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Featured Guest:
Yulia Beygelzimer Former Tennis Professional Director, ONE Tennis Academy Published Date: September 29, 2026 Former professional tennis player Yulia Beygelzimer shares the lessons her 16-year career taught her about discipline, resilience, failure, and finding the right people to help you grow. From being told at age seven that she had “no talent” to reaching the Top 100 in the world, Yulia reflects on what really makes an athlete successful—and why talent is only one piece of the equation. Now the Director of ONE Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, she also shares her perspective on developing young athletes, making sports fun, raising independent kids, and helping children learn to embrace both challenges and failure. Listen to/watch the full podcast recording, or read the transcript below: |
Full Interview with Yulia Beygelzimer:
"Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You’re not getting better at anything in life without being uncomfortable."
- Yulia Beygelzimer (Wisdom for Wannabes episode 75, 22:07)
Great quotes from the interview:
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
- "Talent takes very little part in it.”
- “Some people are very hardworking. This is also a talent!”
- “If you do not have discipline, you have very little chance.”
- “You just need to discover what’s yours.”
- “You’re not good enough” was exactly what I needed at that moment to say, “I’m going to prove myself.”
- “You’re going to be okay. You’re going to survive. You’ll find the way.”
- “Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.”
- “You’re not getting better at anything in life… without being uncomfortable.”
- “We need to let them fail.”
- “Enjoy every step.”
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
Yulia Beygelzimer
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Key Takeaways:
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Yulia Beygelzimmer, professional tennis player, while playing a tournament
Interview Transcript:
Yulia Beygelzimer (00:00)
Talent takes very little part in it.
Everybody has some kind of talent. Some people are strong. Some people are quick. Some people are smart. Some people are very hardworking. This is also a talent!
You just need to discover what's yours.
But one thing is for sure: if you do not have discipline, you have very little chance.
You have to have a lot of discipline. Understand what you want to do. Have the right people around you.
It's a lot on top of talent that needs to happen.
Jackie Morreale (00:23)
Welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, my name is Jackie Morreale. My guest today is Yulia Beygelzimer, a former professional tennis player who competed at the highest levels of the sport, reaching a career high ranking of number 83 in singles and number 56 in doubles. Today, Yulia is the director of ONE Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, where she works with players discovering tennis, to elite and professional players.
Yulia Beygelzimer, welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes! Thank you so much for being here today.
Yulia Beygelzimer (00:58)
Thank you very much. I'm very happy to be here.
Jackie Morreale (01:00)
Let's take it all the way back to the beginning. Yulia, how did you get started playing tennis?
Yulia Beygelzimer (01:06)
As a child, I was getting sick a lot. My parents wanted me to do sports so that my health would improve a little bit. My father took me to tennis, and I didn't like it. I didn't like it! I didn't like my coach. I felt it was too strict.
And then, I wanted to quit.
My parents brought me to another tennis school. I went there, and the other coach looked at me and said, 'This girl, she's not good enough. No talent, she's just not good enough.'
Somehow, when I heard it, I was seven years old. I was like, 'Okay, now we're going to come back.'
We came back to the first school, the first coach, and I stayed with her for sixteen years.
Jackie Morreale (01:41)
I was not expecting this at all. You started somewhere a little bit rocky, and you weren't happy. Tried another place, even less happy, but it kind of lit a fire.
Yulia Beygelzimer (01:53)
Hearing, 'You're not good enough,' was exactly what I needed at that moment to say, 'I'm going to prove myself.'
Jackie Morreale (01:59)
And then you're with your coach for the next 16 years, proving them wrong every single time you go out on the court.
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:06)
Pretty much. Funny enough, I saw that person for many more years because we were from the same city. Very soon, everybody knew about me. He was one of my good supporters. He had a great relationship with my family, but he did not recognize the talent.
Jackie Morreale (02:19)
I'm sure he was very sorry that he let you go at seven.
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:23)
I'm thankful because this is what I needed at that moment.
Jackie Morreale (02:26)
It worked out in the end. It's so amazing to hear your childhood story. I thought you were going to say something like, 'I played tennis as soon as I could walk. I loved every second of it. Going pro was just the natural course.'
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:38)
Very different pathways.
Jackie Morreale (02:39)
Yes. When you were with the coach you worked really well with for 16 years, how did your path go from playing tennis for fun to becoming your life path?
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:50)
In Ukraine, when you grow up, there is no such thing as tennis for fun, at least at that time, it wasn't.
If you do that, you do it seriously. It's not that you don't have to have fun on the court, but people, at that time, didn't do sports just to 'go', because it takes too many resources. Financially, logistically, it's difficult. So, if you do it, you do it.
Also, my parents are the type of people who are very disciplined. For me, it was always a very disciplined environment. It was a clear pathway that, 'Okay, you're going to play these tournaments and these tournaments.'
Then, as I got better, I guess the pathway shows itself, right? What needs to be the next step, and the next step. Once I started travelling internationally, it was clear that, 'Okay, if I do it, I need to do it well.'
Jackie Morreale (03:32)
Traveling internationally as a professional athlete. What an incredible feeling. It all started with your parents encouraging you and saying, 'Let's help her improve her health.'
Yulia Beygelzimer (03:42)
Pretty much. I was very lucky. I see a lot of parents throughout my life as a player, as a coach here at the academy, and in many capacities.
Now, I can fully understand how lucky I was.
My parents never pushed me too much. It was always about me, not about them, which is rare. They were always very supportive regardless of what was happening. They were there for me. I was very lucky.
Jackie Morreale (04:05)
Love that. You achieved every young tennis player's dream of becoming a professional player. What did you imagine professional tennis would be like when you were young? And was it the same or different in reality?
Yulia Beygelzimer (04:18)
For sure, different. When you ask kids, 'What is your dream in tennis?', for example, every kid is going to tell you, 'I want to be number one in the world.' They say it just as a given.
