Meet your coach
Meet Coach Emil Vassilev, Your Richmond Tennis Coach
A former NCAA Division I and professional player with many years of teaching experience, Emil brings passion and expertise to every lesson, helping you believe and achieve.
Serving
Richmond
Glen Allen
Short Pump
Henrico
NCAA Division I
Four years on a full tennis scholarship
ATP Certified Coach
International coach member of the GPTCA
2025 National Champion
Coached the Seahawks to the USTA Brewer Cup title
Former Pro Player
Competed on the ITF Pro and ATP Challenger circuit
Coach Emil's story
From collegiate and pro tennis to coaching Richmond players
Emil Vassilev has made a name for himself at the national level and locally across Richmond and Northern Virginia. He played four years of NCAA Division I tennis on a full scholarship and went on to compete on the ITF Men's Pro and ATP Challenger circuit.
Today Emil coaches players from Richmond high schools such as Collegiate, St. Christopher's and St. Catherine's, Deep Run and more. His students enjoy their lessons and see real improvement in their game.
Emil is a Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT), holds a Master of Science in Leadership, and is a bilingual tennis professional. He has also led tennis programs as a hands-on Director of Tennis, building strong teams and successful programs.
Coaching philosophy
"When I think of the most important characteristics that I want to help my players develop, I often think of the word FIERCE. Each letter contains exactly what I am looking to develop in my players' game."
Coach Emil Vassilev
F
Focus
I
Intensity
E
Enthusiasm
R
Respect
C
Competitiveness
E
Excellence
Credentials
Coach Emil's credentials
Certified, experienced and proven at every level of the game.
ATP Certified Coach by GPTCA
Played NCAA D1 for 4 years on a full tennis scholarship
Head Professional at John McEnroe Tennis Academy
Assistant Director of Tennis at Stonebrook Club, VA
Competed on the ITF Men's Pro and ATP Challenger Circuit
2016 USTA Zone Team Championships Mid-Atlantic Section Coach
Member of the 2017 USTA Mid-Atlantic Coaches Commission Committee
2025 USTA National Team Champion as a coach at the Brewer Cup
Certified Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT) by iTPA
USTA Sports Science Level 1 Certified
Head Professional at Winchester Country Club, VA
Director of Junior Tennis at The Country Club of Virginia (CCV), Richmond, VA
USTA National Spring Team Coach: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Coach
D1 College Assistant Men's and Women's Coach at Bethune-Cookman University
Master of Science in Leadership
National title
2025 USTA Brewer Cup National Champions
Coach Emil led his team, the Seahawks, to a national title at the 2025 Brewer Cup, the USTA Spring Team Nationals held in Mobile, Alabama.
The championship team included Boys 14s, 16s and 18s players, all trained with the same footwork-first approach Emil brings to every lesson in Richmond.
USTA Spring Team Nationals champions
USTA National Spring Team Coach for eight seasons
Endorsements
Recommended by the pros
.jpg)
"I highly recommend Coach Emil and his tennis footwork and movement training programs. I've worked with him in the past as a junior and was very happy with the results."
Anthony Genov
Former ATP World #191 (BUL)
A
"Emil is passionate about what he does and it shows. I would highly recommend his footwork programs to all levels of players."
Allistair McCaw
Sports performance consultant and mindset coach
The Emil Tennis Method
How you hit the ball matters. Where you hit it matters more.
A research based tennis movement and footwork training program that helps players learn better and faster.
Vision
To become the industry's leader in learning tennis through footwork and movement patterns.
Mission
To provide the most fun, memorable and inspiring tennis lessons and clinics through a combination of footwork drills and movement patterns.
Our 6 core values
Confidence
Resilience
Enthusiasm
Respect
Determination
Professionalism
What students say
Happy players and parents
“
I was a student of Emil's and was part of many clinics he ran. He is a fantastic teacher and all around guy. Every lesson I had I left with new things I had learned. I would recommend him to anyone, of any age group.
M
Michael B.
Former student
“
Emil's work ethic speaks for itself. He has helped both of my kids a lot and they have been able to win numerous tennis tournaments.
J
Joann T.
Tennis parent
“
Having worked with Emil for the past 3 years I have become a better and more confident player, Emil is one of the best pros/coaches around! Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, Emil should definitely be your first choice when choosing a coach.
C
Connor O.
Competitive player
More from Emil
Explore
Emil Tennis Method
Vision, mission and values
Photos
On and off the court
Books by Emil
Footwork and training books
Worksheets
For readers of Emil's books
FAQ
