Our Coaches
We have assembled some of the most talented, personable and engaging racquet sports professionals in NYC. Our coaches share a passion to work closely with players of all levels and ages to help them develop to their fullest potential. We are very proud of our professional team and welcome you to read the brief biographies below.
Chris DeStefano
Born and raised in New York City, Chris was a top ranked player in the nation throughout his junior career. He played Division I tennis for Penn State University and achieved one of the highest winning percentages in the team’s history. Upon graduating, he delved into the coaching aspect of the game and began working with numerous nationally and sectionally ranked players. Many of these players went on to play high level college tennis. Chris, along with his partner Balazs (Baloo) Turcsik, formed Citi Stars Tennis, a boutique program catering to all levels of tennis which they successfully ran for seventeen years. Chris looks forward to bringing his expertise and passion for teaching as a Co-Director of Junior Programs.
Balazs Turcsik (“Baloo”)
Baloo came from Budapest, Hungary to the USA in 2003. As a junior player, he achieved a national ranking of #5 in Hungary and was a semifinalist in the National Championship and was selected as a national coach in Hungary. Baloo is a USPTR professional certified coach and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in sports marketing and management. He has coached players in all Grand Slams, ITF, ATP and WTA tournaments. At the boutique CitiStars tennis program, which he founded along with Chris DeStefano, Baloo coached many top national and sectional players. He has helped top 50 ATP players besides helping juniors in the USA and Hungary to reach their dreams on and off the court. He is excited to join the our team as a Co-Director of the Junior Program.
Andy Stuber
Andy is our Tennis Director of Adult Programs. Originally from Basel, Switzerland, he grew up playing on European red clay courts. Andy brings a tremendous work ethic and passion to organizing lessons and programs. Andy has been known to use his outstanding, European work ethic and organizational talents to teach and inspire our juniors and adults. Andy is comfortable teaching all levels of players. It’s no surprise that Andy gets his inspiration from another Basel, Switzerland resident… Roger Federer.
Fabio Minami
Originally from São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Fabio was a top #50 nationally ranked junior and won multiple national tournaments in singles and doubles. He was a four-year letterman for Queens College, graduating with a degree in Economics. Fabio had a decorated playing career at Queens College, achieving the team’s Most Valuable Player Award, Rookie of the Year Award for the East Coast Conference, Player to Watch designation for the Eastern Region, and First and Second Team All-Conference Awards. After his playing career, Fabio enjoyed a highly successful tenure as the Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach for his alma mater, leading the team to victory in several conference and regional championships. For his coaching efforts, Fabio was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the ITA in 2019.
Kane Olsen
Kane, originally from Rotorua, New Zealand, started playing tennis at the age of 9. Consistently ranked inside the top 10 nationally in the juniors, Kane also played several Futures events both in New Zealand & Australia before moving to the U.S to attend Bethany College in Kansas City. At Bethany College, he played #1 singles and #1 doubles and helped his team win the conference each year and qualify for the NAIA National tournament. Kane graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors degree in Sports Management. Kane enjoys teaching all ages and levels emphasizing basic technique and fundamentals often using lots of live ball drills. He has coached at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, FL for a few years before joining our coaching team. Kane looks up to Roger Federer for his style of play and Andre Agassi for his return game.
Wilson Johnson
Wilson was born in the Dominican Republic and began his Tennis Professional career at Casa de Campo D.R. He played on the Junior Davis Cup representing his country from 2000-2003. Wilson brings lots of energy and technicality into his coaching. Wilson is well-liked amongst kids and adults. His idol is Roger Federer because of his “flawless” game.
Luis De La Cruz
Luis hails from La Aronana, Dominican Republic. An accomplished player and teacher alike, Luis uses his fun, enthusiastic personality to engage his students on the court. Luis has loyal followings in both our junior and adult programs. Luis teaches a methodical, well-organized lesson with a careful balance of instruction and game based drilling. These attributes give Luis the adaptability to work with all levels, from munchkin to tournament players. As a young player in the Dominican Republic, Luis looked up to and emulated the classic serve and volley game of Stefan Edberg.
Pedro Avila
Pedro was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He started as a ball boy at the renowned Casa De Campo “La Terraza de Tennis”. He started competing at the age of 11 and has many years of successful training and competition experience playing International Junior Tournaments. Since moving to the US, he has taught tennis at the Brant Lake Camp in Upstate New York, Midtown Tennis in Manhattan and other NYC tennis clubs. Since the Summer of 2021, Pedro joined our team here. His teaching style is very energetic and positive. Everyone that meets Pedro is struck by his friendly personality. Pete Sampras used to be Pedro’s big inspiration.
