HEAD COACH

As a young boy in the Philippines, my dream was to live either in New York, London, Paris or Melbourne. Some of you can probably guess why. For the others, well, these are the Grand Slam Tennis cities!

I have been playing tennis since 1979. The Borg-McEnroe era. I played Junior ITF and a few satellites before injury forced me into coaching. The short version of the story is–I love tennis. I am a fan.

Let’s fast track my life a bit, it is now 1998. I was a 28 year old tennis coach. I was a given a chance to move to Melbourne. I did not think twice leaving family, friends and life behind. It was a dream come true. Since then, every year, without fail, and seemingly my pilgrimage, I attend the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.  Every year, I get to remember how good this place is and that my childhood dream is fulfilled.

It was easy for me to integrate into the Australian lifestyle. I believe my passion for tennis was the key. Australia has a very rich tennis history. I was home.

I believe the best way for different cultures to integrate and better understand each other is through sports. One of the biggest advantages of tennis is that as a sport, it is for everyone, regardless of gender or age. It is non-contact therefore you have no fear of getting tackled, hit or punched. It is a sport for everyone.

I hope you give me the opportunity to be a part of your tennis journey. I hope I help you uncover the joy tennis has given me.

See you soon,

Coach Ronaldo