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.
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.
Camilo Arias, Senior Professional
Camilo is a Colombian-born tennis player who fell in love with the sport at the age of 6 when he was first introduced to it. He quickly rose through the ranks in his home country, competing in national tournaments and reaching the top 3 nationally ranked in the 12U and 14U categories in singles, and becoming the #1 ranked player in the 12U and #2 in the 14U categories in doubles. At age 17, he made the decision to come to Queens College in New York to continue his tennis journey and academic studies. Camilo earned numerous athletic and academic achievements, including being named the 2016 ECC Rookie of the Year and Outstanding Freshman award, and receiving the Student-Athlete Leader's Award multiple times. He has a degree in International Business and Economics as well as a Master's in Information Systems.
As a USPTA and a PTR Certified Coach, Camilo has 10 years of experience working with all aspects of tennis programs in various locations in New York and Connecticut. Known for his fun personality and motivational approach, he emphasizes proper technique, strategy, and habits from the start of each player's journey. He takes his role as a coach seriously and is dedicated to helping each player reach their full potential.
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.
Irena Muradyan, Professional
Irena is a passionate coach and player who believes that consistent practice builds confidence. The more you practice, the more your skills become second nature, allowing you to trust yourself during important moments. Confidence on the court comes from knowing you have put in the work.
Irena comes to Grand Slam with experience from summer tennis and racquet clubs, the latest being in Nantucket. She's excited to further her experience and knowledge at Grand Slam and help her students enjoy the process of learning.
Irena graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor's in hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management. Some of the highlights from her four-year college playing career include Co-Freshman of the year with 14-1 record, Mountain West Conference Champions in her freshman year and All-Conference recognition in singles and doubles her senior year. Prior to college tennis Irena competed in Armenia and was a National champion in U14/16/18 and Women. One of her main highlights in her playing career was to represent Armenia in the Billie Jean King Cup at the world stage in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Irena is an ITF Level 1 certified professional, USTA Safe Play approved coach and is CPR/First Aid certified.
Nika Kukharchuk, Senior Professional
Nika is a certified PTR Professional and USPTA Elite Professional. Before coming to Grand Slam, her teaching experience included Team USA camps for Eastern Players, EDC (Early Development Camp) training camp, Adult Tennis Director at Hardscrabble Club, Junior Development, Tournament Training program and Travel coach at Hardscrabble Club.
Nika's credentials include USTA Sport Science Competency, CPR/First Aid, WTA top 400 ranking (singles and doubles), and substantial international travel coaching experience. In the last few years Nika has been focusing on her college coaching career and serving as the assistant coach at notable IVY League schools (Columbia and Princeton respectively).
Nika earned her BA at the University of Mississippi and followed with an MBA in Music (Kaliningrad, Russia). She holds three ITF professional singles titles, four ITF professional doubles titles. She is a USTA Women's National Indoor Singles Champion (Gold Ball), US Open Play Offs final four in singles and doubles (2016). She played for the University of Mississippi, ranked #59 in D1 NCAA singles, #22 in doubles and was SEC Player of the Week (2/08).
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.