Patrick McEnroe and Tracy Austin, former players on the ATP and WTA professional tours respectively, have become certified Professional 1 members of the United States Professional Tennis Association, the world’s oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals.
They were certified in May by the head tester of the California Division, Lee DeYoung. McEnroe, who played on the ATP tour from 1988 to 1998, is currently based in New York, where he was just named general manager of USTA Elite Player Development. He also recently coached the U.S. Davis Cup team to its first title in 12 years. Austin, who played on the WTA tour from 1978 to 1994, is currently based in California. She was the youngest player to win the U.S. Open at the age of 16 and was the youngest inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the age of 29. Now she works frequently as a tennis commentator for NBC and USA Network.
“We’re extremely proud to have Patrick and Tracy join the ranks of many of the famous players as members of USPTA,” said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “We’re honored to now call them professional tennis coaches.”
The USPTA certification process provides assurance that the tennis-teaching professional’s knowledge and abilities have been tested thoroughly. There are three rating classifications for each newly certified USPTA member, which are Professional 3, Professional 2 and Professional 1. Professional 1 represents the highest tested level in USPTA certification. A candidate must be at least 22 years old and have at least three years or five seasons of teaching experience. The candidate must pass the on-court and written portions of the certification exam.
