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IMG Academy Ascenders Girls Tennis Roster
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Class of 2033
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Emily Agushi
Class of 2027
Josephine Ante
Class of 2030
Maxime Ante
Class of 2030
Millie Barr
Class of 2029
Quinn Berglund
Class of 2030
Phoebe Bialas
Class of 2027
Aishi Bisht
Class of 2027
Lela Bivins
Class of 2029
Lila Bodur
Class of 2027
Ines Brebion
Class of 2033
Michelle Cantu Sada
Class of 2028
Leah Carlisle
Class of 2026
Lucia Carr
Class of 2031
Livia Castelli
Class of 2030
Madison Cielo
Class of 2027
Serena Coleman
Class of 2030
Valeria Cuevas
Class of 2027
Ava Dixon
Class of 2033
Alekhya Doddapaneni
Class of 2031
Philippine Eloy
Class of 2033
Alara Erdogan
Class of 2030
Pia Fernandez Suarez
Class of 2030
Rachel French
Class of 2029
Rebecca Frost
Class of 2027
Damla Gocer
Class of 2027
Diya Godavarthi
Class of 2031
Aviah Gonzalez
Class of 2033
Sofia Gonzalez Neri
Class of 2028
Penelope Gordon
Class of 2027
Luisa Gorgen Jacob
Class of 2029
Liliana Goss
Class of 2028
Catherine Griffith
Class of 2027
Adelyn Gross
Class of 2028
Ximena Gutierrez Garcia
Class of 2027
Laney Harden
Class of 2028
Teddi Harden
Class of 2031
Amorie Hernandez
Class of 2028
Evangeline Hicks
Class of 2027
Ariya Hook
Class of 2027
Inaya Iqbal
Class of 2029
Haru Ishida
Class of 2029
Aiko Jackson
Class of 2027
Maria Jose Aguilar Reyes
Class of 2030
Maria Jose Mendez Urrea
Class of 2030
Helena Kaufmann Snitcovski
Class of 2030
Quinn Kennedy
Class of 2031
Celeste Larraga
Class of 2030
Christina Li
Class of 2030
Jiarui Li
Class of 2028
Qingtian Lian
Class of 2030
Lila Lobosco
Class of 2027
Emma Lucia Herrera
Class of 2033
Charlotte MacEachern
Class of 2027
Bhaanvi Madala
Class of 2029
Deborah Maldonado Ornek
Class of 2028
Sanhitha Manapuram
Class of 2028
Sirma Mancheva
Class of 2027
Giovana Marangon Duarte
Class of 2031
Isabella Marazita
Class of 2028
Isabella Maria Chang Martinez
Class of 2031
Emilia Matruglio
Class of 2031
Chloe McBrearty
Class of 2031
Jayden McCareins
Class of 2029
Jazmine McCareins
Class of 2027
Eva Mohtashem
Class of 2028
Nefris Moreira Bejarano
Class of 2029
Bianca Nafarrate Rivera
Class of 2029
Earth Okpe
Class of 2028
Laura Oliveira Maciel
Class of 2033
Julia Orcutt
Class of 2029
Arya Patel
Class of 2030
Rafaella Pergament
Class of 2027
Andrea Pineda Suazo
Class of 2028
Dusica Popovski
Class of 2027
Luisa Reckziegel
Class of 2031
Luciana Roa Munevar
Class of 2033
Eloise Rose Waddell
Class of 2030
Abigail Schmehl
Class of 2027
Maya Schoenbaum
Class of 2027
Yuika Sekinada
Class of 2028
Sophia Senasu
Class of 2030
Victoria Sevilla
Class of 2028
Miona Shimizu
Class of 2029
Saki Shimizu
Class of 2028
Olivia Skaf Moraes
Class of 2027
Olivia Solensky
Class of 2026
Taisiya Sorokina
Class of 2027
Helena Souza Keleti
Class of 2029
Emmi Steckhan
Class of 2028
Isabella Steiger
Class of 2030
Swarashree Suhalka
Class of 2028
Kylie Switalski
Class of 2030
Montserrat Temprana Falco
Class of 2029
Brynley Teslow
Class of 2028
Ina Tompkins-Madia
Class of 2030
Alexia Vasile
Class of 2027
Eva Venthan
Class of 2028
Maria Victoria Chang Martinez
Class of 2030
Molly Widlansky
Class of 2029
Ava Wolf
Class of 2029
Hikari Yamamoto
Class of 2027
Maika Yoshida
Class of 2029
Sofiia Zhdanova
Class of 2027
Tian Zhou
Class of 2030
Coaching Staff
Staff Directory ›
Margie Zesinger
Technical Director of Women's Tennis
A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Margie Zesinger leads IMG Academy's women's tennis program as Technical Director of Women's Tennis, coaching alongside Nick Bollettieri since 2003 in what has grown into the largest girls' tennis program in the world.
