TENNIS SCHOOL SVITLOLINA ACADEMY

TENNIS SCHOOL SVITLOLINA ACADEMY

Tennis players and owners of the tennis academy Angelina Zdorovytska – Svitolina and Julian Svitolin visiting Alex Durmashkin.

– Angelina and Julian, welcome to the office of “FACT” magazine.  I am very glad to see you here. Angelina, you have been living in Los Angeles for many years, in the past – first tennis racket of Ukraine, and a popular tennis coach with numerous students of all ages. I know that recently your life has changed …

– I married a wonderful man who is also a tennis player. His name is Julian Svitolin, he is professionally engaged in tennis, and his younger sister Elina Svitolina (21 years old ) playing very well at the moment, she is 21st  tennis player in the WTA. Julian coached his sister from the ages of 9 to 13 years. Now I have a husband and partner in one person. In the near future we plan to create a tennis academy for children. We played professionally in the past, and we are interested in working with people who want to achieve good results in the game. We are pleased to give them our talent, our knowledge, and to see that they use this knowledge. It is for us – the emotional satisfaction, we want to transfer our knowledge to others and promote the sport of tennis.

– Julian, you moved to Los Angeles recently, people still know very little. Please tell us more about yourself.

– I started playing tennis at age of nine, and played pretty well and successfully in European competition under12 years old. My best position under 14 years was – the 35th in Europe and the first hundred under the 18-year-olds in the world. What happened in my career, a family business that demanded my participation …

I was not very happy with the coaches of former USSR – representatives of the old school. I realized that I could not trust them to train my sister Elina, who dreams to win the Grand Slam. I started working with her on my own, and we immediately showed a good result – entered the top ten in Europe.

At that time, Elina was 14 years old, and at the age of 15 years old Elina made an amazing breakthrough under the guidance and attention of our team – our family, winning the Grand Slam Roland Garros singles titles in 2010, also became a finalist at Wimbledon in doubles, and number one in the world before 18 years. When I got to Los Angeles, I began to feel the life differently, I live full of life here, events occur so bright with Lina. She inspires me and helps open up even more. There are a lot of creative people in Los Angeles. I have traveled all over the world, but an atmosphere like in LA, did not feel like anywhere else, there is a feeling of you flying!

– I want to clarify, you did not say where you’re from and where you became an athlete?

– I became an athlete in my native city of Odessa. Before  tennis, I did karate because my mother  has a black belt in karate, Dad is a wrestled – was a master of sports of the USSR, and graduated from the school of the Olympic reserve. I also studied at the art school. My family and I went to Dubai, where I first picked up a racket, and that’s how it all started. It was 1994, I was 9 years old.

– So, fate brought together two like-minded professionals. Today you have many students who are more adults or children?

– 50 to 50. We also have young children who are just starting to play, there are children 12-14 years old, who want to improve their ability to get into the school team sports, and then – to the university. When you study at university, playing for the team is very prestigious. Also, there are people who come to exercise in order to maintain their fitness. There are people who just love tennis and love to play, for example, in the morning before work. Tennis keeps them in good shape not only physically but also mentally, because they understand the game, which is like chess, it helps to make business decisions. We have children who are 4 years old, and clients that 40-50 years.

We want to focus on the creation of a group of small children who will grow up playing in the tournaments, enter the universities, participate in professional tournaments.

– You have a unique situation where the husband and wife are teaching together. What is the advantage of this symbiosis for your students?

Angelina: I’ve always had a dream that my husband would be my partner, so that we can train together, because I was also trained by the husband and wife. It was a very good combination, because women are more emotional and men are more rational thinkers. That is, there is a good addition to the court.

– Once upon a time, when held the election campaign for the second term of President Clinton and his wife was also an active politician, they had a slogan: «! Buy one – get one free» Could this be applicable to you, too, when a person during training receives expertise of two?

– Of course, it is quite right. In tennis it is important to look not only on the side where the player is located, but also on the other side of the court, that is a technical aspect to have 360 degrees. This is very important, especially in the moments of the tournament. One coach looks at mental, tactical things, and the other may keep the match statistics, which is important for the training process .It is also convenient to plan the training for two members of one family, who want to train at the same time.

– Before you came to the editorial office I thought, why don’t you have a tournament in Los Angeles among your students. In my opinion, it would be interesting.

 – Julian already has experience in organizing tournaments, as well as master classes with stars. Tennis is especially interesting only when you are present in the game, and these master classes and tournaments are obtained quite spectacular. I have that experience, and it would be very cool. .

Julian: The last masterclass I held in Kiev, players like Sergei Bubka, and Elina Svitolina Elina took part in it. This workshop was held for the children. In the future, this workshop can be carried out here, to attract not only our stars, but stars from around the world, and to do as children’s holiday. Children can feel the energy of the stars, touch them and play tennis with them.

– I think that the tournament can be carried out not only for children but also for adults.

Angelina: I think it’s a good idea. Given that we played at a professional level, we can carry out kids and adults tournaments. Our students come to us for inspiration, and we serve an example for them.

–What do you want to wish to the tennis fans in conclusion ?

-Julian: I want them to set goals for themselves and dream more. Because, if you set goals for your-self, dreams certainly come true. We just help to make these dreams come true faster.

-Angelina: Believe in yourself and do not be afraid, because fear is a barrier in life. Some people do not want to play tennis or some other businesses simply because of fear. I want to advise people to believe in themselves, get charged from us and, most importantly, do not be afraid to move forward.

Just like Julian said, not only do we teach, it is not only exercises for the muscles on the court, but it is also the creation and formation of the person, as an individual. Tennis trains the mind, and inspiration. It is also good for the acquisition of the new acquaintances, for the development, for the desire to achieve the goal.

Julian: Sport – is not muscle strength, sport – it is the power of thought.

 – I wish the success of the tennis school of Angelina Zdorovytska-Svitolina and Julian Svitolin and their present and future students.

Los Angeles,

Alex Durmashkin