¡°Many kids, when they start playing, they let the ball bounce twice,¡± says Rodrigo Hernandez, talking about tennis, but also about life. ¡°You have to give your best from the first ball. You have to perform on the court during practice as if you were playing a match. Never give up, even in practice.¡±
Touching down in Japan for the first time in 1986, the Colombia-born coach and player brought with him a wealth of experience and expertise gained from working with and competing against some of the greats of world tennis. Like many a new arrival, he didn¡¯t expect to stay longer than a year.
Fast-forward to today and the 62-year-old is still here, having spent nearly 30 years coaching up-and-coming young players at one of the best-known and most respected tennis academies in Japan.
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