kovats was the University of South Florida men's tennis program's first graduate assistant manager and coached USF summer camps in 2022 and 2023.
A former IMG Academy student, Kovats played high school tennis at Lakenheath High School in England, finishing third at the 2012 European Tennis Championships and winning the title in 2013, then played college tennis at South Carolina Sumter and Southern Wesleyan, earning NCCAA Player Junior of the Year (2019) and Conference Carolinas All-Conference (2021) honors. Kovats holds a computer science degree from Southern Wesleyan and an ITA Rising Coaches Program certificate (2024).
At IMG Academy, Kovats focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Suleiman Ladipo
Senior Assistant Coach
Xavier Pino
Senior Assistant Coach
Xavier Alberto Pino serves as Senior Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2021.
Before IMG Academy, Pino coached at Guayaquil Tennis Club in Guayaquil, Ecuador, seasonally from 1981 to 1984 and full time starting in 1985. Pino played collegiately at Palm Beach Junior College, where Pino was named Most Valuable Player in 1976, before continuing a playing career at Louisiana Tech University and earning a degree in Business Administration.
Pino's coaching approach centers on authenticity and helping anyone who needs it, with an emphasis on doing every task with passion. Family comes first for Pino outside of coaching. At IMG Academy, Pino focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Joao Riquelme
Senior Assistant Coach
A native of Villa Alemana, Chile, Joao Riquelme serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been a team member since 2025.
Riquelme spent 2022 to 2025 as an assistant coach at Tucker Tennis Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, contributing to multiple players earning USTA Level 1 National medals and helping one player climb from No. 380 to No. 4 nationally from 2022 to 2025. From 2018 to 2022, Riquelme served as Tennis Director at Club 7 Pinos in Chile, growing the tennis community at the three-court club, setting a regional attendance record of 300-plus players in one tournament, and leading the club to its first Regional Club Championship.
Riquelme's own playing career included a top-5 ranking in Chile across all junior divisions (2009-2013) and a career-high ATP ranking of No. 1427 in 2013, after a first ATP point in 2012 at age 17, before a Division I career at UT San Antonio. Riquelme is ATP Coach Certified and holds a degree in Physical Education.
Riquelme's coaching starts with building a personal connection with each student-athlete, understanding who they are and where they come from to help them reach their goals. Riquelme first picked up a racket at age eight in the backyard with father Reinaldo, before joining Academia de Tenis Nano Zuleta in Chile, where coaches Rodrigo Lazcano, Arturo Jil, and life coach Alfredo Zolezzi shaped that development. At IMG Academy, Riquelme focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Abdelkrim Chaouqi
Assistant Coach
Noa Cohen
Assistant Coach
Noa Cohen serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2025.
Before joining IMG Academy, Cohen spent one year as assistant coach for the Stetson University women's tennis team in 2024, following a five-year playing career there that included two NCAA Tournament appearances as a player. Cohen finished second all-time in career singles wins at Stetson, posting a 21-2 record in 2022 and a 17-1 record as a graduate in 2024, and helped the program win conference titles both as a player and later as a coach. Honors included MVP recognition, three all-tournament selections, and 2024 Academic All-ASUN Team honors.
As a junior in France, Cohen reached the No. 1 ranking regionally and competed in Les Petits As and the French Championships, then developed younger players at the DeLand Tennis Club in Florida. Cohen holds a business administration/finance degree and an MBA, both from Stetson.
At IMG Academy, Cohen focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Alexander Haizel
Assistant Coach
Ramon Rincon Jimenez
Assistant Coach
Caio Canavarros Lacerda
Assistant Coach
Caio Canavarros Lacerda serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2024.
At IMG Academy, Lacerda has also worked as a Pro and ITF Travel Coach and as a coach in the adult program. Lacerda competed in USTA national tournaments and UTR money tournaments before moving into coaching.
Lacerda's coaching philosophy prioritizes character first, with the belief that developing the person comes before developing the player. A native of Campo Grande, Brazil, Lacerda has two brothers, with the whole family hailing from Brazil. At IMG Academy, Lacerda focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Nicola Manni
Assistant Coach
Nicola Manni serves as an Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2022. Manni has traveled to ITF tournaments for three years, from J30s to J500s, and took an IMG Academy player to junior Wimbledon, including a run at the under-14 level. That work has produced many ITF J30, J60, and J100 titles, along with results in J200, J300, and J500 events, making it from qualifying draws to the main draw against players ranked in the ITF top 20.
Growing up in Venice, Italy, Manni played tennis tournaments and club soccer before competing in both sports at the NCAA Division III level. Manni holds a bachelor's degree from Earlham College and a master's degree from Miami University in Ohio. At IMG Academy, Manni focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Cole Schneider
Assistant Coach
Cole Schneider serves as an assistant for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2021, starting as a Summer Coach before moving into an Assistant Coach role by the end of that summer. Traveling with Rei Sakamoto to entry-level ITF pro events has been part of that work, including Sakamoto's first ITF pro title, a doubles title in Egypt in 2024, and Schneider has also served as a hitting partner for WTA players, including Peyton Stearns.
