Rick is joined by a great guest this week. Georgia State men’s tennis fifth-year senior Andrei Duarte, who was awarded a main draw doubles wild card for the 2022 Atlanta Open as announced by the professional men’s tennis tournament and tournament director Eddie Gonzalez. Duarte will pair with Alvaro Regalado of Columbus State to compete in the ATP 250 Tour event against a pair of ATP Tour Pros on July 26.
He also talks to Rick about his compelling story and more.
Duarte joins former Panthers men’s tennis player Zack Kennedy as the latest GSU tennis standout to compete at the US Open Series tournament in Atlanta. Kennedy received a doubles draw to the Atlanta Open in 2016 and secured a win in the first round over tennis pros Yoshihito Nishioka and Thiago Monteiro.
Duarte prepares to make his professional tournament debut at this year’s Atlanta Open having closed his tenure with the Panthers in 2022 as the school’s all-time leader in wins. Duarte’s five-year career at GSU was capped off with a historic season that saw the fifth-year help lead GSU to Sun Belt Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships as well as an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Duarte received All-Sun Belt Singles and Doubles First Team honors for the spring 2022 season.
Tennis & Racket Industry Pros Launch RKT3 Group To Offer Expert Consulting Strategy, Programming and Leadership Development
Rick talks to Erik Kortland this week on “Tech of Sports.”
Three dynamic leaders in the racket sports space are venturing out and offering their services to organizations and facilities looking to expand and take advantage of the growing landscape and popularity of tennis, paddle, pickleball and other racket sports within the industry.
RKT3 Group, Inc., offers executive coaching, vision strategies with mission statements, communications, marketing, programming, leadership and personal development to clubs and racket sports facilities in the United States and abroad.
RKT3 Group was founded in 2021 by dynamic tennis leaders Ryan Redondo, Erik Kortland and Khuong Tien.
“Our vision is to promote an innovative and universal approach to the tennis and racket sport industry,” said Kortland, a former USTA National coach now the National Sports Marketing Manager for Tecnifibre/Lacoste Sports Group also working in player development. “The growth of racket sports like tennis, padel, and pickleball has skyrocketed over the past three of four years, especially in the United States. And we want to be the leaders in helping the industry’s leading facilities and organizations get the most out of their developmental strategy.”
RKT3’s services include organizational strategy and structuring, club management, on and off court program development, one-on-one coaching and mentoring, tournament planning, fundraising and development strategy and planning, and more.
“We support and create a space for our clients to provide lucrative business models, strengthened community development, and the tools to be on the cutting edge within the industry,” said Redondo, the CEO of Youth Tennis San Diego and General Manager of Barnes Tennis Center, home of a newly announced WTA 500 tournament set for the fall.
Tien is a junior tennis parent who has worked as a corporate lawyer for the past 20 years. Prior to RKT3 Group, he served as general counsel for a national chain restaurant based in Southern California.
For more information on the RKT3 Group, go to the website at: www.rkt3.com.
Rick is joined by Jack Oswald of Cancha Bags this week.
After nearly a decade of traveling the world on the men’s pro tennis circuit, Oswald grew tired of experiencing the downfalls of traditional tennis bags: broken zips, loose stitching, uncomfortable straps and a ‘one-size fits all’ mentality that let him and others down time and time again.
With a creative idea and entrepreneurial spirit, Oswald set out to create a uniquely adaptable, highly durable and customizable tennis and sports bag that could be used not only for avid and competitive tennis players but also for the outdoor adventurer.
The result of Jack’s labor of love, inspired by deep frustration? The Cancha Racquet Bag holds up to four racquets and was designed using a unique modular attachment system. Cancha, appropriately, means ‘court’ in Spanish but Jack adds, “Cancha also translates into activity and is an action word used to describe a go-getter. That’s the type of adjective that fits perfectly with the Cancha brand.”
“I wondered why no brands out there came up with a durable racquet bag that would see you through at least a whole season,” said Jack, 26, a resident of Great Britain. “I imagined a bag which, through its uniquely adaptable and customizable design, would be totally personal to each user and act as the perfect tool to help them achieve their goals.”
