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Warren Pretorius Interview: Tennis & Moneyball, Improving with Analytics, & How to Find a Good Coach

Will Boucek ยท November 22, 2022

In this interview, we chat with the Founder of Tennis Analytics, Warren Pretorius. Warren is probably the most mentioned person on this podcast and is a pioneer of sports analytics, especially tennis.

Tennis Analytics provides match reports and videos for colleges, ATP & WTA players, as well as tennis coaches. Their data-driven approach helps players at all levels improve.

Warren with a couple of his players, 2019 US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu (left) and decorated junior and WTA player Sharon Fichman (right).
Warren has worked closely with Tennis Canada in the past. Above, he is with 2019 US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu (left) and decorated junior and WTA doubles player Sharon Fichman (right).

In this conversation, we talk about how analytics can help you including:

  • How and when to make changes and do so effectively.
  • Why using video analysis is the fastest way to improve your game.
  • Simple strategies used to help tennis enthusiasts such as Robert Redford.
  • How to find the perfect coach to improve faster.

We also discuss how Warren got into tennis, why he finds college tennis intriguing, and how he thinks doubles can become more popular.



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Interview Notes from this Podcast

*To help support The Tennis Tribe & provide more free content like this, we may earn a percentage of purchases through the links below. See our affiliate page for more info.

  • Follow Tennis Analytics on Instagram and Twitter
  • Get the FREE ‘Stat of the Week’ – click that link and sign up in the sidebar
  • Tennis & Moneyball
    • Warren learned Dartfish, a sports performance analysis software, working with skiers like Lindsey Vonn and professional baseball teams.
    • Warren has worked with Craig O’Shannessy, Novak Djokovic, the USTA, Tennis Canada, and dozens of college teams and professional tennis players.
  • Improving with Analytics & Strategy
    • We analyzed over 1,400 points (a relatively small amount) of 3.5-4.5 tennis to understand club-level players better.
    • Of these points, 68% were 1-4 shots, 7% were 9+ shots.
    • Backhand returns had more winners and fewer errors than forehands.
    • Forehand groundstrokes had more winners and more errors than backhands.
    • Although things like short rallies will likely hold up once we have more data, some of these findings should be taken with a grain of salt until more data is available.
    • Still, some takeaways include focusing on percentage of 1st serves won not just percentage in, putting more returns in play, and making practice realistic.
    • Even pros like Hsieh Su-wei and Marcelo Arevalo have their coaches blast balls at them to volley to make it more realistic.
  • Finding a Good Coach
    • One of Warren’s first coaches was Vic Braden, an International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee in 2017.
    • Ask if the coach uses video, how they plan to measure improvement, if they focus on repetition, and how long they have been teaching/if they’re certified.
    • Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell do great work at greatbasetennis.com if you prefer online lessons.
  • Warren’s Favorites
    • Tournament: NCAA Championships
    • Tennis Book: A Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes
    • Non-tennis Book: The Sports Gene by David Epstein & Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

About Will Boucek

Will Boucek is the Founder & CEO of Tennis Tribe. With over two decades of experience playing & coaching tennis, Will now works as a doubles strategy analyst for ATP & WTA tour players and coaches. Will helps tennis players at every level play better doubles through smarter strategy. He also has expertise in tennis racquets & gear, testing the latest products from Wilson, Babolat, Head, Prince, and other tennis brands.

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