Schneider travels to ITF junior events worldwide, from J30s to J500s, and helps develop IMG Academy's competitive boys program. Assisting IMG Academy's Tournament Director every year at the Eddie Herr and International Tennis Championships events has been part of that work, along with helping develop students who have gone on to NCAA Division I programs across the country.
A four-year player at Luther College, Schneider qualified for the NCAA Division III team nationals in 2019 and 2021 and the national doubles tournament in 2021, finishing that season ranked No. 13 nationally in doubles. Schneider earned All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and graduated in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in business management.
At IMG Academy, Schneider focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Anna Shumate
Assistant Coach
Anna Parker Shumate serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2025. Shumate played Division I tennis at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Management & Leadership, from the school. At IMG Academy, Shumate focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Joseph Wymer
Assistant Coach
Jackie Barcal
Head of Performance Nutrition
Jason Hettler
Assistant Head of Strength & Conditioning, Tennis
Becca Thomas
Assistant Head of Mental Performance
Salvatore Inglima
Performance Scientist
Giovanna Ramos
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Grace Rogers
Mental Performance Coach
Kyosuke Kiuchi
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Tianyu Bao
Performance Analyst
Tianyu Bao serves as Performance Analyst for IMG Academy tennis, joining IMG Academy in 2021 as an Academic Affairs Manager before moving into the current role, which also carries Assistant Coach responsibilities, in January 2024.
Since 2024, Bao has worked with IMG Academy tennis student-athletes through Golden Set Analytics, an AI-based tennis data platform, building personalized game analysis reports and improvement plans, and has served as a training partner for competitors at the USTA, ITF, and ATP levels. That group has included Rei Sakamoto, the 2024 Australian Open boys' singles champion and former No. 1-ranked boys' player in the world; Teodora Kostovic, the 2024 girls' 18 singles champion at the IMG Academy International Championships and a No. 6-ranked girls' player; Martin Damm Jr., who has climbed into the ATP Tour top 100; and Yibing Wu, a career-high ATP singles No. 54.
Bao's own playing career ran four years at Florida Gulf Coast University (2011-2015), starting in every singles and doubles position except No. 6 singles for the NCAA Division I program. Four seasons of Atlantic Sun All-Conference honors followed, including First Team in 2014, the 2012 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year award, and Florida Gulf Coast's 2015 Atlantic Sun regular-season and tournament titles, when the team finished the year ranked No. 72 in the ITA rankings. A stint as hitting partner for Kevin Anderson, a career-high ATP No. 5 and former Wimbledon and US Open finalist, rounded out that record, along with ITF Pro Circuit appearances and a No. 2 ranking in Florida Gulf Coast's career wins.
At IMG Academy, Bao pairs that playing and analytics background to help student-athletes sharpen their games and prepare for the next level.
Juan Herrera
Tennis Director
Juan Herrera serves as Tennis Director at IMG Academy, a role held since June 2024. Herrera has been part of the IMG Academy family since age 10 and has served on the coaching staff since 2004, working through roles including Hitting Partner, Traveling Coach, Video Analyst, World Clinician, Head Coach, Director of Camp, and Head of Male Tennis before being named Tennis Director.
As Head of Male Tennis, Herrera recruited and oversaw the development of four junior world No. 1 players: Miomir Kecmanovic, Shintaro Mochizuki, Axel Geller, and Jerry Shang. As Tennis Director, Herrera has led the program through the continued development of junior world No. 1 players Rei Sakamoto and Wakana Sonobe, all of whom have gone on to professional tennis.
A former top-10 nationally ranked junior player in Colombia, Herrera played collegiately before joining the IMG Academy coaching staff. Herrera holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Japanese, both from Lyon College (2004), along with USPTA Professional 1, PTR, and RPT certifications and Dartfish/V1 video analysis credentials.
Herrera's coaching centers on long-term development over short-term results, clear individual development plans, and integrating tennis with academics, physical development, mental performance, nutrition, and recovery. Nick Bollettieri coached Herrera as a young player, and Herrera later coached alongside him before being entrusted to carry the program forward. At IMG Academy, Herrera continues that legacy, helping student-athletes and professional athletes prepare to win their future.
Julio Zavala III
Head of Tennis Camp
Julio Zavala serves as Head of Tennis Camp for IMG Academy tennis, leading the tennis camp program since 2017. Zavala has been an IMG Academy team member since 2009, working through roles as Assistant Coach (2009-2013) and Head Coach (2013-2017) before moving into camp leadership.
Under Zavala's direction, the camp program has driven strong growth in the full-time program, with roughly 70% of full-time tennis students having previously attended camp, and the 2021-22 school-year full-time tennis group achieving 100% client retention. The 2026 camp season was a record year for returning campers. Zavala also led the development of a virtual tennis training program during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the camp business keep operating and later resume in-person programming.
As an assistant and head coach, Zavala coached players across every level, from early development through professional players, and traveled to more than 10 countries for tournaments and IMG Academy clinics, including work at USTA and Eddie Herr events. Zavala holds USPTR certification in performance coaching (since 2019) and ITPA certification in tennis-specific training and conditioning (since 2018).