The design of the Cancha bag is unique for another reason; there are no large logos placed on the bag. “People can tell our bags from a mile away,” said Jack. “The design speaks for itself and we keep the logos to a minimum.”
Features of the Cancha bag include:
§ Durable and flexible material giving maximum protection from the elements;
§ Accessory pockets for those little but important items;
§ Removable shoulder straps;
§ Lightweight, making it easy for juniors and adults alike;
§ Modular system for maximum adaptability;
§ Wet-dry bag accessory for soiled shirts and shorts;
Born in Virginia, Jack spent 14 years in the United States and competed in national and international tournaments as a junior before his family moved to Europe. Fluent in three languages (French, Spanish and English), he holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Stirling (2021) and has also spent time as a hitting partner to ATP pros like Kyle Edmund and Aljaz Bedene.
“I am very interested in the lives of those grinding it out on the lower levels of the pro circuit,” Jack says. “My days traveling to the $10,000 Futures-level tournaments helped me learn what a player really needs from a great tennis bag.”
Grip MD is a revolutionary new unique training device developed by two former collegiate tennis stars with the goal to aid players of all levels how to perfect the proper volley, serve, and slice grip.
Grip MD is the creation of former ATP World Tour doubles No. 38 and NCAA Champion Mark Merklein and former Notre Dame No. 1 Matt Daly. The device simply slips on to the handle of the racket, allowing the player to feel the perfect Continental grip. The Continental grip is used for the slice, serve and volleys in tennis and is vital to a player’s development.
Rick is joined by Merklein this week.
“Having worked with players of all levels from beginners to pros, I have found that teaching the correct grip is the most important part of any player’s technical development,” said Daly, Co-Founder of GripMD. “It is also extremely hard to teach and commonly misunderstood. This device greatly simplifies the process, allowing players to find the perfect grip in a short period of time.”
Merklein appears in several information YouTube videos demonstrating how to master the slice, volley and second serve using Grip MD.
Take advantage of a special offer now. Get three Grip MD products for the low price of $99. Or buy one for $39.95. To purchase and for more information or to purchase GripMD, visit at: https://www.thegripmd.com.
Chris Clarey joins Rick this week to talk a little tennis and his new book on Roger Federer.
There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In THE MASTER: The Brilliant Career of Roger Federer (Twelve, August 24, 2021), New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men’s tennis.
THE MASTER tells the story of Federer’s life and career on both an intimate and grand scale, in a way no one else could possibly do. Fantastic timing as Federer is in the news that he will not play again in 2021.
Great to talk to Chris leading up to the US Open and a great read!
Atlanta Radio Personality, Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv tournament MC, and avid tennis player, Jason Bailey, who can now add “Inventor” to his resume.
Inventor?
The 46-year old radio personality has created a revolutionary new tennis product called “My Court Caddy.” It’s available for pre-order now!
It turns out, Bailey finally had enough with that dreadful third ball while on the tennis court. Maybe someone didn’t pick it up during play, and in times of a pandemic, he needed a safe place to put his “stuff.”
With an extra ball rolling around the court, a player could trip over it and sprain their ankle, lose it or the ball finds the only puddle on the court.
“I had the idea and my partner had a 3D printer, so we went to work producing the product to see if it would work,” explained Bailey. “Atlanta’s the No. 1 tennis city in the country and I envision this at clubs, tennis centers and maybe something tournaments or leagues provide to its players.”
My Court Caddy is a tennis player’s homebase for balls, towels, water bottles and anything else you decide to hang on any of the three hooks available. It’s a way to keep your things safe and away from your partner’s or opponent’s personal items.
How does it work?
The concept is simple, but the possibilities are endless. You just hook it onto the chain link fence with the two clips on the back and let gravity do its job. There are two side hooks and one bottom hook for all of your personal items. Perfect to keep an eye on your valuables and more.
How to get yours?
MyCourtCaddy is now available for pre-orders on the website. You can learn more about My Court Caddy at www.MyCourtCaddy.com.
