Magazine-Mar to April 2017

Tomas Biernacki DIRECTOR OF TENNIS

What inspired you to take on the role of Tennis Director at The Club? I am very passionate about tennis, and have previously travelled extensively in Asia. The stars aligned when the president of tennis specialist Peter Burwash International invited me to join The American Club family. Who is your favorite tennis player? I admire Roger Federer a lot. He has all the shots in the book and is able to execute them spontaneously. I have personally met him on a few occasions in the past, and he strikes me as a very humble and nice person. What are some of your interests outside of tennis? I love travelling the world and going off the beaten track, reading (not just about tennis!), racing sports and going to the gym. I am looking to improve the quality and intensity of the group classes by changing the coach to student ratio for selected classes. On top of that, we are also looking for new ways to further improve our current tennis program – which is already well- liked by Members! The team and I would also like to take our younger students to some of the big tennis events in Singapore this year so that they can watch how the pros train and how they play their matches. What are some upcoming plans you have for The Club?

The Club recently welcomed Tomas Biernacki, Director of Tennis, on board the family.

A tennis maven, Tomas was the Davis Cup and Fed Cup Coach for Denmark responsible for the 12- to 18-year-old National teams, as well as the Tennis Director for Scandinavia’s largest tennis club – which had over 3,000 active playing members per week – where he coached some of the top players in the world. His foray into the world of tennis began 3 decades ago – as a 5-year-old, the Swedish citizen recalls being affixed to his TV watching former World No. 1 Stefan Edberg compete against six-time major singles champion Boris Becker in the Wimbledon finals; seven Grand-Slam-title winner Mats Wilander grind his opponents on clay courts; and the now- retired Andre Agassi showcasing his racket skills with immense flare and finesse. So enamored was he with the sport that the young man decided to become as good as his childhood idols someday. Although the 38-year-old might not be a Grand Slam title winner, his passion, enthusiasm and proficiency in his chosen field shines through during his numerous interactions and coaching sessions with Members.

40 THE AMERICAN CLUB MAR / APR 2017