Presentation

Select your speaker type

Keynote and Workshop speaker

Title

Womens Tennis: same rules, different game

Abstract

The project aims to help coaches, players, and parents better understand the journey that the successful female player takes from the moment she first picks up a tennis racket to when she finally breaks into the world’s top 100 rankings.

This project is the first of its kind because it is solely dedicated to the requirements of the female player. It looks in detail at every factor that contributes to her success, and makes important distinctions between the women’s and men’s game throughout resulting into statement : SAME RULES, DIFFERENT GAME!! It offers clear ranking guidelines to help players understand exactly what they need to do to achieve their goals, includes case studies of the world’s best players, and most importantly, offers simple and practical advice to coaches who are looking to maximise their female players’ tennis potential.

FTJ is divided into six key age groups which are specific to female player development - starting with the four and five year old bracket and concluding with the established WTA professional.

The key areas of study within each of these age groups are:

Game Development
The way female players develop their games tactically and technically at every stage is carefully analysed (in singles and doubles), with relevant tips and drills shown through video footage. Extensive research into the most common playing trends in women’s tennis is also highlighted.

Training and Competition
This section includes all the information necessary to plan a successful tournament and training schedule throughout the year for players in every age group.

Physical Development
The key issues of physical development are discussed here, with programme templates shown to include all aspects of fitness and health. They include nutritional advice, screening, and priority areas that are specific to female development.

Environment
The environment within which a player develops has a massive impact on the progress she makes – both as a player and as a person. Therefore, this section looks at the climate within which the successful player grows. This includes: her family, her coach, the nature of her practice, her schooling, the involvement of her governing body and potential management company.

CV

Name

Carl

Surname

Maes

Curriculum vitae

Carl is one of the most experienced and respected coaches of female tennis players in the world. He joined the Belgian Tennis Federation in 1992 and throughout his time there, Carl specialised in the coaching of women tennis players, both seniors and juniors.

Carl worked with former US Open champion Kim Clijsters from the age of 12 and coached her exclusively between 1999 and 2002 during which time Kim reached a Sony Ericsson WTA world ranking of No.3. As Belgium’s Fed Cup captain, he led his side to only their second ever final.

He was formerly the LTA’s Head of Womens Tennis where his role was to oversee and develop the junior and senior women’s game in Britain. Carl has also been a WTA board member for two years as Player Representative.

History

Member for

2 years 41 weeks