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- 3 South Road Harrison, NY 10528
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MEET THE STAFF
CAROLYN CRUZ
Club Owner / CEO
Carolyn Cruz graduated from Cornell University in 1988 where she played #1 singles and doubles, and was captain of the Varsity team. She joined the Rye Racquet Club in 1995 and was a tennis pro at the Apawamis Club in Rye during the 1995 summer season. In 2017, her family was awarded USTA Southern Region Family of the Year. Her two daughters both competed at the collegiate level, one at Lehigh University, Division 1, and the other at Claremont Mckenna, who were the 2018 Division 3 National Champions. Her son was awarded USTA Southern Region Volunteer of the Year in 2020. Carolyn has captained many USTA teams to post season play. In 2004 her USTA 5.0 team were National Finalists, and in 2019 her USTA 4.5, 40 & over team were also National Finalists. She currently plays on the Rye Racquet MITL A team and has captained the team to many years of first place titles in Flight 1
GO INAGAWA
Club Owner / COO
Go Inagawa grew up in the Rye area and was a student in the Rye Racquet Club tennis program. A 1994 graduate of Syracuse University, he went on to the Tennis Tech program at Tyler, Texas where he was certified by the USPTA and USPTR as a P-1 professional. He was the Assistant Pro at the Hollytree Country Club and at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Go joined the Rye Racquet Club in 1997 and in addition to being a senior pro, he currently serves as an Adult Program Director and Summer Camp Director. In 2015, he coaches and took USTA Women’s 3.0 team to National Championships in Arizona. He also led the Hudson Valley Team to winning the flight 1 eight times as well as leading his Jr. Team Tennis to four sectional appearance.
KIT BYRON
Consultant
Under Kit’s direction, the Rye Racquet Club has developed into one of the East Coast’s largest teaching facilities. His junior proteges have won sixteen USTA singles and doubles titles, and have progressed to the Pro Tour as highly ranked players. Fifteen of his adult league USTA teams have gone on to the National League Championships at levels 2.5 to 5.0; 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 teams having won the top title. His MITL teams are the “place to be.” in the spring as they are consistently at the top of their flights.
As a testament to his remarkable and continued impact on the sport, he was inducted into the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame in April 2019. He has served the USTA Eastern section as a two-term Vice President, and been a member of several USTA committees.
KIT BYRON
Consultant
Under Kit’s direction, the Rye Racquet Club has developed into one of the East Coast’s largest teaching facilities. His junior proteges have won sixteen USTA singles and doubles titles, and have progressed to the Pro Tour as highly ranked players. Fifteen of his adult league USTA teams have gone on to the National League Championships at levels 2.5 to 5.0; 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 teams having won the top title. His MITL teams are the “place to be.” in the spring as they are consistently at the top of their flights.
As a testament to his remarkable and continued impact on the sport, he was inducted into the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame in April 2019. He has served the USTA Eastern section as a two-term Vice President, and been a member of several USTA committees.
CAROLYN CRUZ
Director of Tennis and Operations
Carolyn Cruz graduated from Cornell University in 1988 where she played #1 singles and doubles, and was captain of the Varsity team. She joined the Rye Racquet Club in 1995 and was a tennis pro at the Apawamis Club in Rye during the 1995 summer season. In 2017, her family was awarded USTA Southern Region Family of the Year. Her two daughters both competed at the collegiate level, one at Lehigh University, Division 1, and the other at Claremont Mckenna, who were the 2018 Division 3 National Champions. Her son was awarded USTA Southern Region Volunteer of the Year in 2020. Carolyn has captained many USTA teams to post season play. In 2004 her USTA 5.0 team were National Finalists, and in 2019 her USTA 4.5, 40 & over team were also National Finalists. She currently plays on the Rye Racquet MITL A team and has captained the team to many years of first place titles in Flight 1.
GO INAGAWA
Director of Adult Programs and Summer Programs
Go Inagawa grew up in the Rye area and was a student in the Rye Racquet Club tennis program. A 1994 graduate of Syracuse University, he went on to the Tennis Tech program at Tyler, Texas where he was certified by the USPTA and USPTR as a P-1 professional. He was the Assistant Pro at the Hollytree Country Club and at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Go joined the Rye Racquet Club in 1997 and in addition to being a senior pro, he currently serves as an Adult Program Director and Summer Camp Director. In 2015, he coaches and took USTA Women’s 3.0 team to National Championships in Arizona. He also led the Hudson Valley Team to winning the flight 1 eight times as well as leading his Jr. Team Tennis to four sectional appearances.