They pretty much think, 'One day I'm going to grow up, and I'm going to become number one in the world.' So you don't really understand what it means at all.
As I was getting older and traveling internationally, even at junior events, you already saw a little bit of it. You don't unpack it fully. You have your schedule here and there. You don't see your family a lot.
By the age of probably 15, 16, I already knew how it was going to be, but you don't understand the full extent of pressure.
A lot of these things you don't even understand when you start playing professionally. Like, the media.
The pressure of whether you belong here or not.
What people's expectations are. What is your family's expectation?
The fact that you're often alone.
Some unknowns, the financial situation.
Tennis is different from team sports because it's an individual sport. All of that piles up.
You only fully understand it when you're five or six years into the professional career.
Jackie Morreale (05:18)
How long was your professional career?
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:20)
Sixteen years.
Jackie Morreale (05:21)
16 years as a pro. You really understood what it was...
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:25)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (05:25)
The media and the pressure. It is a single-person sport. Did you have a team, mentors, or coaches that guided you along the way for those 16 years?
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:35)
I did. As I said, I have a long-time coach that I worked with for sixteen years.
She didn't have the experience, just like myself, so she kind of learned with me.
In that moment when I started playing, there were only three or four players from Ukraine in the same position. We were all learning on the go.
Some of them had an opportunity to leave the Ukraine and train abroad.
I didn't have this opportunity early enough, let's say.
I love the fact that I was able to stay home, differently from other people, but on the other hand, my vision of: 'What am I doing?'
It could have evolved much more easily, and I would have had more opportunities if I had left earlier. It's a little bit of give and take.
Jackie Morreale (06:11)
I love that you trained at home, too. I think that's beautiful.
Yulia Beygelzimer (06:14)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (06:15)
Let's talk about the part that really irked me: When you were seven years old, someone said, 'Yulia doesn't have the natural talent.' (What the heck? Don't tell me that person's name because I'm going to Ukraine. Just kidding.)
But how much of becoming a professional, in your opinion, is about natural talent? Versus the discipline, the consistency, the willingness to keep going?
What makes a pro a pro?
Yulia Beygelzimer (06:38)
Talent takes a very little part in it.
If I ask you, 'What's talent for tennis?' You're probably going to tell me, 'An incredible feel in the hands, or he moves so well.' But this is very limited.
Everybody has some kind of talent.
Some people are strong. Some people are quick. Some people are smart.
Some people just work incredibly well; they are very hardworking. This is also a talent! That's the part everybody underestimates.
Talent is one thing that you just need to discover what's yours.
I've seen very few kids who have zero talent. Okay, some kids are not coordinated, but then you need to work on it.
One thing is for sure: if you do not have discipline, you have very little chance.
You have to have discipline.
You have to understand what you want to do.
You have to have the right people around you. This is also a skill: To take the right team. People who don't have right surrounding pay for it with years that they lose, with injuries, other things.
It's a lot on top of the talent that needs to happen.
Jackie Morreale (07:35)
The discipline, the people around you, are so important. What does discipline in tennis look like to you on a daily basis?
Yulia Beygelzimer (07:42)
Discipline in tennis, like in any sport, is not only about hours. It's not only about being there physically.
Many people think that, 'I was here exactly at 8AM. I'm disciplined.' Not exactly.
If mentally you're not there, and you're not ready to step out of your comfort zone every time you go to the tennis court, or even a recovery table, you're not disciplined.
If you're not ready to be critical about things you need to change, you're not disciplined.
When things go right, everybody does very well.
But when things don't go right, when they go wrong, this is where you see people who are able to do more, and who are going to rebound and continue going.
(Continued below)
Talent takes very little part in it.
Everybody has some kind of talent. Some people are strong. Some people are quick. Some people are smart. Some people are very hardworking. This is also a talent!
You just need to discover what's yours.
But one thing is for sure: if you do not have discipline, you have very little chance.
You have to have a lot of discipline. Understand what you want to do. Have the right people around you.
It's a lot on top of talent that needs to happen.
Jackie Morreale (00:23)
Welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, my name is Jackie Morreale. My guest today is Yulia Beygelzimer, a former professional tennis player who competed at the highest levels of the sport, reaching a career high ranking of number 83 in singles and number 56 in doubles. Today, Yulia is the director of ONE Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, where she works with players discovering tennis, to elite and professional players.
Yulia Beygelzimer, welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes! Thank you so much for being here today.
Yulia Beygelzimer (00:58)
Thank you very much. I'm very happy to be here.
Jackie Morreale (01:00)
Let's take it all the way back to the beginning. Yulia, how did you get started playing tennis?
Yulia Beygelzimer (01:06)
As a child, I was getting sick a lot. My parents wanted me to do sports so that my health would improve a little bit. My father took me to tennis, and I didn't like it. I didn't like it! I didn't like my coach. I felt it was too strict.
And then, I wanted to quit.
My parents brought me to another tennis school. I went there, and the other coach looked at me and said, 'This girl, she's not good enough. No talent, she's just not good enough.'
Somehow, when I heard it, I was seven years old. I was like, 'Okay, now we're going to come back.'
We came back to the first school, the first coach, and I stayed with her for sixteen years.
Jackie Morreale (01:41)
I was not expecting this at all. You started somewhere a little bit rocky, and you weren't happy. Tried another place, even less happy, but it kind of lit a fire.
Yulia Beygelzimer (01:53)
Hearing, 'You're not good enough,' was exactly what I needed at that moment to say, 'I'm going to prove myself.'
Jackie Morreale (01:59)
And then you're with your coach for the next 16 years, proving them wrong every single time you go out on the court.
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:06)
Pretty much. Funny enough, I saw that person for many more years because we were from the same city. Very soon, everybody knew about me. He was one of my good supporters. He had a great relationship with my family, but he did not recognize the talent.
Jackie Morreale (02:19)
I'm sure he was very sorry that he let you go at seven.
