Teaching Tennis in France: Origins, History, Developments & Outlook

I decided to write this book during the Covid pandemic, a period during which teaching tennis was made impossible due to severe restrictions especially in Hong Kong China where I have lived for 13 years. The book was fi rst published in French during French Open 2023, a year celebrating the 40th anniversary of our last Grand Slam Champion: Yannick Noah. On June 5th, 1983, Yannick beat Swedish player and defending champion Mats Wilander, while I was celebrating my 12th birthday. An amazing gift for me, who had started tennis one year earlier ! I have interviewed more than 100 former players, coaches, tennis consultants, agents and journalists and I have analyzed the French Tennis Federation and the national press archives. Both my knowledge in history (bachelor from La Sorbonne University in 1993) and my passion for tennis which I started teaching in 1991, enabled me to understand and explain the evolution of teaching methods in France, but not only. Tennis was fi rst born in Europe and later spread in America and the rest of the world. Spending 6 summers in Florida at IMG Bollettieri (2004-2009) considered in the 90's as the "Mecca of tennis" made me discover a diff erent approach when it comes to coaching: while Frenchies seemed mostly focused on both the technical and the tactical aspects of the game, I noticed that training sessions in the US focused more on the physical and mental ones. Being a former coach trainer for the French Tennis Federation and a professional coach for the last 22 years (9 years in France, 13 years in Hong Kong China), enabled me to connect with professionals from all other the globe. Many of them seemed very interested in the French teaching method which is why I have decided to write this book in the fi rst place.