HIROMI INAGAWA
Director of Adult Programs & Leagues and Red Ball Program
Hiromi began playing junior tennis at the age of 10. She competed at the national level in Japan. She was also captain of her high school tennis team. Hiromi began her career at RRC in 1995. She was a teaching pro from 1995 to 2002 and is now Director of Adult Programs as well as Director of 8 & Under Red Ball Programs. Hiromi also manages the Club’s website and social media platforms. She coordinated The Pop Tennis League in 2018 as the first Pop Tennis League in Westchester, NY, first in the country and first in the world. Hiromi currently plays on the Rye Racquet Club MITL A team and USTA 4.5 team, and was part of the Rye Racquet Club USTA 4.5 National Champion Team in 2005, and in 2019 her USTA 4.5, 40 & over team were also National Finalists, team also advanced to Nationals in 2023. Further, Hiromi assists in the formation of MITL / USTA teams.
ALEX DIAS
Director of Men’s League
Alex Dias was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil where he was a top 10 junior player. He graduated from Auburn University in Alabama with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. The Auburn tennis team won the SEC twice when Alex was on the squad and ranked as high as #8 in the nation. He was All-SEC and #1 SEC Doubles Champion as well as Top 50 in the college rankings during his time there. He earned ATP points on tour and was the WTA touring coach to the #1 ranked Brazilian women’s player. Alex was #1 35’s ETA for 6 years, national singles 35’s grass champion, ranked #2 nationally in the 35’s and a member of the 5.0 National Championship team. Prior to joining Rye Racquet, Alex was the former Pelham Country Club Tennis Director as well as Sound Shore Senior Pro and Men’s League Director. Currently, he is the Larchmont Shore Club Tennis Director.
JOHNNY GULARTE
Director of JG Tennis Development
Johnny is from Punta del Este, Uruguay. He was a highly ranked junior player in South America, and after moving to the U.S. in 2005, he began to pursue his passion for training the dedicated junior tennis player. Achieving noted success with highly ranked Eastern and Nationally ranked players, he founded his own program, JG Tennis Development, in 2012. Under his expert coaching, dedication and guidance, many of his students have gone on to play for prestigious collegiate tennis teams. Johnny is a USPTR Certified Professional, as well as a certified USTA High Performance Coach.
VANESSA TAVARES
Senior Pro / Director of Junior Tennis
Vanessa started at RRC in 2016. She took a 2-year hiatus to earn a master’s degree in Kinesiology at Texas A & M, Kingsville. During this time, she was also the Assistant Coach of the women’s team and was awarded the 2019 ITA Division II South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year and NCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year. She was instrumental in leading the team to its all-time best national ranking of No. 23 in NCAA Division II. She has also obtained a degree in sports business administration from Manhattanville College. As a junior player, Vanessa was ranked consistently in the top five nationally in Brazil, competed in South America for the ITF and COSSAT leagues and was ranked as high as #7 of all competitors in South America. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, where she was captain of the women’s tennis team, playing first singles and doubles. Prior to becoming full time at RRC, Vanessa coached for three summers at Scarsdale Golf Club and five summers at American Yacht Club.
Vanessa Tavares, a top-five nationally ranked junior tennis player from Florianopolis, Brazil, competed in South America for the ITF and COSSAT leagues and was ranked in the top 15 of all competitors in South America. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Finance from Austin Peay State University, where she was captain of the women’s tennis team, playing first singles and doubles.Vanessa worked as the assistant women’s tennis coach for Texas A&M University – Kingsville, 2017-19, and was named the 2019 ITA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year and selected as the NCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year. She helped guide the women’s team to its all-time best national ranking of No. 23 in NCAA Division II.Vanessa coached for three summers at Scarsdale Golf Club, 2013-15, and since 2016 has been coaching at American Yacht Club during the summer. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Sports Business and Entertainment Management.
PATRICK "PK" KARORO
Senior Pro / Director of High School Training
Patrick “PK” Karoro, a former top 5 junior from Zimbabwe, played his college tennis at Jackson State
University in Mississippi. He brings with him a vast amount of experience having coached in the Westchester
area for the last 14 years. He has taught at Old Oaks, Sunningdale, Larchmont Shore Club and for the last 8 years at Brae Burn Country Club. He has spent the last 12 years at Sound Shore as a Senior Pro where he ran the High School Junior Program along with teaching both junior and adult clinics.
