Inside Saviano High Performance Tennis: Players Share What Sets Nick Saviano Apart

For decades, Nick Saviano has built a reputation as one of the most respected coaches in American tennis, helping develop Grand Slam champions, top professionals, and countless collegiate players. Today, that same philosophy continues to shape the next generation at Saviano High Performance Tennis, where athletes from around the world come to pursue their goals both on and off the court.

One of those players is Sebastian Constandache, who has been training at the academy for the past three years. Beyond the high level of competition, he believes one of the academy's greatest strengths is the personal attention every player receives.

"I love how personal Coach Saviano gets with everyone," Sebastian said. "He's really helped me over the years and I feel like I've really developed as a player."

Training in South Florida also provides a competitive advantage. With both clay and hard courts available year-round, players are able to prepare for virtually any tournament while competing in one of the country's busiest junior tennis schedules.

"It's really great being able to train and play in Florida because the weather here is always great," Sebastian explained. "There are tough conditions and a bunch of tournaments we can participate in."

Perhaps the biggest lesson he has taken from Nick Saviano, however, goes beyond forehands and backhands.

"One thing that's really stuck with me from the very beginning was how he engraves the point of controlling the things you can control and not really thinking about the outcome," he said. "Just work on the things you're able to do on court."

For Melanie Constandache, the academy's greatest strength lies in the coaching staff's honesty and commitment to every player's development.

"I really enjoy how serious the coaches are and how they really care about the development of each player here," she said. "They're pretty involved, especially when you go to tournaments."

She also appreciates Nick Saviano's direct coaching style.

"He's really direct and straightforward," Melanie said. "He doesn't sugarcoat things. He tells you directly what you need to improve on, and I think that's really helped improve my game a lot."

Like many juniors training at the academy, Melanie hopes to continue her tennis career at the collegiate level before pursuing professional tennis.

"My goal is to play Division I college tennis and then, after that, give myself the best opportunity to go on the pro circuit."

The academy's international environment is another characteristic that attracts players from around the world. Matt Qian moved from Beijing, China, two years ago in search of both stronger tennis and academic opportunities.

"I was hoping for a better tennis experience and also learning opportunities, so I came here," Matt said. "Florida is very diverse in sports and academics. There are lots of different people that come here for different opportunities and experiences."

He credits Nick Saviano with helping him both on and off the court.

"Nick helped me in my academic pathway," Matt said. "I owe him for that one. When I first came here, he was very detailed in helping me improve my game."

Training alongside college players and professionals in local tournaments has also accelerated his development.

"I mainly play Battle of Boca," he said. "It helps me play better players such as college players and even professionals, so it's been helping me grow a lot."

Makayla Troutman relocated from Chicago to South Florida looking for a full-time, high-performance training environment.

"I really wanted to improve my game," she said. "I wasn't getting the training I needed, especially with the hours. I decided to homeschool, and this really provided me a full-time program where I can really improve my game."

Like the other players, Makayla points to Nick Saviano's honesty as one of his defining characteristics.

"He is very detailed and he will tell you straight up what you need to do," she said. "He's not going to beat around the bush."

She also believes the academy's emphasis on the mental side of tennis has made a significant difference.

"I really like how he focuses on your mental game because that's a huge part," Makayla said. "That's something I struggled with, and he really helped me with it."

With players representing different countries, multiple training surfaces, experienced coaches, and a philosophy centered on honest feedback and long-term development, Saviano High Performance Tennis continues to provide an environment where juniors can pursue ambitious goals—whether that's earning a Division I scholarship, competing professionally, or simply becoming the best players they can be.

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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. Video shot by Alex Binstok. Video edited by Nathalia Suarez.