To Genevieve Gramatica, tennis has been her life for more than twenty years. Being the eldest daughter of Nestor Gramatica, who was a three-time National Singles Champion of Thailand and former member of the Thailand Davis Cup Team, one can defintely state that tennis runs through her veins. At the age of 9, Genevieve had won her very first Level 1 USTA Girls' 10s tournament which was the exact moment she had realized that she wanted to be just like her father: a CHAMPION. With that goal at mind, Genevieve had some pretty big tennis shoes to fill. That expectation never discouraged her from perfecting her innate talent just so that it would resemble much like her father's infamous precision and finesse that he displays on the tennis court.
As a USTA competitor, Genevieve was sectionally ranked in the Eastern Junior Division continuously from Girls' 10s through Girls' 18s. She is currently training with her father to start competing in both the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic Womens Open Divisions. As for playing in high school, Genevieve earned a starting position on the Newark Academy (Livingston, NJ) Girls' Varsity Team as a freshman and held that spot all four seasons. She also helped lead Newark Academy to Essex County and NJ State titles for four consecutive years (1996-1999). Genevieve's all-time highest individual varsity record was 27-0.
Genevieve attended Penn State University in University Park, P.A., where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Science with a Minor in Health Policy Administration. Although Genevieve took a little breather from tennis in order to concentrate on her academics, she could not really stay away. From 2003-2005, she played for the PSU tennis club travel team and competed against various colleges' intramural teams just to stay in the game.
After graduating from Penn State in 2005, Genevieve followed the rest of the real world and got a job as an EMT in Union, NJ. She continued to teach tennis on the side to help her father with his junior tennis academy (NGTA) like she has been for the past 9 years. But by April 2007, Genevieve had realized her true calling despite her interest in medicine. She got certified as a USPTA professional in order to follow her father's footsteps and help contribute as Assistant Director for NGTA at the West Orange Tennis Club in West Orange, NJ. This past September 2008, Genevieve had accepted a position as Assistant Coach for the Johns Hopkins University Womens Varisty Tennis Team. In addition, she currently teaches private/group lessons for both adults and children of all levels at Green Spring Racquet Club in Lutherville, MD.
Being an EMT and Tennis Professional are pretty similar in the basic aspects of interacting with various people and catering to their current needs. She is quite grateful for both career experiences but tennis is where her heart is. "Every time I pick up a racquet, there's nothing more familiar to me,” Genevieve says. "I feel that I have alot of tennis knowledge and experience that I can still share with others." Genevieve's unique approach to coaching is quite similar to her father's; It focuses on the intense and powerful connection between the mind and body. By developing and enhancing this association, any tennis player will experience positive transformation both on and off the court. At each level of play and for every age group, Genevieve believes in mental toughness training, physical conditioning, and strategy. She hopes to recruit, develop, and coach both nationally and sectionally ranked juniors in order to expose, expand and branch out NGTA even further.