MULENGA CHIPOPOLA
Senior Pro
Mulenga Chipopola is a 2001 Psychology Major from Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida. In college she played singles and doubles tennis, attending and winning the MEAC Regional Conference twice. Further, Mulenga was a Zambian Junior Champion travelling around Africa with her older brother K.C. Mulenga joined Rye Racquet Club as a Tennis Professional in the fall of 2005. Prior to Rye Racquet Club, Mulenga taught at Bronxville Tennis for 5 years and Mt. Vernon Tennis the previous 3 years.
TIAGO SANTO
Senior Pro
Santo grew up in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, where he took court at an early age. As a teenager, he moved to Rio to join a tennis program led by the Davis Cup coach. For two and a half years, he competed in pro tournaments, such as Futures and Challengers, and the European circuit. At 16, he earned his first ATP point in doubles and at 17, his first singles point. After his stint in Rio, Santo came to the U.S. and played No.1 for Wichita State University and in 2008 as captain, led the team to its best season since 1994. He was ranked in the top 100 in the NCAA and was awarded All Conference Player three times before graduating with a degree in marketing.
In the spring/summer season, he has been the Director of Racquet Sports at American Yacht Club since 2012 and prior to that worked at Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck as a pro.
RODRIGO AMARAL
Senior Pro
A Governador Valadares, Brazil native, Rodrigo Amaral was ranked as high as #1 in the junior national ranking in Brazil at the age of 16. He graduated from Belmont University with a dual degree in Accounting and Management and even served as an Assistant Tennis Coach at Belmont University while pursuing his Masters in Sports Administration. Rodrigo is an accredited USPTA Elite Professional. He was the Director of Junior Programs and Marketing Coordinator at Belle Meade Country Club in Tennessee (2014-2015), and the Assistant Head Pro at Larchmont Shore Club from 2010-2019. Currently Rodrigo is the Director of Tennis at Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont.
KENT FRIEDMAN
Senior Pro
Kent is a USPTA Elite Pro with over 35 years experience coaching and teaching tennis. Kent grew up playing tennis in Florida where he participated on his high school team, which was one of the best in the State. He played collegiate tennis for the University of Vermont and began his teaching career in Burlington, VT as Head Pro for the Quarry Hill Club. He held a position as Senior Pro at the regional YMCA in Saratoga Springs and founded the Saratoga Thoroughbred Tennis Academy, for high school varsity players who strive to compete at the collegiate level. Kent was consistently ranked in the top 3 for Men’s USTA Eastern 45’s and has competed internationally for Team USA winning a Silver Medal in the Maccabia Games (Tel Aviv) and reaching the quarter finals at the Pan Am Games (Buenos Aires). Most recently Kent was the Head Coach for Greenwich Racquet Club’s High Performance Junior Development Program. Kent has certifications and training in Dartfish Video Analysis, Stroke Biomechanics, Footwork, Mental Preparation and Match Play Strategy. Favorite quote, from Andre Agassi, “If you stop learning its time to stop coaching”.
OLA PROCA WHITE
Senior Pro
Ola is from Bucharest, Romania. As a junior player she was ranked in the top ten in Romania. She later went on to star at Concordia College in Bronxville, NY where she played at #1 singles and doubles and earned a degree in film. She also has a degree in Sport Science and Business from Manchester University, England. She has 24 years of experience coaching juniors and adults at all skill levels. She started her teaching career in Europe including clubs in Romania, Turkey and England where she divided her time between London and Manchester. She has spent the last three years as the Director of Tennis at Park Hill Racquet Club in Yonkers, NY. She also splits her time coaching the women’s teams at Orienta Beach Club in Mamaroneck, NY.
ALEX YUILLE
Senior Pro
Alex Yuille is a native of London. As a junior he earned a top 100 National Ranking in the 18 and Under Division. At the age of 18, Alex came to the USA on a tennis scholarship from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College from 2007-2009 and for Georgia Southern University from 2009-2011. After graduating with a Business Management Degree in 2011, Alex moved to Orlando, Florida where he worked at Winter Park Tennis Center instructing both Adults and Juniors. From 2012- 2013 Alex was the Assistant Tennis Director for Future Stars Tennis Summer Camp at Purchase College. From the Fall of 2013 until the end of 2014 Alex was the Assistant Tennis Coach at Cheam Tennis Club in Surrey, United Kingdom where he worked with some of the top Juniors, as well as coached the Men’s and Women’s Teams for upcoming competitions. Alex currently spends his summers as a Tennis Professional at the Coveleigh Club.