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:23)
I'm thankful because this is what I needed at that moment.
Jackie Morreale (02:26)
It worked out in the end. It's so amazing to hear your childhood story. I thought you were going to say something like, 'I played tennis as soon as I could walk. I loved every second of it. Going pro was just the natural course.'
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:38)
Very different pathways.
Jackie Morreale (02:39)
Yes. When you were with the coach you worked really well with for 16 years, how did your path go from playing tennis for fun to becoming your life path?
Yulia Beygelzimer (02:50)
In Ukraine, when you grow up, there is no such thing as tennis for fun, at least at that time, it wasn't.
If you do that, you do it seriously. It's not that you don't have to have fun on the court, but people, at that time, didn't do sports just to 'go', because it takes too many resources. Financially, logistically, it's difficult. So, if you do it, you do it.
Also, my parents are the type of people who are very disciplined. For me, it was always a very disciplined environment. It was a clear pathway that, 'Okay, you're going to play these tournaments and these tournaments.'
Then, as I got better, I guess the pathway shows itself, right? What needs to be the next step, and the next step. Once I started travelling internationally, it was clear that, 'Okay, if I do it, I need to do it well.'
Jackie Morreale (03:32)
Traveling internationally as a professional athlete. What an incredible feeling. It all started with your parents encouraging you and saying, 'Let's help her improve her health.'
Yulia Beygelzimer (03:42)
Pretty much. I was very lucky. I see a lot of parents throughout my life as a player, as a coach here at the academy, and in many capacities.
Now, I can fully understand how lucky I was.
My parents never pushed me too much. It was always about me, not about them, which is rare. They were always very supportive regardless of what was happening. They were there for me. I was very lucky.
Jackie Morreale (04:05)
Love that. You achieved every young tennis player's dream of becoming a professional player. What did you imagine professional tennis would be like when you were young? And was it the same or different in reality?
Yulia Beygelzimer (04:18)
For sure, different. When you ask kids, 'What is your dream in tennis?', for example, every kid is going to tell you, 'I want to be number one in the world.' They say it just as a given.
They pretty much think, 'One day I'm going to grow up, and I'm going to become number one in the world.' So you don't really understand what it means at all.
As I was getting older and traveling internationally, even at junior events, you already saw a little bit of it. You don't unpack it fully. You have your schedule here and there. You don't see your family a lot.
By the age of probably 15, 16, I already knew how it was going to be, but you don't understand the full extent of pressure.
A lot of these things you don't even understand when you start playing professionally. Like, the media.
The pressure of whether you belong here or not.
What people's expectations are. What is your family's expectation?
The fact that you're often alone.
Some unknowns, the financial situation.
Tennis is different from team sports because it's an individual sport. All of that piles up.
You only fully understand it when you're five or six years into the professional career.
Jackie Morreale (05:18)
How long was your professional career?
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:20)
Sixteen years.
Jackie Morreale (05:21)
16 years as a pro. You really understood what it was...
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:25)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (05:25)
The media and the pressure. It is a single-person sport. Did you have a team, mentors, or coaches that guided you along the way for those 16 years?
Yulia Beygelzimer (05:35)
I did. As I said, I have a long-time coach that I worked with for sixteen years.
She didn't have the experience, just like myself, so she kind of learned with me.
In that moment when I started playing, there were only three or four players from Ukraine in the same position. We were all learning on the go.
Some of them had an opportunity to leave the Ukraine and train abroad.
I didn't have this opportunity early enough, let's say.
I love the fact that I was able to stay home, differently from other people, but on the other hand, my vision of: 'What am I doing?'
It could have evolved much more easily, and I would have had more opportunities if I had left earlier. It's a little bit of give and take.
Jackie Morreale (06:11)
I love that you trained at home, too. I think that's beautiful.
Yulia Beygelzimer (06:14)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (06:15)
Let's talk about the part that really irked me: When you were seven years old, someone said, 'Yulia doesn't have the natural talent.' (What the heck? Don't tell me that person's name because I'm going to Ukraine. Just kidding.)
But how much of becoming a professional, in your opinion, is about natural talent? Versus the discipline, the consistency, the willingness to keep going?
What makes a pro a pro?
Yulia Beygelzimer (06:38)
Talent takes a very little part in it.
If I ask you, 'What's talent for tennis?' You're probably going to tell me, 'An incredible feel in the hands, or he moves so well.' But this is very limited.
Everybody has some kind of talent.
Some people are strong. Some people are quick. Some people are smart.
Some people just work incredibly well; they are very hardworking. This is also a talent! That's the part everybody underestimates.
Talent is one thing that you just need to discover what's yours.
I've seen very few kids who have zero talent. Okay, some kids are not coordinated, but then you need to work on it.
One thing is for sure: if you do not have discipline, you have very little chance.
You have to have discipline.
You have to understand what you want to do.
You have to have the right people around you. This is also a skill: To take the right team. People who don't have right surrounding pay for it with years that they lose, with injuries, other things.
It's a lot on top of the talent that needs to happen.
Jackie Morreale (07:35)
The discipline, the people around you, are so important. What does discipline in tennis look like to you on a daily basis?
Yulia Beygelzimer (07:42)
Discipline in tennis, like in any sport, is not only about hours. It's not only about being there physically.
Many people think that, 'I was here exactly at 8AM. I'm disciplined.' Not exactly.
If mentally you're not there, and you're not ready to step out of your comfort zone every time you go to the tennis court, or even a recovery table, you're not disciplined.
If you're not ready to be critical about things you need to change, you're not disciplined.
When things go right, everybody does very well.
But when things don't go right, when they go wrong, this is where you see people who are able to do more, and who are going to rebound and continue going.
(Continued below)
Yulia Beygelzimer, professional tennis player, before a serve
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Yulia Beygelzimer
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(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (08:18)
It's really the mental side of the sport.
Yulia Beygelzimer (08:21)
I think so.
