Media & Events

April, 2008

Saddlebrook Alumni Ellah Nze Captures ACC Freshman of the Year Title

As a freshman at the prestigious Duke University, Ellah Nze has been honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year along with being named to the 2008 women’s tennis all-conference team.

Currently ranked 21st in the country in NCAA Division I women's tennis, Ellah posted a 9-2 singles record and a team-best 10-1 doubles record during the regular ACC season. 

While at Saddlebrook Prep Ellah was an outstanding honor roll student leading the top of her class who was also able to balance a blossoming tennis career.  Ellah reached a high of 488 on the WTA Tour and won her first ITF Tournament in Obregon, Mexico in May of 2006.

To read more about Ellah Nze click here.

March, 2008
Pacific Life Open, Indian Wells, CA
Fish Stuns Federer, Faces Djokovic for Title

February, 2008
PLAY TENNIS FLORIDA - The Official Magazine of USTA Florida
Expansion, Player Influx has Saddlebrook Driving Pro Tennis

December, 2007
Members of the Winning Davis Cup Team Return Home to Saddlebrook
Saddlebrook congratulates the US Davis Cup Team who brought the cup home after a decisive victory against Russia. Having not held the title since 1995 this was a great win for the team and for American tennis. An impressive 5 members of the winning team train at Saddlebrook including; James Blake, Bob and Mike Bryan, Mardy Fish, and John Isner. Over the next few weeks these players will be training at Saddlebrook in preparation for the Australian Open and the 2008 season.

December, 2007
Alex Domijan Reaches the Finals of Boys 18s at Eddie Herr and is Honored with the Feldman Sportsmanship Award.
Congratulations to 16 year old Alex Domijan of Saddlebrook Tennis Academy who reached the finals of the Eddie Herr Tournament for the Boys 18s Division this past Sunday. Before reaching the final Domijan had an impressive run of 8 consecutive wins battling through qualifying rounds and eventually upsetting the 3rd seed Roman Jebavy in the main draw to get through to the final. Alex had the full support of Saddlebrook Academy during the finals with close to 50 of his classmates, coaches, and parents coming to support him with banners and words of encouragement - giving him as close to a 'home court' advantage as possible. In the end the title went to Gastao Elias of Portugal (6-1, 6-2) who played an impressive match seeming to be in all the right places at the right times.

During the trophy ceremony Alex was honored with the Glenn Feldman Sportsmanship Award. This award is given to one player who is selected out of the over 1200 participants by the tournament officials as having demonstrated a high level of sportsmanship and on-court conduct throughout the course of the tournament.

At just 16 years old, towering at 6'6" with a well-developed all-around game, Domijan looks forward to continued success. As he moves on to the main draw of the Orange Bowl in Miami, Alex is currently ranked #6 in the US for Boys 18s and has an ITF ranking of 190 that will improve at years end making him eligible for the main draw of the Junior Grand Slam events. Alex has trained at Saddlebrook since he was a young camper and has spent the last 3 years enrolled at Saddlebrook Academy and Preparatory School.

November 2007
Saddlebrook Alum Ellah Nze Upsets the #5 and #2 Seeds at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships

September, 2007
Saddlebrook Welcomes Performance Expert Jason Riley
Jason Riley will direct a new division of Sports Performance at Saddlebrook focused on elite and professional athletes. Saddlebrook has partnered with CAA Sports and is working with approximately 20 baseball players including the legendary Derek Jeter to increase their performance and gear up for Spring Training. Riley is also overseeing a football training regimen for some of the NFL's top draft picks in preparation for the NFL Combine. As the Director of Performance he will also oversee performance training for all academy students at Saddlebrook.
Jason joined Saddlebrook after an 8 year stint at IMG Academies International Performance Institute (IPI) in Bradenton, Florida. During his tenure as Associate Director of Performance, Jason worked with world-class athletes in all sports. Some of his most notable tennis clientele include, Tommy Haas, and Maria Sharapova. His comprehensive background and coaching experience have earned him recognition as a leader in the field of performance coaching among professional, amateur and junior athletes.

August, 2007
ATP Newcomer John Isner Joins Fellow Americans James Blake, Mardy Fish and the Bryan Brothers in Calling Saddlebrook Home
Isner made great strides in his first year playing on the tour in 2007 and towering at 6'9" he rarely goes unnoticed. As a 4 year All-American player at the University of Georgia he led his team to the NCAA Championship in 2007, Isner now looks to achieve success on the pro level. He made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open making it to the third round and taking a set from Roger Federer.
As he looks to make his mark on the ATP Tour, John will have the keys to success at his fingertips at Saddlebrook.
Interview: John Isner Captures Attention of US Tennis Fans

August 2007
Former Touring Pro and Coach to Tennis Great Jim Courier Looks to
Take Saddlebrook Academy to a New Level.
Tampa native Craig Boynton has returned to the hallowed grounds of Saddlebrook where
he once trained with the likes to Jennifer Capriati and Jim Courier but this time he has come for an entirely different reason - to develop some of the world's most talented student-athletes as the academy's new director.

Boynton joins the academy for the start of the 2007 academic year and will be an invaluable asset to the seasoned and talented coaching staff including; Tennis Program Director, Howard Moore and Director of Coaching, Alvaro Betancur. Moore has been with Saddlebrook since its inception and oversees the Adult and Junior clinic and camp programs. Betancur has been with Saddlebrook for over 20 years and has worked with numerous touring pros including Pete Sampras while dedicating himself to focusing on the development of the technical game of the students in the academy.

Kevin O'Connor, Head of Tennis at Saddlebrook comments about the appointment of Boynton, "Craig's experience from the highest level of the game working with top ten players to his developmental skills for juniors compliments one of the best coaching staffs in tennis."

Boynton is quoted as saying, "I am looking forward to the opportunity to impact tennis on a grand scale."

July 2007
Saddlebrook's Nze Ready to Take Next Step

The Education of a Tennis Player (REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF TENNIS MAGAZINE)

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