The father of two-time Roland Garros champion Sergi Bruguera is set to build up the first of the many Chinese male tennis players that will make a mark on the ATP World Tour.
Luis Bruguera, a former David Cup captain, runs his own tennis academy in Barcelona, Spain. He’s optimistic that the Hong Kong-based tennis academy can help out an aspiring Chinese player make it to the big league.
In an interview with SCMP.com, Bruguera said: “But this academy must have clay courts. For it is on this surface that you can best teach a youngster what is the most important aspect of the game – how to think. I was in Guangdong nine years ago for two weeks and was impressed with what I saw. But there have been no results. I hope I can help in this process to uncover a star from China, or even Hong Kong.”
“It’s all about being able to control your mind, control your body, control your racquet and control the ball. In tennis if your physical condition is not good, you cannot play at the top level. But at the same time you need the mental toughness and this is best learned on a clay surface where you cannot win a point as easily as on a hard court where power prevails. “In Spain, most youngsters learn the game on clay courts. In the United States it is mostly on hard courts.”
Bruguera’s son, Sergi won the French Open in 1993 and 1994.