Jackie Morreale (08:22)
What's something that you tell your players today, as a coach, that you wish your coach had told you back then?
Yulia Beygelzimer (08:28)
I wish I had known or understood a little bit earlier that it's a business.
Tennis at the pro level is a business. You are the person taking on responsibilities, making money, and whose decisions need to be considered in this. You're a team manager.
You're choosing the tournaments, you're doing a lot. But you have to see it as a business. There has to be a little bit less emotion involved.
I was always very emotional because I truly wanted to succeed, because people around me were helping me so much, and I didn't want to let them down.
So, any result for me was a me was a measurement of: 'How did I do? Am I good enough?'
I wasn't able to see it as a long-term journey. Even though it was a very long-term journey, it was 16 years.
If you look back, I did a lot. But I don't think in that moment I was able to see it. I was too focused on things that were happening. 'Oh, I had a bad practice, or I don't feel my forehand.'
When you look back, they really are irrelevant. I would have just enjoyed the process a little bit more.
Jackie Morreale (09:26)
Those kids and athletes that you're coaching are so lucky to have you. To be able to look back and give them what you wish you had gotten. Anything non-tennis related that tennis taught you?
Yulia Beygelzimer (09:39)
Tennis always teaches you non-tennis related things.
Jackie Morreale (09:41)
Really?
Yulia Beygelzimer (09:42)
For sure.
This is one sport that teaches you so much about yourself. Tennis teaches you discipline.
It teaches you problem-solving. You have to problem-solve literally every shot you make.
To make decisions and stand by them. If you don't stand by your decisions, you don't win matches. It's as simple as that.
You have to get up when you fall.
Every week you have a tournament... Okay, you lost, but you have a plane to take, you have decisions to make, so you have to get up. You have no time to be crying.
Also, on a larger scale, sometimes you'll have a bad year, but you have to continue. It teaches you to believe in yourself when others don't. That's the only thing that helps you turn matches and even bad moments in your career.
Probably the biggest thing it teaches you is that you're going to be okay. You're going to survive.
You'll find the way. That's not even coming from the tennis court exactly. It's coming from traveling. It's coming from meeting with a lot of different people, different personalities, different cultures, and being able to find your way.
Jackie Morreale (10:38)
Your team is so lucky to have you! So many quick decision-making skills that you've learned from being a pro player that I'm sure apply on an everyday basis.
Yulia Beygelzimer (10:47)
It goes both ways. I'm very lucky to have people who trust me and who work with me. I was lucky to have good people around.
Jackie Morreale (10:53)
Absolutely. Quickfire questions to get to know you a little bit better, Yulia, on and off the court?
Yulia Beygelzimer (10:59)
Yep. I'm ready.
Jackie Morreale (11:00)
Singles or doubles?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:01)
Singles.
Jackie Morreale (11:01)
Clay or hard court?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:03)
Clay.
Jackie Morreale (11:03)
That's what you have at ONE Academy?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:05)
We have both. We have clay and hard.
Jackie Morreale (11:07)
Serve or return?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:09)
Return. I never had a good serve.
My shoulder was never strong enough or fast enough. I had to do something else, so I was always a good returner.
Jackie Morreale (11:17)
I can't stand you telling me you didn't do anything well in tennis because I know your numbers and that you're an amazing tennis player.
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:21)
Of course, everybody has their flaws. Mine was a serve. Service games were not easy for me.
Jackie Morreale (11:28)
Wow, the return. Interesting. Favorite tournament, anywhere in the world?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:32)
French Open.
Jackie Morreale (11:33)
French Open! Favorite player to watch? Man or woman.
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:36)
That's a tough one. I really loved Martina Hingis and Roger Federer.
Jackie Morreale (11:40)
Amazing players. Toughest opponent that you've ever faced?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:44)
I had a couple of opponents that I had a really hard time playing. Usually, these were players who would put up a wall and put the ball back. They would play pretty deep. I had a hard time just staying patient and waiting for my chances. I tended to be over-aggressive sometimes and missed too much in this case.
Jackie Morreale (12:02)
Favorite city you've ever played in?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:03)
In Paris. There are a couple of tournaments I played there, and I always felt very well in Paris.
Jackie Morreale (12:08)
Favorite place in Ukraine to play?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:10)
I'm from Donetsk, so of course Donetsk is always going to be my favorite city and my favorite place. Half of my family is from Odessa and for me it's always been a special place, special people. Odessa is probably my second favorite place.
Jackie Morreale (12:23)
Morning practice or evening?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:25)
I'm a morning person.
Jackie Morreale (12:26)
Coach or player?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:27)
That's a tough one.
I really love to coach. I love when I can make something work for the player and find the right words and they understand and they see the difference. I love this feeling.
But as a player, it's really cool, too. That feeling of competition, and when you're nervous, and then you win, it's really cool too. It's different. I cannot pick one.
Jackie Morreale (12:45)
One and all the same, it sounds.
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:47)
I really believe that if you get a chance to coach a little bit while you're playing, it helps you to play better.
Jackie Morreale (12:53)
Maybe it makes you a little more reflective, empathetic about what they're going through.
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:55)
Yeah. You put things into perspective, too.
Jackie Morreale (12:58)
If you weren't a tennis player or tennis coach, what would you be?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:02)
Doing something with business, probably. I studied international relations, and I really liked it, but I would end up going more towards something with business.
Jackie Morreale (13:10)
And now you're running a business.
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:12)
Yeah.
Jackie Morreale (13:12)
Favorite quote for life?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:13)
Things happen the way they are meant to be.
If something doesn't happen, it just didn't have to happen.
Maybe there is something else that would have been very bad for my family or me.
I try to live like this. I try to believe that everything that happens for the best.
Jackie Morreale (13:27)
Favorite book?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:28)
It's called The Twelve Chairs. Anyone who listens to this podcast and speaks Russian would know for sure.
