'Coach of the Year' Awards for 2025

20 June 2025

This year, two amazing coaches are being honored with the prestigious 'Coach of the Year' awards for their huge impact on tennis. The winners for 2025 are Claudio Pistolesi for GPTCA Coach of the Year, and Yari Bernardo for his incredible work in doubles.

Claudio Pistolesi is a well-known name in tennis, both as a player and a coach. From Rome, Italy, he played professionally for over ten years, reaching a high ranking of 71st in the world. As a junior, he won major titles like the Orange Bowl and the ITF Junior World Championship in 1985, and even played for Italy in the Davis Cup. As a coach, Pistolesi has helped many players on both the men's (ATP) and women's (WTA) tours reach their best rankings. Some of the top players he has coached include Robin Soderling, Daniela Hantuchová, and Simone Bolelli.

Beyond coaching players, Pistolesi has also worked in tennis management, serving on the ATP Player Council since 2010. He's also a highly certified coach and was even named 'Coach of the Year' by PTR back in 1998. He even started his own company and helps run a tennis program in Florida.

Yari Bernardo, originally from Italy, has made a big impact in El Salvador, especially with Marcelo Arevalo, who is currently the number one player in men's doubles. Bernardo's smart coaching has been key to Arevalo becoming a top doubles player.

With Bernardo's guidance, Arevalo has won 14 titles on the pro tour. This includes two big Grand Slam wins at the French Open: once in 2022 and again in 2024. Besides coaching on the ATP Tour, Bernardo is also the captain of El Salvador's Davis Cup team, showing his influence in that country's tennis.

The recognition of both Claudio Pistolesi and Yari Bernardo shows the many ways coaches help athletes succeed and improve the sport of tennis. Their hard work, knowledge, and leadership are an inspiration to everyone in tennis.