Russia’s tennis talent is the envy of the world. So how does the country manage to produce so many great players? The answer, it seems, is in the coaching. Most of Russia’s top players were trained at Moscow tennis schools in their early years.

It’s widely believed that Russian tennis coaches are the best around. So, while there may be problems with courts, equipment and sponsorship, there’s no doubting the quality of the tutors.

Spartak Tennis School

For more than 30 years the legendary Spartak Tennis School, known as Shiryaevka, has functioned under its chief coach, Igor Volkov.

“I’ve devoted my whole life to the Spartak school. I started here as a kid – and later began coaching. Obviously, Shiryaevka remains the country’s main school, the Mecca of Russian tennis. The numbers are staggering: we have 21 clay courts in the summer and nine stadiums for indoor training, eleven coaches and 200 pupils,” Volkov said.

In Russia, it’s about the coaches – not the schools, Volkov believes.

“A coach in this country is a graduate, with a specific degree. All our coaches are Spartak alumni. And it’s a known fact that European and especially American methods refer to the physical rather than the technical side of things – which is different here in this country,” he said.

Parents who are keen to give their children a chance can bring them to Shiryaevka in late September.

Tarpishchev Tennis Academy

Alternatively, they can go to Shamil Tarpishchev’s Tennis Academy, based on the former Dynamo tennis courts.

Tarpishchev is the captain of the Russian national tennis team and President of the country’s Tennis Federation.

The academy offers year-round training in both group and individual lessons. However, it’s not an ‘academy’ in the proper sense of the word.
 
Coach Aleksandr Sobkin explained: ‘We call our school an academy, but we’re not that type of institution where children could stay and train permanently. So, what we need in the future – are the full-time tennis bases.’

Five indoor and seven outdoor courts have been built recently, and even though there’s still not enough space for all the talented youngsters, the situation has slightly changed.