(Continued below)
Jackie Morreale (08:18)
It's really the mental side of the sport.
Yulia Beygelzimer (08:21)
I think so.
Jackie Morreale (08:22)
What's something that you tell your players today, as a coach, that you wish your coach had told you back then?
Yulia Beygelzimer (08:28)
I wish I had known or understood a little bit earlier that it's a business.
Tennis at the pro level is a business. You are the person taking on responsibilities, making money, and whose decisions need to be considered in this. You're a team manager.
You're choosing the tournaments, you're doing a lot. But you have to see it as a business. There has to be a little bit less emotion involved.
I was always very emotional because I truly wanted to succeed, because people around me were helping me so much, and I didn't want to let them down.
So, any result for me was a me was a measurement of: 'How did I do? Am I good enough?'
I wasn't able to see it as a long-term journey. Even though it was a very long-term journey, it was 16 years.
If you look back, I did a lot. But I don't think in that moment I was able to see it. I was too focused on things that were happening. 'Oh, I had a bad practice, or I don't feel my forehand.'
When you look back, they really are irrelevant. I would have just enjoyed the process a little bit more.
Jackie Morreale (09:26)
Those kids and athletes that you're coaching are so lucky to have you. To be able to look back and give them what you wish you had gotten. Anything non-tennis related that tennis taught you?
Yulia Beygelzimer (09:39)
Tennis always teaches you non-tennis related things.
Jackie Morreale (09:41)
Really?
Yulia Beygelzimer (09:42)
For sure.
This is one sport that teaches you so much about yourself. Tennis teaches you discipline.
It teaches you problem-solving. You have to problem-solve literally every shot you make.
To make decisions and stand by them. If you don't stand by your decisions, you don't win matches. It's as simple as that.
You have to get up when you fall.
Every week you have a tournament... Okay, you lost, but you have a plane to take, you have decisions to make, so you have to get up. You have no time to be crying.
Also, on a larger scale, sometimes you'll have a bad year, but you have to continue. It teaches you to believe in yourself when others don't. That's the only thing that helps you turn matches and even bad moments in your career.
Probably the biggest thing it teaches you is that you're going to be okay. You're going to survive.
You'll find the way. That's not even coming from the tennis court exactly. It's coming from traveling. It's coming from meeting with a lot of different people, different personalities, different cultures, and being able to find your way.
Jackie Morreale (10:38)
Your team is so lucky to have you! So many quick decision-making skills that you've learned from being a pro player that I'm sure apply on an everyday basis.
Yulia Beygelzimer (10:47)
It goes both ways. I'm very lucky to have people who trust me and who work with me. I was lucky to have good people around.
Jackie Morreale (10:53)
Absolutely. Quickfire questions to get to know you a little bit better, Yulia, on and off the court?
Yulia Beygelzimer (10:59)
Yep. I'm ready.
Jackie Morreale (11:00)
Singles or doubles?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:01)
Singles.
Jackie Morreale (11:01)
Clay or hard court?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:03)
Clay.
Jackie Morreale (11:03)
That's what you have at ONE Academy?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:05)
We have both. We have clay and hard.
Jackie Morreale (11:07)
Serve or return?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:09)
Return. I never had a good serve.
My shoulder was never strong enough or fast enough. I had to do something else, so I was always a good returner.
Jackie Morreale (11:17)
I can't stand you telling me you didn't do anything well in tennis because I know your numbers and that you're an amazing tennis player.
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:21)
Of course, everybody has their flaws. Mine was a serve. Service games were not easy for me.
Jackie Morreale (11:28)
Wow, the return. Interesting. Favorite tournament, anywhere in the world?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:32)
French Open.
Jackie Morreale (11:33)
French Open! Favorite player to watch? Man or woman.
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:36)
That's a tough one. I really loved Martina Hingis and Roger Federer.
Jackie Morreale (11:40)
Amazing players. Toughest opponent that you've ever faced?
Yulia Beygelzimer (11:44)
I had a couple of opponents that I had a really hard time playing. Usually, these were players who would put up a wall and put the ball back. They would play pretty deep. I had a hard time just staying patient and waiting for my chances. I tended to be over-aggressive sometimes and missed too much in this case.
Jackie Morreale (12:02)
Favorite city you've ever played in?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:03)
In Paris. There are a couple of tournaments I played there, and I always felt very well in Paris.
Jackie Morreale (12:08)
Favorite place in Ukraine to play?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:10)
I'm from Donetsk, so of course Donetsk is always going to be my favorite city and my favorite place. Half of my family is from Odessa and for me it's always been a special place, special people. Odessa is probably my second favorite place.
Jackie Morreale (12:23)
Morning practice or evening?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:25)
I'm a morning person.
Jackie Morreale (12:26)
Coach or player?
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:27)
That's a tough one.
I really love to coach. I love when I can make something work for the player and find the right words and they understand and they see the difference. I love this feeling.
But as a player, it's really cool, too. That feeling of competition, and when you're nervous, and then you win, it's really cool too. It's different. I cannot pick one.
Jackie Morreale (12:45)
One and all the same, it sounds.
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:47)
I really believe that if you get a chance to coach a little bit while you're playing, it helps you to play better.
Jackie Morreale (12:53)
Maybe it makes you a little more reflective, empathetic about what they're going through.
Yulia Beygelzimer (12:55)
Yeah. You put things into perspective, too.
Jackie Morreale (12:58)
If you weren't a tennis player or tennis coach, what would you be?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:02)
Doing something with business, probably. I studied international relations, and I really liked it, but I would end up going more towards something with business.
Jackie Morreale (13:10)
And now you're running a business.
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:12)
Yeah.
Jackie Morreale (13:12)
Favorite quote for life?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:13)
Things happen the way they are meant to be.
If something doesn't happen, it just didn't have to happen.
Maybe there is something else that would have been very bad for my family or me.
I try to live like this. I try to believe that everything that happens for the best.
Jackie Morreale (13:27)
Favorite book?
