Tennis Anatomy

E. Paul Roetert, PhD, is the director of education and strategic engagement for the Sport Science Institute of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Among other roles, he previously served as the chief executive officer of the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America), managing director of the player development program of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and tournament director for the U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships.

Roetert has been a regular speaker across the globe and has published extensively in the fields of tennis, coaching education, and sport science, including five books, more than 25 book chapters, and well over 100 articles. He is an honorary professional of the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), achieved master professional status with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) in 2005, and has been a frequent contributor to the coaching education program of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). In addition, he was the 2002 recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award for outstanding service to the game of tennis and received the 2017 Coach Development Legacy Award from the United States Center for Coaching Excellence. Roetert is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and holds a doctorate in biomechanics from the University of Connecticut.

Mark Kovacs, PhD, CSCS,*D, is a human performance expert who combines his academic, scientific, and training backgrounds in the fields of fitness, health, wellness, nutrition, sports, and performance. He is the chief executive officer of the Kovacs Institute, a science-based institute focused on optimizing human performance, and the executive director of the International Tennis Performance Association. He was formerly the director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute and an executive in research and innovation with Pepsico.

Kovacs was as an All-American and NCAA champion tennis athlete and directed the sport science, strength and conditioning, and coaching education departments for the United States Tennis Association. He has been involved in elite-level tennis for more than 20 years and provided services to dozens of high-performing companies, teams, and leagues, including U.S. Soccer, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and was the 2011 recipient of the Educational Merit Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Kovacs received a doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of Alabama.