29 January 2023 | Tennis Victoria

Michael Logarzo is one of Australia’s leading development coaches working with juniors and tour professionals. Michael was Tennis Victoria’s Development Coach of the Year in 2022. With over 20 years experience, Michael has a lot of experience and understanding of tennis at all levels and helps his players achieve their goals.

Michael was offered a Head Coach role at a tennis academy in New York which is what started his full time coaching journey. After coming back to Melbourne, he coached at MCC where he met one of his star players, Zoe Hives at 15 years of age.

Recently, Michael was courtside with Zoe Hives at the United Cup. Representing Australia, it was a great experience for Zoe and head coach Michael.

“You can see the journey and I feel as a coach part of it is I am going on the journey with that player so there has been a lot of learning which I now put into my younger students.”

“Everything I have learnt coaching with Zoe, I have probably learnt more just coaching with her not so much on the court but just all the things that she goes through as a player and how I deal with that as a coach has helped me become a better coach.”

Michael’s experience at the United Cup was a memorable one.

“Being able to sit on the court was an experience and having Sam [Stosur] and Lleyton [Hewitt] there as well on the court so that was an experience you don’t get everyday.”

“Being able to be in that environment and being able to learn of the other country and being able to watch them train everyday and how they go about It I think was really good.”

“There weren’t too many people there it was probably more of an intimate type of tournament with the 6 countries, so it was an incredible experience being able to play at a pretty full Ken Rosewall arena and being amongst it.”

Through the years, Michael has had some unforgettable experiences coaching Zoe. Zoe qualified for Wimbledon in 2022, an unbelievable achievement due to her health over the last few years.

“The highlight for me was Zoe qualifying for Wimbledon last year. I’d never been there so I tried to soak it all up. Having a player that I have been with since juniors and having that player go to the ultimate place you want to play tennis is amazing.”

After a few sickness setbacks, Zoe is on her way up again and will continue to work hard.

“For me, it’s just growing. I feel like every student that I work with it’s a journey for both of us. I’m on a different journey with each of them and seeing them develop as people just as much as athletes is I think the most important thing.”

Michael sees coaching tennis to be coaching important life lessons on and off the court.

“The greatest satisfaction that I take and the thing that makes me feel good is that they walk away and part of their tennis experience is the time they spent with me and what they learnt from me and that they’re grateful for that, I think that’s the most important thing.”

Michael’s Kids on Court team came to the AO last Saturday and had a ball. Michael gave one of his coaches, Talia, the experience to go on court with the kids. Talia happens to be a student of his and has been with him for a long time since she was 10 and is now transitioning into coaching.

One of Michael’s players, Mei Mei, was chosen to toss the coin at Rod Laver Arena for the Pliskova v Gracheva match.

#VicsAtTheAO