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:28)
It's called The Twelve Chairs. Anyone who listens to this podcast and speaks Russian would know for sure.
(Continued below)
Yulia Beygelzimer
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Yulia Beygelzimer
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(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (13:33)
I'm going to look for it. Let's talk more about ONE Academy. How long have you been running ONE Academy? Tell me more about the business.
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:41)
The Academy was founded in July 2020, in the middle of COVID.
There was a different academy here before. They had a change of management and asked my husband and me to come in and help them with the development. It's been six and a half years.
We were fortunate to have a lot of good people working with us.
Jackie Morreale (13:56)
I know recently you've partnered with COMOOON!, which is a specific approach to teaching tennis to very young children, as young as three years old.
Yulia Beygelzimer (14:03)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (14:04)
What attracted you to COMOOON!'s methodology as a coaching method? What about it makes it different?
Yulia Beygelzimer (14:11)
In general, teaching young kids is not easy. Any sport, not only tennis. Everybody's like, 'I teach pro players, I teach college players...' but teaching little kids is tough.
The first obligation of the coach working with the kids is to make sure they love the sport.
We're the ones who need to show them how cool, how fun it is. What I like about COMOOON! is that their whole methodology is around the sport being fun. It's very much crafted to the age and mentality of the kids.
They created these four cartoon characters, for each personality type, and they all react a little bit different. Even the exercises that they have in this course are done as a cartoon, as shown:
Jackie Morreale (13:33)
I'm going to look for it. Let's talk more about ONE Academy. How long have you been running ONE Academy? Tell me more about the business.
Yulia Beygelzimer (13:41)
The Academy was founded in July 2020, in the middle of COVID.
There was a different academy here before. They had a change of management and asked my husband and me to come in and help them with the development. It's been six and a half years.
We were fortunate to have a lot of good people working with us.
Jackie Morreale (13:56)
I know recently you've partnered with COMOOON!, which is a specific approach to teaching tennis to very young children, as young as three years old.
Yulia Beygelzimer (14:03)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (14:04)
What attracted you to COMOOON!'s methodology as a coaching method? What about it makes it different?
Yulia Beygelzimer (14:11)
In general, teaching young kids is not easy. Any sport, not only tennis. Everybody's like, 'I teach pro players, I teach college players...' but teaching little kids is tough.
The first obligation of the coach working with the kids is to make sure they love the sport.
We're the ones who need to show them how cool, how fun it is. What I like about COMOOON! is that their whole methodology is around the sport being fun. It's very much crafted to the age and mentality of the kids.
They created these four cartoon characters, for each personality type, and they all react a little bit different. Even the exercises that they have in this course are done as a cartoon, as shown:
COMOOON! Tennis coaching program cartoons
As a coach, you can open your device. I cannot say I love devices in the life of our children, as a mother, I prefer less of them. But I see these kids do react better when they can see something in a cartoon way.
I really like the things that they teach the coaches during the course.
They talk about how you organize the kids so that they don't stop, that they continue doing something. How do you make the practice efficient? How do you work with these ages versus these ages? They have a sports psychologist and a kid psychologist on the team.
It's a great course. For us as an academy, it gives coaches a ready program of exercises, and you always have the follow-up and support from the specialists. The practices become much more organized and structured.
Jackie Morreale (15:37)
You really have so much going on, this whole community, it's fostering so much learning and love for the sport. And your players are doing incredible things.
At what age would you say that you're able to start developing tennis players in terms of their coordination, confidence, movement, and love of the sport? Is it three, or is it seven? At what age should our kids think more seriously about tennis?
Yulia Beygelzimer (16:00)
When you send them at three, you send them so they can get ready to do any sport. Things that you're going to teach them when they are three, whether you come to tennis, basketball, or soccer, are going to be pretty much the same.
Of course, we are going to have more elements of tennis in it. For example, the coordination we're going to do with a tennis racket in their hand, we're going to use different types of balls to work on it. This COMOOON! methodology is called pre-tennis.
Anything that happens at three, four years old, it's 'pre-tennis'. Yes, they are going to have the racket. They are going to be around the balls. They may even be on a tennis court.
But you're going to work on everything else: coordination, reaction, ball recognition, ability to jump. Their speed.
Being able to listen.
Being able to overcome some difficulties because many of these things they cannot do right away.
This is why we start at three years old.
I'm always very straightforward with parents who come to us. I say, 'Please do not expect that your child is going to hit the ball within half a year.'
Some kids might, but some kids not. And it's not an indication that they won't be good at tennis.
All of them need more time in one area or another.
You just have to give them that time. In a year, if they decide to do a different sport, they're going to be ready for that sport. The foundation is laid the right way.
Jackie Morreale (17:14)
You're setting them up for so much success in life.
It sounds like a lot of these kids are on track to do really well in tennis, whether it's in high school, college, or even going pro. So, in terms of going pro, at what point does an aspiring professional need to start thinking about themselves not only as an athlete, but as a business?
Yulia Beygelzimer (17:35)
College tennis is blooming. It's not even about pro player seeing himself or herself like this. Any player, and their families, when the player is around fourteen or fifteen, needs to start thinking this way.
If the player is looking for a good scholarship in a school where they want to study, you need to invest a lot of resources, whether logistical or financial or both, to get to the certain level of the game and the ranking so that the college is going to want you to represent them. It is a business.
You have to invest and then get the results.
The next step is when they start making decisions about college.
If they're outside of the US, the college route is not such a straightforward route. They probably tend to go pro for the most part still.
But here, when you're seventeen, you need to commit to one college or another, or not to commit and take a decision to play pro. This is probably the next stage in their career, where they need to take it as a business and see what makes more sense.
How do they want to use their resources? What they can get out of one way or another.
