The Tennis Now Q & A with Todd Martin

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The Tennis Now Q & A with Todd Martin

By Chris Oddo

(September 20, 2012) -- Two-time Grand Slam finalist and former World No. 4 Todd Martin has been a busy man since retiring after his fifteenth consecutive U.S. Open appearance in 2004. He's served as coach to Mardy Fish and Novak Djokovic, joined the USTA as a member of its board of directors, and continued to develop his own charitable foundation while supporting many others.

In August, Martin launched Todd Martin Tennis, a unique offering of tennis instruction and consulting services for players of all levels and locations.

We caught up with Martin recently to discuss the nuts and bolts of his new venture, the state of American tennis, and of course, Djokovic.

Tennis Now: Can you enlighten us as to what your goals are with the launch of Todd Martin Tennis (TMT)?

Todd Martin: My goals are pretty simple. One, to grow the sport locally in Jacksonville, Florida, and to develop better tennis players, and two, share with programs around the country and even around the world my experiences and my knowledge from all the years of my playing and all the years of my coaching at the professional level.

Really it’s a matter of trying to grow relatively from the ground up locally, and around the nation I’d really love to be able to serve other programs and students from places other than Jacksonville

TN: Is that sort of a twist, the sharing concept?

TM: Collaboration was beaten into my thick skull when I was young. I had a great coach but he was always looking for me to have other learning opportunities. I know I wouldn’t have gone as far in the sport had it not been for a whole host of characters – Dan Smith, Jose Higueras, Tom Gullikson, and Brian Gottfried.

On an organizational level I really don’t think it’s offered. I think it’s something there will be a demand for, but it also requires some out-of-the-box thinking from the clubs, because our community is naturally fairly possessive of our talent.

TN: Mr. Wayne Bryan thinks the USTA should get out of the business of developing players. Do you have a stance with regard to this?

TM: I will speak as an individual in the tennis development business, not as a board member of the USTA here. My personal opinion is that the USTA’s role in player development would be greatly reduced if the private sector did better. If more guys did it like Wayne did it for his kids, I don’t think the USTA would need to play as big of a role. If we all did way better for our kids locally, I don’t think we’d need so much centralization of development. I think it would still be helpful. Hard for me to say that exposing kids to other kids that are at the top level, and to a coaching staff that Jose Higueras puts together and educates is a bad thing. I’m dying to develop kids here in Jacksonville that have the same opportunity.

TN: How has globalism impacted the game and is it a legitimate excuse for America’s lack of success on the big stages?

TM: The fact that the sport is more global has hugely impacted the landscape of American tennis. I think the fact that we have infinite more sports to compete against domestically has a huge impact, and I think the fact that the game has evolved and I don’t necessarily believe that the teaching of it in the States has evolved. I think more and more the players internationally are exceptional athletes. I think soccer is an unbelievable cross training sport for tennis. I also think that our kids in this nation are encouraged to specialize in one sport or another far too early in their lives so their general athleticism is not being developed, and lastly, the absence of physical education in our school systems is adversely affecting our athletic population in general.

TN: In your opinion is it cultural? Jose Higueras once told me that American kids are a little too soft. Do you think we need to toughen up and be hungrier?

TM: I think that it’s more nuanced than that. It’s probably true, but then again it’s probably also true of some Spaniards, Serbians, French, Swiss, Belgians—everybody has the propensity to raise some soft children. It’s difficult to expect methods and manners of other nations to work across the board for our youth.

Some kids – (Rafael) Nadal included – could probably withstand five or six hours a day and retain their passion for the sport. But I don’t think that’s the norm and I think in the States it’s less the norm than anywhere else. We need to respect that the most important part of development when you start talking about professional tennis is what happens in the child’s development from 17 to 22. We’ve done really well getting the kids ready and raring to go at the age of 17, but their development plateaus from there in large part because they’ve exhausted their passion.

TN: Is it a shame that Nick Bollettieri isn’t in the International Tennis Hall of Fame?

TM: This ship has sailed, but I think that it would have been really nice to have retained the Hall of Fame for those who played the game. But at the same time, recognizing that contributors and the such are part of the Hall, Nick definitely has credentials to be included. What he’s done. He’s created an academy world in tennis and in other sports and has also participated in development in some incredible athletes as well.

TN: What advice would you give to Donald Young these days?

Todd Martin: It’s all cause for some self-reflection. If I were to participate in that process with him, I think I’d want to encourage him to see what was his work like off the court and away from tournaments when he was at his most successful. I was most effective when I went away to train. The luxuries of home, the comforts, the pitfalls of home are real challenges. In order to be fully focused and in order to get the most of ourselves, we need to go elsewhere.

TN: Are you impressed by the Brian Baker story?

Todd Martin: Brian’s story is out of this world, frankly. For those of us who knew Brian fairly well several years ago, he was off of our radar completely. It’s a testament to perseverance, and that perseverance over the course of 5, 6, 7 years will also serve him incredibly well. On top of that, I am a believer that he’s got potential to do more than he’s done. It also should be a great lesson to all of those kids and the parents of those kids who are in a hurry to climb the mountain. The mountain’s not moving. Sometimes you go too fast early you get altitude sickness, and you have to come back down.

TN: Did your experience coaching Novak Djokovic help you cultivate your understanding of the mindset of the modern player?

Todd Martin: For me to be able to spend a few years with Mardy (Fish) and then the better part of a year with Novak certainly helped me understand the game differently than the way I played it, and as I get exposed to more talent through TMT, I will go with the flow. I’ll have to evolve as a coach just like I evolved as a player and just like I evolved from being a player to being a coach.

Certainly Novak, being by far the best athlete I ever have seen up close on a tennis court will be and has been a benefit. He showed me how to do a lot of things and he showed me how not to do some things as well, and all of those experiences will make me better.

(Photo Credit: Michael Baz)