Katerina Sevcikova, Executive Director of Tennis
Katerina's tenure at Grand Slam has brought development and success to many of Grand Slam's tennis programs. From Teaching Professional to Director of the IGNiTE Junior program, to High Performance coach to Director of Tennis, she has grown personally and professionally with each new undertaking. Now in her role as Executive Director of Tennis, Katerina runs all our tennis programming, services, and professional teaching staff. Katerina holds certifications as a USPTA Elite Professional, PTR certified coach and clinician as well as USTA High Performance Coach and ITPA Fitness Specialist.
Katerina is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Manhattanville College. She was formerly a highly ranked junior in the Czech Republic. She played #1 singles and doubles for the University of Missouri ranking as high as #4 in NCAA D1 doubles and #62 in singles. She received honors including Rookie of the Year in the Central Region, Big XII and All Conference in singles and doubles. Katerina competed professionally on the ITF and USTA Women's Pro Circuit.
Michaela Meszarosova, Director of FiRE & EXCEL JR Programs
Micheala serves as the Associate Director of Tennis and Director of two of Grand Slam’s Junior Programs (Fire & Excel). She’s committed and dedicated to providing a wholesome learning and developmental environment for all junior players and clients. She has been extremely successful in building the club's FiRE Junior program and continues to provide excellence to the Junior EXCEL program – the top of Grand Slam's Junior Tennis Pathway. Under her direction, the program has been restructured to truly challenge junior players to reach their full potential on court. Michaela is a PTR Professional Coach, CPR/First Aid certified, and USTA Sports Safe Play Approved.
Michaela can certainly relate to her junior players, as she was a Top 3 ranked junior in Slovakia (18U) and ranked in the Top 300 of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). She also represented the junior Slovak National Team. She majored in Exercise Science at the University of South Alabama winning the 2015 Sun Belt conference title, and received First All-conference doubles team honors in 2013, Second All-conference doubles team honors in 2015 and Second All team conference singles and doubles honors in 2016.
Lex Cuello, Director of IGNiTE JR Program
Lex believes tennis is a reflection of life, you become better by practicing lots of times, with people who support you and want you to thrive. As a teaching professional, she is supportive and caring, understanding a player's needs and providing a system that will allow the player to achieve their full potential. Lex's certifications include PTR Level I & II, USTA Safe Play and CPR/First Aid certified.
Lex is a graduate of Reinhardt University (Waleska, GA) with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Studies. Her college tennis career is highlighted by ranking #1 and #2 in singles and #1 in doubles on the Reinhardt University Women's Tennis Team. She was Team Captain, and during her tenure she was awarded AAC All-Team player honors (2017-18), AAC Champion of Character (2018-19), AAC All-Academies (2018-19) and the Dekatronics NAIA Women's Tennis Scholar Athlete of 2019. Previous to her college career, Lex was a Top 10 Junior (under 18) player in Venezuela and was the #1 player for the State of Lara in Venezuela's National Team Games (both 18 & 16 and under).
Alex Moncayo, Adult Programs Coordinator & Senior Professional
Alex was a top junior tennis player growing up in Mexico before accepting a tennis scholarship to play college tennis in the US for Colorado State University-Pueblo. He was a top starter for his team all four years of college competing and training with top players from all over the world. Alex earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Psychology, and he is a Certified Mental Coach. He enjoys teaching all the technical and tactical aspects of tennis, while also ensuring that players get the healthiest experience competing in this mentally demanding sport. After finishing his college career in 2014, Alex became a tennis professional in the US. He started his coaching career working as an Assistant Tennis Professional for the Country Club of South Carolina and at Joel Ross Tennis Camp in Kent, CT during the summer, training top junior players from all over the world. A couple years later, he accepted a position as Head Tennis Professional at the Florence Tennis Centre training high competitive players around the area while also conducting and directing community engagement programs. From 2019 to 2021, Alex became the Head Tennis Coach at Camperdown Tennis Club in Sydney, Australia while studying for a Diploma in Sports Development.
Petar Kanev, Elite Professional
Petar has been a professional tennis coach since 1995. In 2011 he founded PDP (Player Development Program) and in 2017 KTA (Kanev Tennis Academy), where he built a strong junior program and has served several established adult clients. Previously, Petar has been a Senior Master Professional at Genesis Health Club (Saw Mill) from 2004 to 2011, the Head Tennis Pro at Seven Bridges Field Club in the Summers of 2004 to 2007 and was a US Open Coach in 2004. He maintains USPTA and PTR certifications, and received an Etcheberry Certification in Strength, Conditioning, and Movement in Sport. Prior to coming to the USA in 2004, Petar was the hitting partner for Maggi Maleeva from 2000 to 2004 and was the Maleevi Tennis Club coach and program director from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, he was a coach at the CSKA High-Performance Center from 1999 to 2000 and Head Tennis Professional and Co-founder of Septemvri Tennis Club from 1995 to 1999. He received his Bachelor’s Degree as a Tennis Trainer in 1999 and a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology in 2002. Petar is originally a Bulgarian national but now enjoys full United States citizenship. He enjoys photography and skiing when he has time off the courts.
Hector Sarmiento, Senior Professional
Hector is one of the most dedicated tennis professionals you will ever know. He works diligently in every session to add value to his student's game. And he does it with warmth, kindness, and professionalism. Hector loves hitting lessons and working with students of all ages and skill levels in private lessons, clinics, and programs. His first love though is introducing tennis to beginners of all ages! Hector's certification is USPTA Level 3 and his credentials include CPR/First Aid and USTA Sport Science Level I Competency.
