Will Jones
In the backyard of a house in Los Angeles sits a red clay court surrounded by eucalyptus and the distinct sound of well-hit tennis balls. The clay comes from Italy; the elite tennis players come from across the city and sometimes hours away to be here.
The two coaches who guide them grew up far from the suburbs of Woodland Hills. Zibu Ncube, a former Zimbabwean Davis Cup member, built the court almost nine years ago, and Manfredi Vergine, an Italian D-1 tennis player and coach, joined Ncube this year. Both grew up playing on red clay.
Vergine and Ncube understand the benefits of the surface: how its uneven bounces demand the specific footwork needed to set up for each shot. Red clay puts patience first. Slower balls force players to create their own acceleration and power. Growing up on this surface, juniors learn to choose consistency, endurance, and strategy over a rush to hit quick winners.
Part of the reason Ncube brought in Vergine is that he knows the surface. For over six years, every summer Vergine trained alongside Jannik Sinner with Riccardo Piatti at his famous academy in Bordighera, Italy. At age fifteen, Vergine was one of ten asked to join the program year-round, putting him on a sure path to becoming a top-ten pro.
“At Piatti, the technique we learned came from hours and hours of repetition to gain muscle memory,” says Vergine. “Each morning, only hand feeding to work on the exact details of each stroke before we were allowed to play points. Even after a practice match, the focus was never on who won or lost, but instead always answering questions of strategy on a specific point—what was working and what was not.”
“Manfredi has the technique of Sinner,” says Ncube. “And the work ethic and maturity. It is no coincidence that they trained together and in the same Piatti system. It is a great benefit that Manfredi is both young and old at the same time. He is an old soul. He earned that wisdom the hard way when he was injured and had to change course.”
Just as Vergine was beginning to make the move year-round to the Piatti Center, both of his ankles suffered severe ligament and cartilage tears that forced him to take seven months off to heal from a difficult surgery. He had no choice but to change plans and instead decided to pursue a D-1 college tennis career in the U.S. Coaching every summer allowed him to see how his years at Piatti were directly impacting his students. He came to realize that his wisdom and knowledge could be shared with players who had the chance to make it.
Ncube sees the difference Vergine has made in his players this past year. “His technical mastery of the game is extraordinary. Not only does he bring his strategic knowledge from his red clay training, but he also can hit with our highest-level players and be a mirror for them while we both make adjustments. That has been transformational.”
One player who has benefited the most from this new partnership is the 22-year-old American pro Katrina Scott. After reaching a high of 149 almost four years ago, she is on a resurgent path, playing in the qualifying round of this year’s US Open, where both coaches accompanied her last week.
“Katrina has gained an advantage from Manfredi’s ability to travel with her to tournaments. Strategically, she relies on him in her preparation before matches, his support during the match, and after. It takes a unique personality to gain respect from an elite player like Katrina. She has to know that his knowledge is indispensable.”
Other up-and-coming students include Abigaile Haile, who at fifteen secured her first WTA point, and the two 12-year-old national champions Lindy and William Zhou, twins who are respectively ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the country.
Ncube understands the demands on elite tennis players. Like the original Piatti Center, the Tennis Compound is intentionally small in order to create the feel of a tennis family. Ncube and Vergine understand that every player is different and tailor their coaching to their age, personality, strengths, and individual needs.
“Another one of Manfredi’s special skills is his ability to bond with the players we work with. He understands that to teach a player, you have to learn about the person underneath. The pressure tennis players at the highest level face is intense. They need someone closer to their age, who just left the competitive environment and knows that pressure, to guide them.”
It does not surprise Vergine and Ncube that the system of training on red clay in Italy has seen great results. There are four Italian players in the top 25: Sinner at number one, then Cobolli, Musetti, and Darderi. One wonders why it has taken so long for American coaches and high-level academies to follow suit. Not since Roddick has an American won a Grand Slam.
It is all the more remarkable that a Zimbabwean and an Italian are the ones bringing new ideas to the young players who will shape the future of American tennis. It is, in fact, a true American story. When asked to imagine if Vergine had not suffered his ankle injury—he might have been playing for Italy alongside Cobolli and Musetti at the US Open this week—Ncube replied, “Hey, I would have loved to watch Manfredi on TV this week. But selfishly, I am much happier to have him here at the Compound.”