(Continued below)
Yulia Beygelzimer and Terhemba Makurdi at One Tennis Academy
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ONE Tennis Academy facility in Boca Raton, Florida
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(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (18:37)
That's amazing, to start thinking about themselves not only as an athlete but as a business right when you're starting high school. That's a lot of pressure at a young age.
Yulia Beygelzimer (18:45)
I don't think it should be this way. It's more about how reality and the environment push the families, and the kids who play.
I do think that it's way too early for the kids to make these types of decisions.
It completely kills the element of love for the sport.
They all feel that what's happening now will influence their whole lives. I think it's way too early.
But the truth is, the amount of resources that currently goes into the kids' sport at this age to succeed is a lot. So, for the parents to be okay with not taking it seriously, it's impossible.
As a parent, I understand it.
Parents need to be a little bit more aware now and say, 'We don't want them to go to this particular core college if we have to sacrifice the mental health of my kids.'
I'm not saying it's for every child, don't get me wrong. I come from an environment where I was under pressure all the time.
I just don't think that all the kids produced by our society can stand that pressure.
Jackie Morreale (19:40)
Who can, even as adults, right?
Yulia Beygelzimer (19:42)
I agree. We need to do a better job of what's important and what's not.
Jackie Morreale (19:46)
Agree. Speaking of social media, NIL, and sponsorships in today's sports, which probably look very different than what you experienced, how would you raise an aspiring athlete differently today? Or would you raise an aspiring athlete differently today than how you were raised?
Yulia Beygelzimer (20:03)
I don't think I would raise them any differently. If anything, I actually hope we can continue raising them the same. In the society we live in now, we do so many things for our kids that we shouldn't.
Even the experience of taking public transport, looking at the schedule, seeing when the next bus is, and knowing how much money you need... It's already the experience they don't have.
Raising the successful athlete starts here.
Take that responsibility on an everyday basis. Little responsibilities that we used to take in our times, but they don't, they don't get a chance, will help them to stand all the pressure. They will not rely on us every step of their career.
They're going to be more independent. They're going to think a little bit differently.
Jackie Morreale (20:46)
Because they were taking responsibility for their own actions.
Yulia Beygelzimer (20:48)
Exactly. This is the basis for raising successful athletes. I wouldn't do anything different.
Jackie Morreale (20:53)
The basis for raising the successful next generation! It's so hard not to be a helicopter parent. We just love them so much.
Yulia Beygelzimer (21:00)
It's very hard. We need to let them fail.
I find it very hard myself, too. I kind of push myself to learn how to do it. For work, I go to Europe for different tournaments. Every time I get back to that environment, I feel like: I need to bring my kids here more. It just changes them.
We're very fortunate to have a lot of opportunities in this country. We just need to remember that there is a reason why European sport is also very successful.
If we get an opportunity to take the best of both worlds, we probably should, if it's possible.
Jackie Morreale (21:33)
Absolutely right. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start playing tennis or who wants their kid to start playing tennis? Is there any simple way to break in?
Yulia Beygelzimer (21:42)
Make sure you enjoy every step you take. Some steps are going to be easier than others, you're going to fall, you're going to fail, you're going to lose, and the child is going to be upset and cry and everything. But you need to see it as a long road and enjoy every step.
It's a cool journey. You find out a lot about yourself, about your child. You're going to do it together, and you're going to be there for them.
Jackie Morreale (22:04)
Advice for anyone who already plays tennis, but wants to level up?
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:07)
Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to fall again. You're not getting better at anything in life - it can be business, tennis, anything - without being uncomfortable. You only progress in new things when you fall, and you learn.
Jackie Morreale (22:22)
Such good advice for tennis and for anything. I'm going to remind myself of that next time that I feel uncomfortable! This is part of my growth process.
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:27)
Me too! Easier said than done, right?
Jackie Morreale (22:33)
Shout-outs to anyone who's helped you along the way?
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:36)
Probably would be a very long list of people. My parents, for sure. They gave me an amazing foundation, and the sense of humor that I think helps me in difficult moments.
My husband. We're very different, completely opposite. A lot of things that he does, I learn from him, because I just don't have it in my personality. Even though I hate it in the moment, I still learn a lot. Thank you to him for showing me things that I need to do better.
Jackie Morreale (23:00)
That's like a love letter. That's so sweet.
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:03)
Then I would like to say thank you to my partners who support me. To Victor, to Patricia, to Fabio. These are the three partners at the academy. They trusted me with this project six and a half years ago. They've always been holding my back through good and bad. I didn't have any experience managing any facilities when I came in. I had other good things that I could do, but not this. I'm still learning, of course, throughout the process.
For the business owners, it's a risk when you take someone without experience. I really appreciate them giving me this opportunity.
Jackie Morreale (23:33)
I don't think you could have picked a different partner to take ONE Academy to the level that it's at. You understand the unique pressures that only a former player can, and the advice that you give on and off the court is timeless.
Thank you so much for sharing it with me today!
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:50)
Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (23:51)
What is next for you, Yulia Beygelzimer?
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:54)
I have a lot of projects, and projects for little kids, because I really like this area, and I believe that you can give them a lot.
I started doing my own tennis journals for different ages of the kids, from three years old all the way to the pros. These are things that can help them analyze better what they do.
I started writing kids' books; I have six kids' books. Coming out, hopefully, pretty soon.
Jackie Morreale (24:16)
Congrats! Tennis-related kids' books?
Yulia Beygelzimer (24:19)
Yes. For little kids. I like to be able to give back to players.
Jackie Morreale (24:24)
Thank you so much for your time today, Yulia. I'm a little wiser because I talked to you! Thank you. Keep up the great work.
To learn more about Yulia Beygelzimer and ONE Tennis Academy, visit: onetennisacademy.com
To learn more about COMOOON! Tennis Coach Training, visit: comooon.net
Jackie Morreale (18:37)
That's amazing, to start thinking about themselves not only as an athlete but as a business right when you're starting high school. That's a lot of pressure at a young age.