Zavala's coaching philosophy centers on understanding what drives each student to play, and helping them find their own way to manage the pressure that comes with an individual sport through communication and trust. Outside coaching, Zavala's life centers on faith, family, and music. At IMG Academy, Zavala focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Alejandro De Jesus
Coach
Alejandro de Jesus serves as Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2019.
Before joining IMG Academy, de Jesus served as Head Coach at Marcial Mota Tennis Academy in the Dominican Republic, and also coached at a professional tennis academy in Bradenton, Florida. De Jesus played in national tournaments in the Dominican Republic and holds PTR and ITF coaching certifications.
Coaching, for de Jesus, means helping students achieve their own goals. At IMG Academy, de Jesus focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Peter Van Lieshout
World Tour Clinician
Peter Thomas Van Lieshout serves as World Tour Clinician for IMG Academy tennis, held since January 2026 and previously from 2018 to 2020. A coach at IMG Academy since 2011, Van Lieshout most recently guided WTA career-high No. 39 Lulu Sun to a first-round win over Sorana Cirstea, a career-high WTA No. 17, at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal.
As an IMG Academy assistant coach, travel coach, head coach, and clinician from 2011 to 2017, Van Lieshout coached Michael Mmoh to the 2012 Junior Orange Bowl 14s title and helped Miomir Kecmanovic to third place at the 2014 Junior Orange Bowl Boys 14s, along with Robert Levine's run to the 2014 Easter Bowl Boys 18s semifinals. A group of ITF junior titlists followed in 2017: Margaryta Bilokin, Drew Baird, and Hina Inoue (ITF Jamaica finalist, July 9, 2017). From January 2021 to January 2026, Van Lieshout served as Head Coach at IMG Academy, following clinician work in China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Colombia.
Playing juniors in Wisconsin and Florida, Van Lieshout won the 2002 Wisconsin state doubles title, finished third in singles in 2004 for Oshkosh North High School, and trained as a student-athlete at IMG Academy in 2003. At Marquette University, that streak continued with a Milwaukee Tennis Classic doubles final in 2004, wins over Northwestern, Michigan, and South Florida, and team co-captain honors in 2008, plus a bachelor's degree in criminology and law studies.
Honors include the 2008 Midwest Tennis Family of the Year award and the 2004 Wisconsin Frank Parker Award for sportsmanship and community leadership. Tennis runs in the family: Van Lieshout's father, Bill, worked for Nick Bollettieri in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in the 1970s. As World Tour Clinician, Van Lieshout supports IMG Academy's mission to empower student-athletes to win their future.
Hisashi Sato
Head Coach / Tournament Director
A native of Osaka, Japan, Hisashi Sato leads IMG Academy tennis as Head Coach / Tournament Director, joining IMG Academy in 2011 and taking on the Tournament Director role in 2019.
Sato played collegiately at Eckerd College from 2007 to 2011, competing at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles all four seasons. That career included an ITA Division II national team ranking of No. 42 and an individual doubles ranking of No. 20, the James R. Harley Award in 2011, and Men's Tennis MVP honors in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.
Sato has served as travel coach for players including Michael Mmoh, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Alejandro Tabilo — all of whom went on to compete on the ATP Tour — and was on hand when Mmoh won the ITF J500 Osaka Mayor's Cup. In 2016, Sato translated Nick Bollettieri's autobiography, Changing the Game, into Japanese and joined Bollettieri for a book tour in Japan.
Sato's coaching starts with understanding what each player wants to improve, and making sure players' voices are heard in that process. Charity tennis clinics in Japan have also been part of that work, supporting relief efforts after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the 2018 Japan floods. Outside coaching, Sato follows motorsports, golf, and sim racing. At IMG Academy, Sato brings that same standard to student-athletes, guiding their growth on and off the court.
Phillip McMurray
Tennis Operations Coordinator
Phillip McMurray serves as Tennis Operations Coordinator for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2025. McMurray was a summer coach for IMG Academy in 2022, training junior players at different levels, then worked as a summer camp operations assistant for three summers (2023-2025), managing logistics for more than 250 campers on a changing weekly basis and matching campers with suitable coaches. A year coaching at Red Bug Lake Park during 2024-25 rounded out that work, with competitive and advanced adults as well as foundational-level children ages 8 to 12.
McMurray graduated from IMG Academy's high school in 2020, then played five years of Division II varsity tennis at Rollins College (2020-2025), helping the team rise from a Top 30 national ranking to a No. 4 national ranking, with a best end-of-season finish of No. 6 in 2024. McMurray was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete and to the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll in each year from 2021 to 2025, and holds a Level 1 PTR certification (2021), a Bachelor of Arts in International Business with a minor in French, and a Master of Business Administration focused on Operations and Technology Management and International Business. McMurray is fluent in Russian.
At IMG Academy, McMurray focuses on supporting daily tennis program operations, scheduling, and camper experience.
Romana Tarajova
Tennis Tournament Coordinator
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