Hector is a former Dominican Republic Top 3 (Boys 16 & 18) ranked player. He attended Universidad Mundial Dominicana focusing on Business Administration studies. Hector is also the former Head Professional at Rockrimmon CC, and Teaching Professional at Casa de Camp (Dominican Republic).
Pepe Batalla - Senior Professional, Coordinator of Junior Competition
Pepe holds the highest Elite level certification from RSPA (Racquet Sports Professional Association).
Pepe is the epitome of "work hard, stay positive and most important, have fun". He is a great tennis teacher for the strategic part of the game - progressing his students through the technical, tactical and mental aspects in tennis. He is a certified USPTA Level 1 and Level 2 professional. Pepe is formerly the Lead Pro at New Haven Lawn Club, New Haven, CT; Graduate Assistant for the Men's and Women's tennis team (2018-2019); and Interim Head Coach at Lincoln Memorial University (Fall 2019).
Pepe studied and played at Gardner Webb University and Lincoln Memorial University, gaining a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a Master's Degree in Sports Management. A Top 8 ranked junior in Spain (18U), he was LMU Tennis Most Valuable Player in 2017, LMU Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year for the school (2017) and received the LMU Tennis 110% Award in 2016.
Maggie Glynn, Senior Professional
Born and raised in Greenwich, Maggie Glynn played for the girls Greenwich Varsity Tennis team, where she earned ALL-FCIAC "Coach's Choice" Honorable Mention Spring 2014, and ALL-FCIAC (All County West) Singles Spring 2015 & 2016. She was captain of the team for Spring 2016, leading the team to the CT Class L State Championship Finals.
Maggie played Division 1 tennis at Sacred Heart University. She participated in both singles and doubles matches and excelled all four years on the team. Graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management.
Upon graduation she became a professional tennis coach and has been coaching for 5 years. Throughout her career she has coached at a few clubs in the area and was the Head Middle School and Girls Varsity Tennis Coach at Greenwich Country Day School.
Emmanuel Novas, Senior Professional
Emmanuel holds an ITF Level 3 coaching qualification, has a background in physical education from his home country of Dominican Republic, and possesses several diplomas in exercise physiology and fitness. He currently serves as a coordinator for the International Tennis Federation in the Dominican Republic and acts as a tutor for coaches working at the beginner and intermediate levels. He spent 12 years as captain of the U12, U14, and Junior Davis Cup youth teams, and he also brings extensive experience from traveling on ITF and ATP Challenger tours around the world.
Àlex de Vilar Ardiaca, Professional
Alex is a PTR certified professional, USTA Safe Play approved coach and CPR/First Aid certified. He started teaching tennis at the age of 17 in Barcelona, Spain. He has worked in tennis academies, country clubs and resorts in the states of Ohio, Florida and Connecticut. He is a specialist in teaching groundstroke development, while understanding the importance of physical and mental strength.
As a junior player Alex was ranked #50 under 16 in Spain, and #20 in the Catalunya region in the under 16 group. He was a regional team champion 2014-2017. Alex earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from the University of Northwestern Ohio/University of the Cumberlands. They were Conference Champions in 2020 and 2022 and won Top 10 NAIA team honors.
Anthony Sampson, Professional
Born and raised in Fairfield County, Tony spent part of his junior career training at Grand Slam and then swiftly and successfully transitioned to a full-time tennis coaching career. Tony is a PTR certified professional, USTA Safe Play approved coach and CPR/First Aid certified. He exudes positivity, giving 100% effort, and cultivates patience in both his teaching and in his players. These principles create an environment where students feel supported, motivated, and empowered to learn and grow.
Emphasizing fundamentals and proper technique, Tony prioritizes enjoyment and engagement for a fun learning experience applying to each student’s individual needs and goals.
Daniel Tevez, Professional
Daniel is passionate about tennis and committed to helping players improve their skills while enjoying the game. His coaching approach focuses on bringing positive energy and building confidence, with an emphasis on developing technically sound, strategic, and mentally strong players. As a former #1 player in El Salvador for U16 and U18, and a top 7 player in Central America, he brings motivation and experience to his daily coaching. Daniel is a PTR certified professional, USTA Safe Play approved coach, as well as First Aid/CPR certified.
Daniel was the Central American Regional Champion in 2019 and a Davis Cup team member the same year. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Economics from Lewis-Clark State College, where he was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete and team captain.
Blanca Salas Cruz, Professional
Blanca enjoys sharing her love for tennis and helping players develop their skills while enjoying the game. Her coaching philosophy focuses on creating a positive environment where players can build confidence, improve their technique, and develop mentally while having fun on the court. Originally from Spain, Blanca began playing tennis there before continuing her career in the United States at Quincy University in Illinois, where she achieved a national ranking in doubles and graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences. Blanca is USTA Safe Play approved coach and looks forward to helping players of all levels improve their game and reach their goals.
Sara Wilson, Manager of Front Desk and Player Services
Sara Wilson relocated to the East Coast eight years ago and has built her career around hospitality and exceptional customer service. With a friendly, professional and approachable style, she enjoys creating positive experiences for every Grand Slam client. Sara believes that every day is a fresh start and brings that mindset into both her work and personal life, treating clients with kindness and respect. During her tenure at Grand Slam, she has steadily advanced through the organization and currently serves as the Manager of Front Desk and Player Services.