Over that span, Zesinger has coached world junior players ranked No. 1 and in the top 10, some of whom went on to win Eddie Herr, Orange Bowl, and Junior Grand Slam titles. She has guided junior players through their transitions to professional careers, helping them win their first professional titles and reach career-high WTA rankings, and has worked with players who won NCAA Division I singles titles. Zesinger has also coached full-time on the ITF Pro Circuit and WTA Tour, and has worked with top American juniors at USTA and Team USA High Performance National camps.
Recognition has followed that work: the PTR named Zesinger its Florida Member of the Year in 2019, and in 2021 she became the first woman in 20 years named the Professional Tennis Registry's global Member of the Year. She was also inducted into the McDowell Hall of Fame in Erie, Pennsylvania, and has been a featured speaker at coaching conferences for the USTA, USPTA, PTR, WTCA, and the Evolve 9 Global Conference.
Zesinger played No. 1 singles at the Division I level at James Madison University before moving into coaching. That competitive background carries into her work today at IMG Academy, where Zesinger continues helping student-athletes develop their games and prepare for the next level of competition.
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.
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.
Denis Pelegrin Beltre
Senior Head Coach
Jorge Gonzalez
Senior Head Coach
Jorge Gonzalez serves as Head Coach for IMG Academy tennis, a role held since joining in 2006. Since 2025, Gonzalez has coached at the professional level, guiding Darja Vidmanova from No. 360 to a career-high WTA ranking of No. 90, and periodically coaching Peyton Stearns, ranked WTA No. 58, over that same span.
From 2013 to 2018, Gonzalez served as Head Coach of IMG Academy's elite boys program, building it into one of the strongest in the world. During that stretch, Gonzalez coached two future ITF junior No. 1s, Axel Geller and Miomir Kecmanovic, guided Kecmanovic to the 2016 US Open Junior final, and coached Adrian Andreev to the 2018 ITF J500 Milan title, along with many other top-10 ITF boys. Several went on to Division I programs including Florida, Duke, UCLA, and Stanford.
Gonzalez led the elite junior girls program from 2018 to 2025, coaching players who reached the ITF junior top 25, guiding Alexandra Yepifanova to the 2019 US Open Junior final, and developing four girls who reached the ITF junior top 10: Wakana Sonobe (No. 1), Teodora Kostovic (No. 4), Sayaka Ishii (No. 5), and Ena Koike (No. 8). Several advanced to programs including Stanford, Harvard, Duke, and Georgia, and Gonzalez coached at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open junior Grand Slams along the way.
Gonzalez began at IMG Academy in 2006 as Head Coach of the competitive boys and girls group, running clinics internationally and traveling with players to ITF and COSAT events. A former top-10 junior in Canada and collegiate All-American, Gonzalez holds a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from the University of Hawaii, an associate degree from Jefferson College, and a PTR Professional certification. Gonzalez's coaching centers on passion, work ethic, and love of the game, keeping student-athletes motivated to give their best daily.
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.
Neo Capellan Cruz
Head Coach
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.
Nicholas Park
Head Coach
Nicholas Park leads IMG Academy tennis as Head Coach, a role held since joining IMG Academy in 2022.
Before joining IMG Academy, Park owned Player Development Tennis Academy from 2013 to 2019, then served as Head Coach at Premier Tennis Academy from 2019 to 2020. During that broader period, Park developed two Blue Chip-rated junior players, Daniela Borruel and William Hsieh: Borruel reached the 12-and-under Easter Bowl final in 2019, and Hsieh won the 16-and-under boys' California Sectional title in both 2020 and 2021.
Since joining IMG Academy in 2022, Park has continued that development work, coaching Borruel to the 18-and-under girls' final at the 2024 Easter Bowl and serving as a travel coach for the 2024 French Open Juniors.
Park competed in junior tennis in Australia and holds a USPTA Professional Certification.
Park's coaching focuses on helping student-athletes become confident, independent competitors, building the resilience, character, and adaptability needed to compete under pressure. At IMG Academy, Park focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
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.
Ricardo Icaza
Senior Assistant Coach
Ricardo Icaza serves as Senior Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2019.
Icaza's own playing career reached the Wimbledon Junior singles final in 1975 and won the US Open Juniors in 1976, part of a run that included four wins over John McEnroe as juniors in 1975 and five South American junior championships across singles and doubles between 1973 and 1976. Icaza earned All-American honors in 1977 at the University of Houston, then turned professional in 1977 and competed on the ATP Tour through 1986, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 44 in singles and No. 34 in doubles, with a best Grand Slam result of the fourth round at the 1981 French Open. That career, spanning 1976 to 1986, included wins over Vitas Gerulaitis, Wojtek Fibak, Raul Ramirez, Jaime Fillol, and Dupre, plus doubles wins over pairings that included Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte of France's Davis Cup team, Gildemeister-Gomez, and Mota-Kirmayr.
