David Nainkin’s career in tennis spans decades, marked by remarkable achievements as both a player and coach. Graduating with a degree in sociology after playing for UCLA from 1991 to 1992, Nainkin’s passion for the sport led him to represent South Africa in the Davis Cup in 1998 and 1999. In 2004, he joined the USTA Player Development, where he embarked on a transformative journey as a coach, ultimately ascending to the role of Lead Men’s National Coach. Throughout his tenure, Nainkin has nurtured and guided some of America’s most promising tennis talents, including Donald Young, Sam Querrey, Sloane Stephens, Mardy Fish, Taylor Fritz, and Zach Svajda, contributing significantly to their development and success on the global stage.
Nainken served as Davis Cup Coach under Mardy Fish from 2019 to 2022 to assuming the role of Acting USA Davis Cup Captain in 2023, Nainkin’s strategic prowess and leadership have been instrumental in helping the young American talent navigate the complexities of competing for Team USA. He also served as the Coach of the USA Olympic team in the 2021 Tokyo Games and the USA Pan American team in the South Pan Games in 2023 Nainkin continues to shape the future of tennis in the United States, inspiring and mentoring the next generation of champions.
What role did analytics play in your team’s success last season?
Q: What role did analytics play in your team’s success last season?
I have my core high level stats like to look at to see what I need to dig into further:
- 1st Serve Points Won vs. 1st Serve % Made
- 2nd Serve Points Won
- 2nd Return Points Won
- Rally Length – What % of points where 1-4 & 5-8
From there, I will see what numbers stick out and then investigate the next layer of data. Usually, these four performance indicators will give me a place to start. I also have an idea of how we are evaluating the player’s areas of focus, so I will also look at some of those metrics, as I have a very good idea of where that performance stacks up against his average for the quarter.
Q: How do you share data with players?
This really depends on the player. Fritz wanted to see all of the data and had the ability to digest the information, Mardy the same way. Someone like Zach, I need to filter the information and present it in a way that is easier for him to digest. You really need to know how your player likes to receive information and then figure out what is the best way to communicate.
Q: How has match analytics changed the way you coach?
I love a quote from Dr. Jim Loehr, “Analytics can be the truth and the inspiration when it comes to your tennis development.” It has helped me become more accountable to my coaching, setting measurable objectives that we are looking to achieve, helps create more of a process focused on the player’s long-term development.
Q: Is there a good story you can share when it comes to using analytics to help the player see something from a different perspective?
Yeah, in 2021 when Fritz came back from Australia after losing to Djokovic in five sets, Paul Annacone and I invited Geoff Russell to a team meeting to debrief on the Australian Open. At that time, Fritz still had not made it into the second week of a grand slam. We asked Geoff to prepare his most important take away from the event. What we spoke to Fritz about was his ability to win a higher % of 2nd serve points. What we found was that his ability to generate greater ball speed on his 2nd returns was very important. When he averaged over 68 MPH on his return speed, he won a staggering 15% higher % of points. His goal was to look to take a little more risk, without being risky, and focusing on getting in the best position possible with his contact to create the highest quality return with depth and SPEED. Fritz went from being ranked #75 on the ATP Tour for returning to a Top 20 returner on tour. He began winning more 2nd serve return points and 2nd return points under pressure, leading to a higher % of breaks of serve.