From individual challenges to measurable performance.
Introduction
Every player is different.
There is no single formula for high performance.
My work starts by identifying the specific demands, limitations and opportunities of each player, then integrating technical, tactical, physical, biomechanical, visual and mental components into an individual performance pathway.
These case studies illustrate how this approach has been applied with professional players at different stages of their careers.
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ALBERT RAMOS-VIÑOLAS
From ATP Top 20 to No. 98 — and back to the highest level
Starting Point
In 2019, Albert Ramos-Viñolas contacted me after dropping to No. 98 in the ATP rankings, following a period in which he had been a consistent Top 20 player. His goal was to recover the level of performance that had previously taken him to the highest stages of professional tennis.
Assessment & Discovery
I analysed his matches from the period when he was ranked inside the Top 20 and carried out an in-depth video analysis of his movement and technique.
The analysis revealed significant biomechanical changes compared with his previous high-performance model. These changes were evident in several strokes, but particularly in his footwork and movement patterns.
The objective was clear: to rebuild the foundations of his previous performance level and aim to return to the ATP Top 40–50, or higher.
Intervention
The intervention focused on resetting the motor-coordination patterns that had progressively developed and replacing them with movement patterns that restored the qualities of his previous game.
The work focused on recovering:
I used proprioceptive platforms, visual training and a metronome, combining different stimuli involving motor dissociation, visual discrimination and rhythm.
The progression started with improving static balance, then moved towards dynamic balance, progressively increasing the complexity of the movement until Albert was able to execute tennis actions in highly unstable and acrobatic situations — including striking the ball while airborne or while losing balance.
Result
The objective was not simply to change a technical movement.
It was to restore the coordination, rhythm, balance and fluidity that had characterized his previous high-performance level, and then transfer these qualities back into competitive tennis.
LORENZO GIUSTINO
From ATP No. 276 to No. 127 — Expanding the Player’s Options
Starting Point
Lorenzo Giustino came from the Spanish tennis school of Luis and Sergi Bruguera, who had done an excellent job developing his consistency and competitive qualities.
He was a fighter, extremely resilient and difficult to beat. However, his game had become too defensive.
His footwork, weight distribution and movement patterns appeared to be primarily designed to defend rather than to support a more aggressive style of play.
The objective was therefore not to replace what had been built, but to add new options to his game.
The Challenge
The key question was:
How could we preserve Lorenzo’s consistency while allowing him to use more of his offensive potential?
The first step was helping him become more aware of how many weapons he actually had available.
Rather than simply defending and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake, we worked on developing a clearer point construction pattern: building the point, creating the right opportunity and then taking control — particularly with the forehand.
Intervention
A major part of the work focused on the technique of his footwork and movement.
The aim was to make his movement more efficient and adaptable, creating the physical and technical conditions to move forward and play more aggressively without losing the consistency that was already one of his greatest strengths.
We worked extensively on:
Lorenzo was an extremely intelligent and sensitive player, capable of adapting quickly to different conditions.
This sensitivity was also an important part of the work. We focused on making him more aware of what was happening when a shot was unsuccessful and, equally, what was happening when he produced a winning shot.
He was also very comfortable changing grips, which allowed us to use daily technical cues to reinforce the specific sensations he needed to find for particular tournaments and playing conditions.
Performance & Lifestyle
The work was not limited to the tennis court.
We also carried out detailed physical and performance analysis to identify the causes of performance drops and to understand how they could be reduced.
This included integrating sleep, recovery and the rationalisation of his lifestyle outside the court into the overall performance process.
The objective was to make his physical resources more consistent and ensure that the work done on court could be sustained throughout competition.
Result
ATP No. 276 → No. 127
The result was not simply an improvement in ranking.
It was the development of a player who could preserve the consistency and fighting qualities of his Spanish-school foundation while adding greater offensive options to his game.
The goal was not to change Lorenzo’s identity as a player.
It was to expand it.
KRISTJAN TAMM
From injury and ATP No. 1400 back to No. 640 in less than a year
Starting Point
Kristjan joined me after undergoing surgery for a ruptured ankle ligament. As a consequence of the injury, his ATP ranking had dropped from approximately No. 630 to No. 1400.
The injury had not only affected the ankle itself. He had lost a significant amount of explosiveness, which had altered his starting patterns and first-step mechanics.
