The Nestor Files

This month I'm sharing a conversation with a friend named Daniel. Daniel Nestor is an A.T.P. tennis professional, Grand Slam Doubles title owner and former #1 Ranked Doubles player.

Sitting down and talking with Daniel was very special, for many reasons. I have known Danny since he was an up and coming junior, he is a Canadian, and a friend.

Reg - Dan, thanks for taking the time to sit down with me to share your views on tennis.

Dan - Reggie V-a-s-s-s-s-s-s-squez (he always pronounced my name like that for as long as I can remember), no problem at all. Thanks for asking me. (He smiles with a big grin).

Reg - Dan, some of the questions I will ask you, well, I know the answers but for authenticity's sake I'm gonna ask them anyways. Ok then, Dan what sports did you play as a youngster?

Dan - Well, when I was younger, the first two sports I played were basketball and a lot of soccer. I played soccer for a very competitive city league on a team that traveled a lot. But I took up tennis, cause my dad and my brother played, and some coach said to me that I had talent.

Reg - Who was your role model when you were young?

Dan - I loved Jimmy Connors. I'd go hit against the wall and pretend I was him (laughter). I liked the rivalry between Connors, McEnroe and Borg. That's was got me started.

Reg - When did you start to specialize in tennis?

Dan - Probably about when I was around 14, I quit the other two sports and started playing tennis almost everyday. I played a lot of tournaments and started doing well at nationals.

Mark Philappousis - Dan the man, you the man (he walks by pointing and taunting Dan).

Dan - (laughing) shut up man, go away (continues to laugh).

Reg - What are your earliest memories playing tennis as a child?

Dan - Well, really it was hitting against that wall, like my dad and brother wouldn't let me play cause I was too young (laughing). They'd be on the court and I would be at the wall on the side.

Reg - Alex told me that he thought you developed your quick hands cause of all that wall hitting. What do you think? (Alex, Daniel's brother, worked as an assistant coach when I was director of a tennis academy where Daniel was training in various programs).

Dan - Maybe ya, that probably helped out with doubles. And that's where I've had the best results. In doubles you do need pretty good hands.

Mark Philippousis - Dan the man, Dan is the man (Mark walks by us in the player's lounge).

Dan - Ya ya hey man. Well, that helped me, I think I've got fast hands but I wouldn't say that I've got the fastest hands in doubles. It may have helped my consistency too, the wall never misses and that can help in some consistency.

Reg - Dan, you remember when you used to bug me in the workout room in Tennis Canada?

Dan - When was that?

Reg - When you were a young brat, way back when. I used to give you a good pummeling (I laugh) everytime you bugged me.

Dan - (he smiles) Don't tell anyone that (he laughs).

Reg - When did your training hours really pick up?

Dan - When I was about sixteen I started playing about 3 hours a day, sometimes more and then fitness. Today, its about 4 hours a day, unless I'm at a tournament then I just try to maintain about two hours a day.

Reg - Say you play a match at a tournament do you still train after?

Dan - The same day?

Reg - Ya.

Dan - Well, not usually, unless it was a quick match or there was something in my match that I was not happy with -- then I might go out and hit a few balls.

Reg - Who was your arch rival in juniors?

Dan - Robert Janecek, at 12 he dominated all of us -- Laureau (Sebastian Laureau), Rusedski (Greg Rusedski), LeBlanc (Sebastian LeBlanc), Danny Brakus -- these guys were all fighting it out in juniors.

Reg - When did you know you could make it on the tour?

Dan - Ummm, well ya know first year out of juniors, I did pretty well in the satellites, finishing second and third and I got my ranking up to about 230 in my first year. So I knew that I had the game, and my coaches told me that I had potential to be a world class player. And ya know obviously winning that match in Davis Cup against Edberg (Stefan Edberg -- at that time Edberg was ranked #1 in the world) that really, well, I turned professional after that because I knew I could definitely play with the big guys.

Reg - Do you remember that time...

Dan - We were practicing a couple of days before that Edberg match in Toronto at Tennis Canada, you and me, remember? (he smiles)

Reg - Ya (I laugh) I remember.

Dan - We were doing all these drills (he smiles).

