Peter coached top tennis players in America but returned to Brabant
Peter Lucassen from Wood was 6 years old when he played tennis for the first time at a local tennis club. After that it was almost impossible for him to get off track. He had talent and after high school he chose to play college tennis in the US. After ten years it began to itch and he returned to Brabant to be closer to his family. Now she lives in Den Bosch with her partner and baby Max.
In America they saw a good player, but also a talented coach in Brabant. “I coached the young players and they developed well. The US Tennis Association looked into that too, and I worked there for about ten years. If you have the right attitude, there are plenty of options.
He came back to the Netherlands three years ago. “I always had a good connection with the Dutch Tennis Association in the US and I was given the opportunity to start. There were talented boys like Botic van de Zandschulp and Tallon Greek track. They play very good tennis, but they have made great progress in their professionalism and are now in the top 30.
“They are very good at tennis.”
The 35-year-old tennis coach recently embarked on his new adventure of preparing former world number one Gail Monfils for the Olympics in Paris. Due to a long-term injury, the Frenchman has dropped to 400th in the world rankings. He wants to see action for his home crowd at the Olympics in 2024. It must be crazy with all those supporters.
Last week Peter Roland was in the field for the first round of Karros. Monfils won a nervy match in five sets. “I’ve never seen such a crazy fight. Gayle lives for moments like that. When he plays, there’s always something going on. He’s a great guy on and off the track. It’s sad that Gayle is injured and has now missed the Rosmallen tennis tournament as well.
“When he plays, there’s always something going on.”
Peter likes to be with his family, but gets on a plane more often than a vacation travel reviewer. “For Roland Garros, we trained in his hometown for two weeks. I will also be traveling to the US soon where he will play tournaments in preparation for the US Open Grand Slam in New York.
Although Peter is only 35 years old, he has built a huge resume. He has a long-term desire. “It’s great for me to work with the Dutch. How good it is to see Dutch tennis players take great steps. As a coach you can contribute, but in the end they have to do it on the court. Fight with the opponent, but sometimes also fight with yourself.
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