Former tennis pro turned coach says US Open signals new era in tennis

Former tennis pro turned coach says US Open signals new era in tennis originally appeared on The Sporting News

The headliners and big-time stars usually make the biggest noise at the US Open, but this year looked different as younger names started to give the tournament a different energy.

Emma Raducanu is one of the names we’re going to have to start remembering. She reached the third round before falling to Elena Rybakina (another one of those names). Rybakina showed her game is still building back after injuries. Coleman Wong became the first man from Hong Kong to win a main draw match at a major. He pushed through as a qualifier. All over the tourney, players in their 20s and even teenagers brought the personality as well as strong performances.

That shift was not lost on Enrique López Pérez, a former pro who is now a top coach in Spain. For him, the Open revealed more than just what the results showed.

López Pérez is Head Coach at Tennis Group Academy, where he works with both juniors and professionals. His own career gave him a view of what it takes to last on tour.

“My experience as a professional player gave me an understanding of competition you cannot get any other way,” López Pérez said. “I have seen how the top players train every day. It is not enough to have talent, there must be a solid technical, physical, mental, and competitive foundation.”

He says the rise of these young players is not only athletic, it is cultural. He points to discipline as the thread that connected New York’s standout moments.

“The biggest lesson I pass on is that every day counts,” he said. “It is not just about giving 100 percent when you feel like it, it is about doing it when it is tough.”

That message fits what fans saw. Raducanu battled to regain her form. Wong opened new ground for his country. Even Venus Williams, 45, fought through emotion in what could be one of her last US Opens.

Resilience, López Pérez said, has become the real measure of the game.

“There are many tough moments in tennis,” he said. “But if you love what you do, the good moments make it all worth it.”

Obviously champions are made still at the US Open, but it’s now become a place where youth has stepped forward and the future of the sport is becoming more visible.

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