Reg - That's right, I remember standing at the service line and blasting serves at you, till my left hamstring was so fatigued.

Dan - I remember you made me run all over the place on a scramble drill (he laughs), that helped me!

Reg - Thanks Dan, what's the biggest difference between junior and the professional game today?

Dan - Well, I don't think, well the level of play is pretty high in juniors today, but ahhhh, the difference is mostly mental. Juniors, especially today, are really hitting the ball well. You see these young guys come into the pros and win matches. The biggest difference is the mental, stupid mistakes -- consistency day in and day out.

Reg - Are there drills that you would recommend for juniors?

Dan - Well, two on one drills hitting a lot of balls and developing footwork and consistency from the baseline. That's what I think the Spanish method of teaching really pushes. These guys can rally all day. I think as a junior you've got to develop this baseline game for consistency then move onto the net. Developing a good base, good cardio-vascular endurance, that's something I wish I had when I was coming up. I think today I practice more of that stuff, similar to the stuff some juniors are doing for development. I think hitting a lot of balls two on one is very important.

Reg - How about superstitions when you play, like ya know, Lendl eating the same meal before he played -- same with Evert. Some guys don't shave -- like Ivanisevic if he is winning in a slam. Courier wearing the same hat till he loses or Becker coughing before he serves. How about you?

Dan - Nothing major. If I'm winning consecutive matches I might eat the same food or do little things on the court like sometimes I won't touch a line when I am walking around the court, but nothing major.

Reg - Who is the most difficult player on the tour for you to play?

Dan - Well, probably, someone like Agassi because that guy returns so well and I depend on my serve a lot to work the point. He doesn't let you breathe especially when he's returning. He really goes for his shots and connects really well and hits the ball so clean (clean - means to hit the ball in the center sweetspot of the racquet strings). I mean he doesn't give you anytime to breathe. He's down your throat -- that's why he's called the punisher -- I guess because of the way he runs you from side to side.

Reg - Well, I heard that the last time you played Agassi that Andre had difficulty handling your serve. Andre said to the umpire, early in the match, something like, "Hey this guy's serving huge and I'm playing huge so let's just play a couple of breakers cause we aren't gonna break each other man!"

Dan - Ya ya, that's right, it was in New Haven a while ago, we were both holding serve easily but then he ended up breaking me at the end of each set, 6-4 6-4.

Reg - Dan, I think like many that you've got one of the best serves in the game, a left handed world class serve, what do you think?

Dan - Well, thanks I can hold my own sometimes. I'd say that my serve is one of the best, say top 20 or better on the tour. That has definitely kept me in the upper echelons of the game. I think if you want to be a top twenty player or top ten ya gotta have the full package, as far as all court game, baseline game, volley, serve.

Reg - Ok then, who would you say puts the most pressure on your first volley, or who makes it tough for you to hit a winning volley.

Dan - Well, I still think that Chang (Michael Chang) puts the most pressure, just cause man that guy has some wheels. He gets to everything, every ball that is hit and in balance.

Reg - So many juniors go to the tournament draw and look way ahead of their first round match, telling themselves how they will ultimately do. What happens when you turn professional -- do you still look ahead?

Dan - Well, I like to do a little bit, but my outlook is much different. Every match is tough on the tour, I like to know who I'm playing and but each match is the most important so I try to treat it that way. Sometimes you can use looking a match ahead as motivation. Like if you have the chance to play a top seed you might use that as motivation. It shouldn't be the case and every match should be the most important, but it's always nice to have a chance to play someone whom you've wanted to play.

Reg - Do you get excited to play a top 10 player? Well, I know that you have been as highly ranked in doubles as #5 in the world. I mean more about singles top 10 players, do you get excited? Dan, you're highest ranking in singles was like 20 or 23 right?

Dan - Well, ya like 23 in the world singles, and I really look forward to playing a top 10 singles player. Ya know you have nothing to lose so everyone probably plays a little bit better. Ya know that's why you play tennis to play the big matches and the big center courts.

Reg - What happens when you play guys ranked lower?