Yulia Beygelzimer (18:45)
I don't think it should be this way. It's more about how reality and the environment push the families, and the kids who play.
I do think that it's way too early for the kids to make these types of decisions.
It completely kills the element of love for the sport.
They all feel that what's happening now will influence their whole lives. I think it's way too early.
But the truth is, the amount of resources that currently goes into the kids' sport at this age to succeed is a lot. So, for the parents to be okay with not taking it seriously, it's impossible.
As a parent, I understand it.
Parents need to be a little bit more aware now and say, 'We don't want them to go to this particular core college if we have to sacrifice the mental health of my kids.'
I'm not saying it's for every child, don't get me wrong. I come from an environment where I was under pressure all the time.
I just don't think that all the kids produced by our society can stand that pressure.
Jackie Morreale (19:40)
Who can, even as adults, right?
Yulia Beygelzimer (19:42)
I agree. We need to do a better job of what's important and what's not.
Jackie Morreale (19:46)
Agree. Speaking of social media, NIL, and sponsorships in today's sports, which probably look very different than what you experienced, how would you raise an aspiring athlete differently today? Or would you raise an aspiring athlete differently today than how you were raised?
Yulia Beygelzimer (20:03)
I don't think I would raise them any differently. If anything, I actually hope we can continue raising them the same. In the society we live in now, we do so many things for our kids that we shouldn't.
Even the experience of taking public transport, looking at the schedule, seeing when the next bus is, and knowing how much money you need... It's already the experience they don't have.
Raising the successful athlete starts here.
Take that responsibility on an everyday basis. Little responsibilities that we used to take in our times, but they don't, they don't get a chance, will help them to stand all the pressure. They will not rely on us every step of their career.
They're going to be more independent. They're going to think a little bit differently.
Jackie Morreale (20:46)
Because they were taking responsibility for their own actions.
Yulia Beygelzimer (20:48)
Exactly. This is the basis for raising successful athletes. I wouldn't do anything different.
Jackie Morreale (20:53)
The basis for raising the successful next generation! It's so hard not to be a helicopter parent. We just love them so much.
Yulia Beygelzimer (21:00)
It's very hard. We need to let them fail.
I find it very hard myself, too. I kind of push myself to learn how to do it. For work, I go to Europe for different tournaments. Every time I get back to that environment, I feel like: I need to bring my kids here more. It just changes them.
We're very fortunate to have a lot of opportunities in this country. We just need to remember that there is a reason why European sport is also very successful.
If we get an opportunity to take the best of both worlds, we probably should, if it's possible.
Jackie Morreale (21:33)
Absolutely right. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start playing tennis or who wants their kid to start playing tennis? Is there any simple way to break in?
Yulia Beygelzimer (21:42)
Make sure you enjoy every step you take. Some steps are going to be easier than others, you're going to fall, you're going to fail, you're going to lose, and the child is going to be upset and cry and everything. But you need to see it as a long road and enjoy every step.
It's a cool journey. You find out a lot about yourself, about your child. You're going to do it together, and you're going to be there for them.
Jackie Morreale (22:04)
Advice for anyone who already plays tennis, but wants to level up?
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:07)
Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to fall again. You're not getting better at anything in life - it can be business, tennis, anything - without being uncomfortable. You only progress in new things when you fall, and you learn.
Jackie Morreale (22:22)
Such good advice for tennis and for anything. I'm going to remind myself of that next time that I feel uncomfortable! This is part of my growth process.
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:27)
Me too! Easier said than done, right?
Jackie Morreale (22:33)
Shout-outs to anyone who's helped you along the way?
Yulia Beygelzimer (22:36)
Probably would be a very long list of people. My parents, for sure. They gave me an amazing foundation, and the sense of humor that I think helps me in difficult moments.
My husband. We're very different, completely opposite. A lot of things that he does, I learn from him, because I just don't have it in my personality. Even though I hate it in the moment, I still learn a lot. Thank you to him for showing me things that I need to do better.
Jackie Morreale (23:00)
That's like a love letter. That's so sweet.
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:03)
Then I would like to say thank you to my partners who support me. To Victor, to Patricia, to Fabio. These are the three partners at the academy. They trusted me with this project six and a half years ago. They've always been holding my back through good and bad. I didn't have any experience managing any facilities when I came in. I had other good things that I could do, but not this. I'm still learning, of course, throughout the process.
For the business owners, it's a risk when you take someone without experience. I really appreciate them giving me this opportunity.
Jackie Morreale (23:33)
I don't think you could have picked a different partner to take ONE Academy to the level that it's at. You understand the unique pressures that only a former player can, and the advice that you give on and off the court is timeless.
Thank you so much for sharing it with me today!
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:50)
Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (23:51)
What is next for you, Yulia Beygelzimer?
Yulia Beygelzimer (23:54)
I have a lot of projects, and projects for little kids, because I really like this area, and I believe that you can give them a lot.
I started doing my own tennis journals for different ages of the kids, from three years old all the way to the pros. These are things that can help them analyze better what they do.
I started writing kids' books; I have six kids' books. Coming out, hopefully, pretty soon.
Jackie Morreale (24:16)
Congrats! Tennis-related kids' books?
Yulia Beygelzimer (24:19)
Yes. For little kids. I like to be able to give back to players.
Jackie Morreale (24:24)
Thank you so much for your time today, Yulia. I'm a little wiser because I talked to you! Thank you. Keep up the great work.
To learn more about Yulia Beygelzimer and ONE Tennis Academy, visit: onetennisacademy.com
To learn more about COMOOON! Tennis Coach Training, visit: comooon.net
Yulia Beygelzimer
Continued reading, recommended by Yulia Beygelzimer:
The Twelve Chairs: Dvenadtsat' Stul'ev (Russian Edition). By Il'ya Il'f (Author), Yevgeniy Petrov (Author).
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The Twelve Chairs (English Version). By Yevgeni Petrov (Author), Yevgeni Petrov Petrov (Author).
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