RICHARD HENRY
Senior Pro
Richard Henry hails from the island of Barbados. He represented his country on the ITF junior circuit and achieved a junior world ranking in singles and doubles. He attended Jackson State on a tennis scholarship where his team was ranked nationally in NCAA Division 1. He graduated with a degree in architectural drafting and went on to play professional futures events. Richard has coached many world ranked juniors, professionals and collegiate players. He won a national title as a coach at Tyler Junior College in 2004 and coached Ivo Karlovic during the 2013 US Open. In 2010 Richard won the Price Waterhouse Coopers Cayman Open Doubles title with Juan Rios and was ranked nationally by the USPTA. Richard is certified by the USTA as a high performance coach and currently holds Elite Professional status through the USPTA. Richard is currently the Head Tennis Professional at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains.
STJEPAN BEG
Senior Pro
Stjepan Beg, a Croatian native, graduated from New Mexico State University in 2007, where he played at the top of the line-up in both singles and doubles. He was captain of NMSU tennis team for the last 2 years of his college career. As a junior player, Stjepan was ranked #1 and was a member of the Croatia National Team. Stjepan was a pro at Manursing Island Club from 2007-2010, and the Director of Tennis at the American Yacht Club in 2011. Currently Stjepan is Director of Tennis at Apawamis Club in Rye.
ZELJKA BEG
Senior Pro
Zeljka Beg is originally from Croatia and graduated from New Mexico State University in 2008, where she played at the top of the line-up in both singles and doubles, leading the Aggies to one of their most successful years. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Finance and International business, Zeljka joined the coaching staff at NMSU while completing her MBA. Prior to her collegiate career, she was ranked no.3 in the Croatian Tennis federation (under 18) and finished second with the Croatian tennis club Mladost Zagreb in the National Tennis League. She won several junior tournaments in Croatia and was a member of the tennis academy Sanchez-Casal for a few years. Zeljka has taught at the Manursing Island Club from 2006-2010 and American Yacht Club in 2011. She is currently at the Apawamis Country Club in Rye, NY.
DANNY NGUYEN
Senior Pro
Danny is from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. He studied Nursing at Norwalk Community College. His tennis teaching career started at Stamford Youth Tennis Academy, a nonprofit program for underprivileged kids. With experience working as Senior Pro at Grand Slam Banksville Tennis Club, Head Pro at Newfield Swim & Tennis Club, and multiple clubs in the Fairfield County area, he is well versed and proficient in tennis development for 10 & under, Junior players, as well as adults/USTA programs. Danny is Professional USPTA certified.
FLAVIO CARRETERO
Staff Pro
Flavio is from Madrid, Spain where he started playing tennis at the age of 4. Growing up, he was able to attend the best academies and receive training from the top coaches in Spain. He became one of the best players in the region before he started competing in junior tournaments and achieving a high national ranking. As a college player in the United States, he played for Harford Community College for two years in Maryland and helped the team to achieve a Top 10 Ranking in the nation. After that, he received a scholarship to play for the University of Mount Olive, where he enjoyed both academic and athletic success, making the President’s list at the school. He has a total of 7 years of coaching experience. He has worked as a pro at Future Starts Camp, The Bailliwick Club in Greenwich, and Proform Tennis Academy.
ADELINE "ADDY" FABIANI
Senior Pro
Addy grew up in New Jersey and came to New York in 2007 to attend Concordia College where she graduated with a BA in Business. As a member of the tennis team they had 3 appearances at the NCAA DII National Championships reaching the “elite eight” 2 times. After graduation she became their women’s assistant coach from 2011-2015. She worked for 14 years at College Racquet Club in Bronxville, now known as Maximum Tennis Development Zone. Addy has worked with juniors and adults at all skill levels. She was the MITL coordinator and coached USTA 2.5-3.5 women’s teams. She is a creative, passionate and driven coach.
