John Sherwood

John Sherwood is one of the most respected high-performance junior development coaches in the United States, with extensive experience working with some of the world’s leading junior players and guiding young athletes through the pathway towards elite and professional tennis. An RSPA Elite Professional and USTA High-Performance Coaching Graduate, John has experienced the game from virtually every perspective—as a Division I player and coach, tennis parent, private coach, multi-club Chief Operating Officer, and Academy Manager and Coach at the world-renowned Saviano High Performance Tennis Academy. A major focus of John’s coaching is developing world-class fundamentals in players under 10. He believes the early developmental years provide an opportunity to establish technically sound movement patterns and skills that players can build upon throughout their careers, rather than having to correct ingrained habits later. In his CoachLife series, John provides a detailed framework for developing young players across the entire game. He breaks down the fundamentals of the serve, return of serve, forehand, backhand slice, volleys, drop shots and defensive lob, alongside essential skills including split-step timing, grip changes, movement, court positioning, target selection, consistency and the transition between touch and power. His coaching uses clear progressions that begin with simple movements and gradually develop into realistic point situations. The emphasis is not simply on teaching individual strokes, but on helping young players understand how to move, recover, make decisions and construct points while maintaining strong technical foundations. Having also experienced the junior pathway as a tennis parent, John brings a valuable perspective to the relationship between players, coaches and parents. His breadth of experience has made him a highly regarded resource for families navigating the journey from a player's earliest developmental years through elite junior tennis and towards the professional game.