Icaza represented Ecuador in Davis Cup from 1973 to 1986, playing singles and doubles across roughly 25 ties, including a World Group quarterfinal run alongside Andres Gomez and Raul Viver. After retiring from the tour, Icaza served as Ecuador's Davis Cup captain from 1987 to 1992, also coaching Ecuador's junior national teams at South American Championships and running a tennis academy founded in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 1988 to 1992. Icaza holds certifications from the USTA, USPTA, and ITF, along with Argentine coaching courses completed between 1987 and 1995.
Icaza's coaching centers on helping players understand what tennis teaches beyond the score: patience, perseverance, resilience, and the emotional intelligence needed to compete well and face life with confidence. At IMG Academy, Icaza 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.
Phillip Gresk
Travel Coach
Phillip Gresk serves as Travel Coach for IMG Academy tennis, a role held since joining IMG Academy in 2026. A coach since 2020, Gresk has traveled with ATP Tour player Kamil Majchrzak since 2025 and coached Christopher Eubanks from 2020 to 2022 and again from 2024 to 2025.
Gresk played collegiately at Georgia Tech, finishing nationally ranked No. 120 in singles at the end of a senior season and earning a doubles ranking as well, and competed as a top-100 ITF junior with some ATP points earned as a professional. A bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech and a USPTA certification round out that background.
Gresk's coaching creates an environment where players feel free to express themselves and want to show up and compete, focusing on process over outcome and building a real connection with each athlete. Being open to learning from other coaches and players, and competing hard to the end, round out that approach.
A Wisconsin sports fan by family roots, Gresk follows the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers and has found that a life in tennis brings the travel Gresk loves. At IMG Academy, Gresk focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Olivia Bryant
Assistant Coach
Olivia Bryant serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2025. Bryant has traveled with high-level junior student-athletes, supporting them both on the court and on the road.
A collegiate career at Florida Southern College brought ITA All-American and CSC Academic All-American honors in 2025, All-SSC First Team Singles in 2025, and All-SSC Honorable Mention in singles in 2023. Bryant was also named to the CSC Academic All-Region team in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll across four consecutive years (2020-21 through 2023-24), the ITA Scholar-Athlete list in four seasons, and the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award three times, finishing a collegiate career with a 65-16 singles and 4-0 doubles record. A Bachelor of Science from Florida Southern College rounds out that background.
Coaching, for Bryant, takes a family-oriented approach built on positivity and encouragement. At IMG Academy, Bryant focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
Abdelkrim Chaouqi
Assistant Coach
Andrey Cherkasov
Assistant Coach
Andrey Cherkasov serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis and has been an IMG Academy team member since 2017. Professional players Cherkasov has worked with include Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, Yulia Putintseva, Stefan Kozlov, and Katarina Kozlova.
Cherkasov reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 13 in 1991, won two ATP singles titles at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow (1990, 1991), and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. Cherkasov also won the bronze medal in men's singles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and recorded wins over players including Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic, Michael Chang, Henri Leconte, John McEnroe, and Stefan Edberg.
As a junior, Cherkasov was a five-time European champion and a three-time Soviet Union men's singles champion. Running a tennis program in Moscow from 2007 to 2017 preceded joining IMG Academy.
A Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from a university in Kaliningrad, Russia, rounds out that background. Cherkasov's coaching aims to build confident, resilient, and disciplined student-athletes alongside successful tennis players. Outside coaching, Cherkasov enjoys hockey and fishing. At IMG Academy, Cherkasov focuses on helping student-athletes develop their skills, compete with confidence, and prepare for the next level.
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.
Maxwell Linder
Assistant Coach
Maxwell Linder serves as Assistant Coach for IMG Academy tennis, joining IMG Academy in January 2026.
Linder came to IMG Academy from the University of Tulsa, serving as a graduate assistant coach for the men's tennis team from 2024 to 2026 while also managing facilities for both the men's and women's Division I programs. At Tulsa, Linder coordinated practice courts for the 2024 ITA All-American Championships and directed the 2024 ITA Division I Men's Central Regional Championship.
Before Tulsa, Linder spent more than five years at Westwood Swim & Tennis Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, first as Head Professional (2019-2023) and then as Director of Racquet Sports (2023-2024), overseeing programming, staff, budgets, and facility operations across tennis and pickleball. Seasonal tennis professional roles at clubs and resorts in New York, Rhode Island, and Delaware rounded out that early career.
Linder played four years of varsity tennis at Methodist University as team captain, earning USA South Sportsman of the Year honors in 2018 and 2019. A Master of Sports Leadership from the University of Tulsa (2025), a bachelor's degree in business administration from Methodist University, USPTA and PTR certifications, and a 2024 USPTA Southern Tennis Professional of the Year nomination round out that background.
Coaching, for Linder, centers on developing strong fundamentals, tactical awareness, and confidence within a positive, competitive environment. At IMG Academy, that means 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.
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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