CLEARY PACKARD
Senior Pro
Cleary Packard grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. She trained at Concordia College Racquet Club as a junior player and attended Catawba College in North Carolina on a tennis scholarship , competing in the top two spots for her team in the SAC conference. Cleary has many years of teaching experience. Recent positions in Westchester include Yonkers Tennis Center, NYAC, TIA Academy, and Sportime, Harbor Island. Cleary is also our Head Pickleball Pro with 5 years of teaching experience. She enjoys seeing players quickly fall in love with the game of Pickleball, “ I find that within five minutes of playing Pickleball, players find their connection with the game.” Cleary takes pleasure in teaching both tennis and pickleball, and is a dedicated coach.
CHISOMO "CHIZZY" LUMETA
Staff Pro
Chisomo “Chizzy” Lumeta’s hometown is Zomba, Malawi. He studied Business Administration at the University of Northwestern Ohio. Before this, he attended college at Seminole State College. He was once named “Player of the Week” and “Player to Watch” during the NJCAA Nationals. He won the Individual Nationals and was selected to be first team All American. Chizzy represented Malawi from 2009 at an international level. He has traveled to more than 30 countries, playing at a high level of tennis where he won gold and silver medals in international tennis tournaments. He has single handedly put Malawi on the map for tennis, especially in the context of Africa. Chizzy started playing at age of five through a development program initiated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). His talent in the game earned him a scholarship from ITF to play while studying in both South Africa and Morocco. Chizzy achieved some big wins over several top 100 ATP players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex De Minaur and Casper Ruud.
ALEJANDRO RIDRUEJO
Staff Pro
Alejandro, hails from Madrid, Spain, where as a junior he was ranked top 15 nationally and #3 in his home city. Before coming to the U.S., he traveled around Europe to play international tournaments where he managed to get ITF points. He studied at St. Francis College, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Administration. In college, he was the MVP player of the team for two consecutive years, and #2 player in his conference two years in a row. During his college life, he coached high-level tennis players in Madrid during the summers and at Greenwich Racquet Club where he was also a Tournament Event Coordinator. After graduating in May 2019, he joined the John McEnroe Tennis Academy coaching team where he worked until mid-summer 2020. Alejandro is a great defender of the Spaniard tennis school. For him, a disciplined and professional environment is very important for the improvement of any player. Focus is key to understanding the tactical and strategic aspect of the sport.
TOMAS TORRES-DOWDALL
Staff Pro
Tomas grew up playing tennis in Argentina. He began his college career at Jacksonville College, where his team obtained their highest national ranking in school history, #9 NJCAA. Tomas transferred to Division I Jackson State University, where he played #2 singles and #2 doubles. As an accounting major, Tomas graduated with honors from JSU in May 2020. Prior to joining RRC as a staff pro, Tomas has been coaching all levels and ages at Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck, and at River Hills Club in Jackson, MS. Tomas is passionate about the development of his students, and his competitive experience, and his dedication and enthusiasm for teaching, is what helps each and every one of his students or class get to their next level.
DAVID GONZALEZ RODRIGUEZ
Staff Pro
David Gonzalez Rodriguez is originally from Barcelona, Spain where he earned a ranking as high as #8 as a junior, and #72 in the +21 category. He graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Business Management and Marketing degree with academic honors in 2019. In his four years at ETSU, he helped the tennis team win four conference titles. During this time, he was ranked as high as 107 in the ITA National Ranking in singles. He was honored to receive the following awards within the Southern Conference: SoCon Academic honors 2018 & 2019, SoCon second-team singles 2017, and SoCon second-team doubles 2017, 2018 & 2019. Prior to joining RRC, he was the Assistant Head Pro at Manursing Island Club in Rye.
LUIS ROMERO
Staff Pro
Luis is originally from Zaragoza, Spain where he learned to play tennis when he was 5 years old. At age 16, as a junior, Luis was ranked top 12 national at age 16, and was #1 in his region. He earned a tennis scholarship to play at Oklahoma Baptist University where he helped the team to win 4 times the regional championship, the conference championship, and the university got its highest ranking in history (top 20). He was 4 times named conference player of the week, playing the number 1-3. In 2018, Luis received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business. Luis coached in Spain every summer while in college. In 2018, Luis worked at Oklahoma City Tennis Center as a tennis instructor, and then moved to New York, where he worked at Old Oaks Country Club as a tennis professional, coaching some of the best juniors in the region. In 2019, Luis served as an Assistant Tennis Coach at Oklahoma Baptist University, while pursuing his Masters in Business Administration. Luis currently spends his summers as an Assistant Tennis Instructor at Larchmont Shore Club.