Dan - Early in my career it was difficult cause it would sometimes be hard to get motivated. Ya know if you'd be losing then you might say to yourself that you feel you should be beating this guy and that could get you down. But with experience I've learned to control this way of thinking. Ya know when you play a lower ranked player they are hungry to beat you. As I have gained more experience and matured as a player, I haven't really lost many matches that I shouldn't -- especially in the last couple of years.

Reg - How do you energize yourself when you are flat?

Dan - Bouncing around, moving, words that you say to yourself? Keep moving, it's hard to tell sometimes when you are flat, you play a match and you think this guy just dominated you cause he's playing great. Then you come off the court and someone tells you that you weren't moving or something like that. You don't always know when you were not into it 100 percent, that's why I have a coach.

Reg - What's the biggest sacrifice turning professional?

Dan - Biggest sacrifice, ummmm probably not going to college. Ya know most of the guys from the states or who are playing on the tour have had a couple of years with a college. They've had good fun there, good stories, good competition and a chance to socialize. Probably that stuff away from sport.

Reg - Dan what's the worst part about being on the tour?

Dan - Probably all the traveling I think. I mean look at the other professional sports -- they are based in one area of the states or Canada. I mean we are all over the world. We play a match and then fly for 20 hours to another country to play another match. It's not easy.

Reg - What's the best part about being a professional?

Dan - When you're younger, I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. That's what I always wanted to do. So, that's probably the best thing -- not everyone can do what they love to do.

Reg - Dan ya know that I work with juniors and travel with players to tournaments, all that jazz. Well, what was it like with your parents as a junior? From my observations there are some tough parents out there -- abusive parents in tennis.

Dan - Ya I hear that from some of the other coaches I know. My parents would sometimes get mad at me when I was a junior but only if I did something stupid like tank a match. But I think I was lucky to have great tennis parents. They didn't put pressure on me to win. They just supported me and encouraged me. They gave me my space. Ya know the last thing you want as junior is to have your parents with you 24 hours a day, like you're on a leash. Parents, well, it's important for parents to be behind their children cause they're the ones who care the most, there just has to be some moderation. Kids need to have responsibility as they grow and parents need to allow them to learn from their own mistakes rather than to shelter them completely.

Reg - Dan, thanks for taking the time to share!

Dan - Alright, no problem, ya gonna watch my match?

Reg - Of course, good luck later today!

Daniel Nestor Facts provided by the ATP
Nationality: Canadian
Height: 6ft. 2 in.
Weight: 170 lbs
Plays: left
Year turned pro 1991
Highest rank singles: 23
Highest rank doubles: 5
Career prize money: $2,312,001
Grand Slam Doubles Final Appearances: 99 US Open, 99 French Open, 95 Australian Open

Sorry friends for not getting my column up at the beginning of the New Year, flu bug had me down for quite a long time! But I am okay finally, rest and a lot of sleep and good eating. Thanks for reading this month's column, next month I will feature an article writen during the 2000 Australian Open where my brother and I lectured at the Tennis Australia's International Coaches Conference. Special greetings to: Tracie from Canada, Paul from Sydney, Robbie from Melbourne and James from Melbourne, Alberto from Torino Italy, Danny in Spain, Neil from England, Jan-Willem de Lange from Holland, Jim from Montana, Randy, Kelly and Michael from Texas, Jill from Colorado, Ernie from South Carolina, Ann from London, Rei from Japan and all the others who kindly sent me letters last month!

Till then all my best,

Reggie

This column is copyright 2000 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.

Reggie Vasquez Jr. is one of Canada's leading tennis coaches for juniors. He is actively involved with Tennis Canada's grassroots player development. A frequent and enthusiastic speaker at tennis conferences, he is certified by the U.S.P.T.A., Tennis Canada and the U.S.P.T.R.. For almost 7 years he was a head coach for the Canadian Davis cup Captain's Academy at the Canada's National Tennis Center. He has been a Tennis Canada - National Youth Tennis Center Leader for over 8 years and is presently a head coach of an Elite Tennis Academy. He has experience working with juniors from the absolute beginner to the international caliber tennis player. Reggie is also a published author on junior tennis. His personal web site has additional information on his book, the Tennis for Kids. The Tennis for Kids can be ordered directly at a discount using this link to the Amazon.com online bookstore.

Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com.