Nina Marković: A Great Tennis Coach, and A Lifelong Tennis Player

“What is rewarding for my students is rewarding for me. It is a win-win.”

“The weather is great today.” She announced excitedly while her hands swept over the sapphire-blue water. She was standing beside Washington Lake, her blond hair catching the evening sun rays. It was during her afternoon walk -- that Nina Marković (42 years old) recounted her life as a tennis coach.

Her encounter with tennis

At the age of 5, Nina’s mom signed her up for tennis, a decision that Nina couldn’t agree more. “Tennis was in me, nobody had to push me.”

She described her childhood times when her mom reminded her to finish her homework at the end of the day, she had immediately “replaced the school bag with a tennis bag and ran.”

Not too far down her journey, the Tennis world had opened another door for Nina. At a time when female coaches were scarce, she immediately seized the opportunity and traveled across the globe from Croatia to Beijing, China, where she landed her first job in a tennis academy.

Afterward, tennis brought her from the Far East to the Far West: Singapore, Turkey, and Spain, just to name a few. Throughout her 15 years of coaching career, she worked with people from all over the world with different cultural backgrounds.

The Heart-Winning Coach

Nina believes that her confidence as a coach - both in herself and her students - significantly influences her student’s performance. “You need to be confident, then all your lessons will go well. It is about the energy: creating a good feeling and making them feel comfortable.” Her optimism is definitely well-received by her students, who were willing and able to thrive under her positive aura.

“Be like them, so they accept you. Play like them, talk like them.”

This coaching style doesn't apply just to young learners. All high-performance teams that Nina encountered exemplify a conducive environment, one which encourages athletes to deploy their whole selves to achieve better performance. A high level of trust, effective communication, and good relationships between team players and coaches are prerequisites for this environment.

Tennis Coaching is a Rather Complicated Process, But She Aced it With Great Care

Out of curiosity, I asked her whether or not males and females would perform differently. Much to my surprise, she answered without hesitation: “On the tennis court, males and females are fairly equal.”

Upon further reflection, it dawned on me that performance in sports is way too complex to define - being fit is just a part of it. Nina agrees with me on that: “Tennis is a situational game. Every ball is different, every ball is a new chance.”

"Tennis is a game of now, presence is all you have."

But it is easier said than done. I couldn’t help but question, how players rise above their mental obstacles, especially during their losses.

“You have to keep going. Next day is a new day.” Apart from pointing out mistakes and weaknesses, Nina would definitely enhance the strength of the player as a light dose of confidence for the defeated. However, there is a limit to what coaches can do, the rest would depend on the players themselves. “In the end, it is their own match. It is up to their relationship with themselves, which is the most important one.”

On the other side of the coin, there are also rewarding moments for Nina.

" I can be more happy than them when they win, especially if I know them well. It proves I have done my job well but it is also inspiring to watch them overcome their weaknesses."

Tennis is Her Cure; Her Passion Never Wanes

Despite her promising career, Nina admitted that just a year ago her life did not look so rosy. In the midst of a family crisis, Nina was still on the court non-stop. “I was fed up and wanted to stop fully.”

Notwithstanding the doubts about her profession, tennis was something so incorporated into her being - something she realized only when she took a break. Her days were spent in nature, which recuperated her. “I spent time resting. Things got better. Resting helped me realize I didn’t lose my passion for my job and for tennis. In the end, I just felt more grateful for tennis.” It is beautiful, how stepping on the brake gives you a clearer view of a bigger picture.

“Sometimes you need to be still and just be there. And time will heal, day by day,” Nina said.

Rest days are now regular parts of her routine: days that are totally off the court. Turns out, she is quite good at distracting herself. She would dive into art, music, and culture. Moreover, she revealed her recent intention to take on Tai qi, the calmness of which is much needed to balance the scale of her intense work.

“Let the child be!”

I was deeply touched by the way her eyes lit up whenever we talked about children. Inheriting her mother’s thoughts, Nina stressed the importance of doing sports for child development: “Sports shapes your character, discipline, confidence and teaches you how to win and lose.”

It is no surprise that her playful teaching methods combined with her patient nature won the hearts of the children she taught, who would spill out everything to her without a filter. She grasped that children are honest and emotional “little human beings” who are transparent when it comes to their likes and dislikes.

Nina stated, that instead of nudging the kids forward on a clear-cut path, it is wiser to put them on a grassland and let them roll. It wouldn’t take long until they returned with excitement bursting out of their lungs. All that is left is to have them voice out, and then listen.

"In the end, it is them, it is not anyone else. We have to let the child be.”

“I was like a boy when I was little. I would never wear a skirt.” Nina's mother had to bear with her but at one point, she accepted Nina’s disposition and no longer offered her skirt. Her mother’s liberated mindset gave Nina the freedom and space to grow into what she is now - the exemplar of the new-age independent woman able to pursue her passion for a lifetime.