LUCAS CASTELO BRANCO
Staff Pro
Lucas, originally from Teresina, Brazil, achieved a top-20 national ranking in the Boys’ 12s, 14s and 16s Divisions as a junior. He began his college career at Oklahoma Baptist University, and later transferred to Portland State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Leadership. As a member of the OBU tennis team, Lucas holds the school record for most singles wins, was the Great American Conference Champion in 2017, was First Team Singles in the GAC and led the team to its best-ever record in 2017. As a member of the PSU tennis team, he holds the school record for most singles wins in a season playing at #2, was selected Men’s Tennis MVP of the season and led the team to its best-ever record in 2019. He started coaching juniors in his hometown and traveled with them to national tournaments in the summer 2017, was Men’s Assistant Tennis Coach at Portland State in the fall 2019, joined the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in January 2020 and currently spends his summers in Larchmont Shore Club.
BRENDA TEIXEIRA
Staff Pro
Brenda, a native Brazilian, was one of the leading junior players in her country. She was ranked top 10 nationally at the age of 16 and top 3 regionally at the age of 18 in the Brazilian national junior rankings. She earned an athletic scholarship to compete for Southern Arkansas University in the Great American Conference (GAC). She graduated with Honors with a Chemical Engineering degree and a minor in Mathematics, while she helped her team achieve the highest ranking in its history, #19. Her diverse athletic resume includes many distinctions, including 2018, 2019, 2020 ITA Scholar-Athlete Awards, a 2018 Great American Conference Individual Championship title, a 2019 GAC Conference Championship, and a 2019 Regular Season Championship. Brenda was a pro at the Italian Center at Stamford during the 2021 summer co-leading the junior program, and also worked during the summer at Apawamis Club in Rye from 2021-2022.
FABIOLA CANDAL RANALLI
Staff Pro
Fabiola, “Fabi” is native of Valencia, Venezuela. As a junior, she was ranked in the top 5 players in the country. In 2018, she came to the US with a full scholarship to play tennis and pursue her studies at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Tampa, FL where she was team captain and earned the doubles national championship in 2019. After graduating with an associate degree in Mass Communication, she transferred with a full scholarship to Jackson State University where she was recognized as the SWAC All-Team Tournament player in 2021 after winning her singles flight in the SWAC Championship. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies with a perfect GPA in 2022. Fabi has worked at the HCC Tennis Center as a pro and in summer 2022 started working at Coveleigh Club as an Assistant Pro.
NICOLAS "NICO" SITARAS
Staff Pro
Nico was born and raised in Somers, New York. He competed as a junior in the Eastern Section, training at multiple clubs in the Westchester area, including Johnny Gularte’s High-Performance Academy. At age 16, he trained and competed in Argentina for a year and a half. He attended Concordia College for a year, where, as a freshman, played six singles and third doubles. He helped qualify his team for Nationals in Orlando by winning at the Regional and Sectional level. He also attended college in Florida. He has been teaching tennis within the New York area for 4 years.
MURILO "MO" SALVIATO
Staff Pro
Murilo is a native from Araras-SP, Brazil. As a junior, he reached #25 in the nation and #2 in his state (São Paulo). He graduated at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, with a double major in Economics and Finance. He won All-Tournament in 2021 in his college conference and was nominated as a Top Saint (best athlete of the year) in his freshman year at OLLU. He has been working as a tennis pro since 2019. He worked 4 years at McFarlin Tennis Center and 1 year at Blossom Tennis Center, both located in San Antonio. Also, he was a teaching professional at Rocky Mountain Tennis Center (Boulder, CO) in the summer of 2022. He currently works at Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, NY.
GIOVANNA "GIO" JALLAS
Staff Pro
Giovanna, “Gio” is from São Paulo, Brazil. In 2018, she came to the US to finish High School at Montverde Academy, located in Orlando, Florida, while playing competitive tennis for her school. She attended college in Concordia College, NY, where the Clippers won the CACC Conference Championship twice. In 2021, Giovanna transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas, in NY, where she graduated in 2023 while winning the ECC Conference Championship twice and being team captain for two years. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a minor in International Business with a 3.70 GPA. Gio is currently doing her MBA at St. Thomas Aquinas College, while also playing on the tennis team. She worked at Armonk Tennis Club in 2021 and over the summers she currently works at Shenorock Shore Club, in Rye.
