Nick Saviano on Coaching Philosophy, Mindset & Building Elite Tennis Players

Matt Pressman of Florida Tennis Magazine sat down with Nick Saviano, founder and world-class coach at Saviano High Performance Tennis, for a wide-ranging conversation about coaching, player development and the life principles behind high-level performance.

For Saviano, coaching begins far beyond technique, tactics or tournament results. It starts with a clear philosophy.

“That’s at the core of my coaching,” Saviano said. “When you put together a coaching philosophy, which every coach should have, or anybody who is a mentor, a teacher, and even parents have their own philosophy which they’re trying to instill in their children, you’ve got to be clear on that stuff. And that’s kind of your north star.”

Saviano described his approach as being built around what he calls “fundamental principles of life success,” values that guide the way he works with young athletes every day.

“The core of my fundamental principles in dealing with young people is that working with young people is a sacred trust,” Saviano said. “Coaching, mentoring, teaching, and as we all know, being a parent is a sacred trust.”

That responsibility, he explained, extends not only to the player, but also to the family.

“It’s a sacred trust not only to that young person, but to the parents as well because they are entrusting you with this precious child,” Saviano said.

Nick Saviano, invited guest of Jim Courier during Courier’s 2015 Hall of Fame induction. Photo courtesy of Saviano High Performance Tennis

A major part of that trust is helping players understand what they can and cannot control. Saviano emphasized that outcomes matter, but they can never be guaranteed.

“You don’t guarantee outcomes. Forget about it. You can’t now. You never will. No one ever has,” Saviano said. “Where greatness lies is in the acceptance that we cannot control outcomes. We can influence them.”

That mindset, he believes, is essential for players trying to reach their full potential.

“The goal is to give yourself the best chance to get the outcome,” Saviano said. “Your goal is to perform as well as you can and give everything you have to be able to perform at your highest level.”

Saviano also spoke about the importance of a growth mindset, pointing to the value of purposeful training and constant improvement. He said that real development does not come from simply hitting more balls, but from training with clarity and intention.

“When you are actually executing, having the appropriate level of focus and purpose in whatever drill you are doing, we're not looking for mediocrity,” Saviano said.

That standard applies to every part of a player’s game, from movement and technique to decision-making and competition.

“Don’t just be slapping balls mindlessly,” Saviano said. “The drills very often should be consistent with the way you would execute, so they simulate many of the challenges that you would face in competition.”

Photo courtesy of Saviano High Performance Tennis

When discussing player development, Saviano made a clear distinction between style and fundamental technique. He believes coaches should allow players to develop their own identity, but not at the expense of sound mechanics.

“When you look at fundamental principles of technique, that’s not style,” Saviano said. “There’s a range of acceptability, and that acceptability is to avoid limitations.”

For Saviano, leaving a player with a major technical weakness is unfair to their long-term growth.

“I don’t like to leave players with weaknesses,” he said. “It’s a flawed approach to do that and it is not fair.”

He also emphasized the importance of building a clear long-term vision once a player is old enough to show their on-court personality and physical attributes.

“You want to build the game around those things so that they love the way they play and they highlight the physical attributes they have,” Saviano said.

When it comes to tactics, Saviano wants players to understand both general principles and personalized patterns that fit their own strengths. His ideal style of play is not passive consistency, but controlled aggression.

“High percentage aggressive is the name of the game,” Saviano said. “Most of the time, the person who plays high percentage aggressive is going to beat the person who is playing high percentage passive.”

Photo courtesy of Saviano High Performance Tennis

As the conversation turned to competition, Saviano stressed that pressure is often about perception. Players must learn to embrace challenges while focusing on what they can control.

“It’s okay to be nervous. It’s never okay to be scared out on a court,” Saviano said. “The idea is to ultimately make the competition a relentless pursuit from the inside out to be your best.”

Winning, he added, should not be dismissed. Instead, it should be understood within the larger process of growth.

“Winning’s important. It’s great. That’s one of the things we want to accomplish out there,” Saviano said. “But understanding that you’re not going to guarantee it.”

At the heart of Saviano High Performance Tennis is a belief in continuous improvement, not only for players, but for coaches and the academy itself.

“It’s about relentless growth,” Saviano said. “I’m not here to say I’ve arrived. I’m not here to say that Saviano’s is perfect.”

For Saviano, the mission remains clear: to help each athlete grow as both a tennis player and a person.

“Each one of these little ones is important,” he said. “We are all striving here to help them reach their full potential, not only in tennis, but in life.”

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Written and edited by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. On-camera interview by Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Video editing by Nathalia Suarez.