The first months of our work therefore focused on completely rebuilding the functional capacity of the ankle and restoring the movement qualities required for high-level tennis.
During the assessment, I also identified an important area for improvement in his visual performance.
Rehabilitation & Performance Assessment
The initial phase combined ankle rehabilitation with movement re-education and visual training.
The objective was to restore:
Only after these fundamental deficiencies had been addressed did we progressively move into full performance training.
Building a More Complete Game
Once Kristjan was physically ready, our first major tennis objective was to develop greater consistency.
His game was highly aggressive and relied heavily on his serve. He had the ability to produce very high-level tennis, but he needed to become more consistent and less dependent on one dominant weapon.
The goal was not to take away his aggression.
It was to make his aggression sustainable.
We worked on building a more complete game while maintaining the strengths that made his tennis dangerous.
Mental Performance
A major part of our work was also mental.
Kristjan needed to become more aware of both his strengths and weaknesses as a player, so that he could manage his expectations more effectively.
One of the objectives was to prevent excessive pressure and unrealistic demands on himself from consuming unnecessary nervous energy.
Understanding what he could realistically demand from his game allowed him to compete with greater clarity and efficiency.
The Breakthrough — Doha
Less than ten months after starting the process, Kristjan produced the best tournament of his career in Doha.
He reached the final after defeating Marius Copil, a former ATP Top 50 player, and then faced Bernard Tomic, a former ATP Top 20 player, in the final.
He won both matches without dropping a set and completed the entire tournament without losing a set.
The tournament represented a major breakthrough — not only because of the result, but because of the level of tennis he was able to express.
Result
ATP No. 1400 → No. 640 in less than one year
Along the way, Kristjan also reached quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in several $15K Futures events, before producing his breakthrough performance in Doha.
The progression was built from the ground up:
Injury → Rehabilitation → Movement → Vision → Consistency → Mental awareness → Performance
This is a good example of why I believe high performance cannot be separated into isolated areas.
The player has to be treated as a system.
MARCO CECCHINATO
Returning to competition after injury
Starting Point
I started working with Marco Cecchinato with one primary objective: to put him back in a condition where he could compete at a high level.
Marco was coming from a significant elbow injury that had kept him away from competition.
The initial phase was therefore focused on restoring his physical readiness and preparing the elbow to withstand the specific demands of professional tennis.
Using the latest scientific approaches in rehabilitation and a highly specific training process, within one month we were able to get him back into competitive condition.
The Return
Coming back after months away from competition was naturally challenging.
The physical demands were only one part of the problem. Returning to competition also means rebuilding timing, confidence, match rhythm and the ability to tolerate the intensity of professional matches.
Marco’s determination and competitive character were fundamental.
He returned to competition and reached the semifinals and quarterfinals in Rwanda, creating the platform from which he was able to restart his progression and improve his ranking over the following months.
A Different Coaching Approach
From a technical and tactical perspective, Marco is an extremely complete and talented player.
He absorbs new information very quickly. Technically, a small adjustment can often be enough to restore the coordination and quality of a movement.
Tactically, he has an excellent ability to read the match and the opponent, adapting his game according to what is happening on court.
This means that the coaching approach cannot simply be based on a fixed set of technical or tactical principles.
With a player of this level, the coach has to understand when to intervene, how much to intervene and how to communicate the intervention.
The Coach–Player Relationship
With Marco, communication is particularly important.
At times, the right approach is to avoid adding pressure when the player is already highly activated and demanding a great deal from himself.
At other moments, he needs to feel the coach’s presence, support and stimulus.
The balance is extremely subtle.
There is no universal communication formula that works with every player.
With highly developed players, coaching becomes increasingly personalised: understanding the individual, recognising the moment and delivering the right message at the right time.
Result
Return to High-Level Competition
Within 3 months, Marco was able to return to a condition that allowed him to compete.
He subsequently reached the semifinals and quarterfinals in Rwanda, before continuing his ranking progression in the following months.
For me, this case represents an important principle of high-performance coaching:
The better the player, the more personalised the coaching process has to become.
BEYOND THE RESULTS
Rankings are only one way to measure progress.
High performance is built through the interaction of multiple systems: technique, tactics, movement, physical capacity, visual skills, decision-making, emotional regulation and recovery.
The objective is not simply to make a player better at one component.
It is to make the whole system perform better.
Gianluca Carbone
Integrated Tennis Performance Coach