Harrison Is Happy With New USTA Coaching

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 15th August 2013

ATP Tennis Tournament in Washington, DC.

Harrison Is Happy With New USTA Coaching

epa03810293 USA's Ryan Harrison hits his return against Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro during their men's singles match at the Citi Open ATP tennis tournament in Washington, DC, USA, 01 August 2013. Del Potro won the match 6-1,7-5. EPA/PETE MAROVICH |

Ryan Harrison has cracked the top 100 again and nearly upset world No. 4 David Ferrer in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Harrison fell into a slump after starting the year in fine fashion in Australia and didn’t start come out of it until the tournament in Atlanta, where he reached the semifinals. Prior to that he had fallen out of the world top 135.

After going down early at Wimbledon he decided to part ways with his friend and coach Tres Davis and went back to work under USTA Player Development and coach Jay Berger. He also received input form USTA coach Tom Gullikson as well as coaching consultant Brad Gilbert.

“Jay is kind of handling the whole program and keeping it under control and making sure we all stay organized,” said Harrison who is part of a group that includes Steve Johnson, Dennis Kudla, Jack Sock and Bradley Klahn He’s a guy who made top 10 in the world because he’s known for just being a total hard ass, I guess, if I can say that. But he’s just a guy that works really hard, and you want that passion as a coach. You want someone that’s going to come out there and just give you that energy, where they’re going to sit there and have the blood, sweat, and tears with you on your wins and losses, and they’re going to hold you accountable for your mistakes. He’s a guy who’s a true professional. Not going to let me get away with anything, and that’s exactly what you need as a young athlete.”

Harrison has been through a number of coaches in his short career and has worked with the USTA Player Development before. He got to know Berger better while he was a member of the US Davis Cup team as Berger is an assistant coach under Captain Jim Courier>

“Throughout the last three, four years, I’ve had different coaches and done different things,” Harrison said.” I’ve had at least six to ten meetings with Jay a year. Just, ‘How are you doing? How are you feeling? What are you working on?’ I really trusted him a lot. I trusted in the work he’s done, and all of our conversations about tennis got into the area that I really felt like I needed his views on it. So obviously his position in the USTA being having so much going on, I was never sure if he was going to be able to take on a role like a coach full‑time. And so whenever I met with him, which our last meeting before he started coaching me was Wimbledon, and I said I’m not playing as well as I want to. I don’t care what it is I have to do. I want you to set everything up. I want you to take care of it, and I trust you to put me in the right fitness program and the right scenario to be successful.”

Harrison, who has yet to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, has always been known as a hard worker, but outside of his big first serve he wasn’t seen to have enough weapons from the back of the court to knock off top players. He wants to be a top 5 competitor, so he’s willing to do what it takes to get there.

“It’s on me to do the work,” he said. “You put the team around you that’s going to make you a professional, and you hold yourself accountable for the work they’re making you do.”