Alec Shaw
Alec is a native New Yorker who grew up in Manhattan. He started playing tennis at the age of 10. He was a strong tournament level player as a junior and played at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Alec’s teaching style focuses highly on attention to technical details. On the court, Alec engages himself in a dynamic way combining feeding drills, live play and strategy so that students not only develop fundamental skills, but also to use tactical and strategic thinking in constructing points. Alec is great with all ages and skill levels. He admires Roger Federer for his nearly perfect technique, longevity and his ability to hold the entire match on his own racket.
Gabriel Balestero
Gabriel, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, joins our coaching staff after a celebrated college and junior playing career. He achieved an ITF junior world ranking of 900 and was Brazilian national champion in the 18s. Gabe played collegiately at Adelphi University, serving as team captain while playing number 1 singles and doubles. He earned a full academic scholarship and was named to the Dean’s List every year at Adelphi. Gabe spent summers teaching at various clubs throughout the Northeast and most recently held the position of Assistant Tennis Director at Fresh Meadows Country Club in Lake Success, NY. Gabriel’s leadership qualities and energetic teaching style make him a perfect fit for our coaching team!
Lucas Rodrigues
Lucas Rodrigues, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, attended Limestone University on a tennis scholarship. Lucas was the quintessential student/athlete at Limestone, serving as team captain and graduating with a 3.5 GPA and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Programming. While in college Lucas spent his summers developing his tennis teaching skills. He worked as a coach at various sleep away tennis camps and served as the Assistant Tennis Director at Tamarack Country Club in Connecticut.
“Dobby” Rongrong Leenabanchong
Originally from Bangkok,Thailand, Dobby started playing tennis at the age of 6. A former #1 ranked Junior player in Thailand in the 18-and-under division, she received a scholarship for Division I tennis at the University of Tulsa where she was a standout singles and doubles player. Tennis to Dobby is a mirror of life whereby discipline, resilience, and presence are what create champions on and off the court. Her coaching philosophy combines technical precision with mindfulness. She focuses on helping players build awareness, confidence, and consistency, while staying composed and thinking strategically during play. Not surprisingly, Dobby is a certified yoga teacher. She recently received an MBA in Finance Media Management from Fordham University. Her favorite tennis player is Novak Djokovic.
Andre Zamorano
Originally from Sonora, Mexico, Andre is a left-handed coach who achieved a national ranking of #7 in Mexico and won multiple national titles throughout his junior career. He competed for Limestone University with a tennis scholarship where he competed at #1 and #2 in singles and doubles and earned First Team All-Conference (SAC) honors four straight years. Influenced by his tennis idol Rafael Nadal, Andre brings high-energy, strong fundamentals, and a competitive mindset to his coaching style. He has worked as a private coach in California; helped build summer academies in Mexico and Phoenix; and has coached at Gotham Montauk in the Hamptons during previous summers, inspiring players of all ages to love and elevate their games.
Tatiana Grigoryan
Born in Moscow, Tatiana started playing tennis at the age of 9. She has experience playing ITF and WTA professional tournaments. Tatiana played Division I tennis at the University of Portland and Fordham University. She earned a school counseling Master’s Degree at NYU. She enjoys working with players of all ages and skill levels. Her favorite tennis player is Roger Federer because of his class on and off the court.
Rachel Aaron
Rachel is an Atlanta, GA native. She attended Limestone College in Gaffney, SC where she played #1 singles and doubles all 4 years. She earned All- Conference teams all 4 years in the Carolina-Virginia conference and was an MVP freshman through her senior year. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in Fitness and Wellness. Rachel is a PTR certified professional since 2004. She enjoys working with individuals of all ages and skill level. She looks forward to seeing everyone out on the courts!
Julio Alarcon
Originally from Peru, Julio is a passionate athlete and sports enthusiast. His interest in tennis grew from his deep fascination with biomechanics and performance training. He has completed multiple specialized courses under renowned instructor Federico Palermo, focusing on movement efficiency and the science behind high-level tennis. Julio combines his background in sports science with his enthusiasm for tennis to create a positive, motivating learning environment. Outside of tennis, he has competed in swimming and rowing for Club Regatas Lima, one of Peru’s most prestigious athletic institutions. Julio holds a degree in Nutrition and Musculation (Spain) and is a licensed Commercial Pilot in both Peru and the United States. Julio’s favorite players are Rafa Nadal and Andre Agassi, who he admires for their intensity and creativity.
Matt Aaron
Matt was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens and Long Island. He started tennis at the age of 12. Matt played Division 1 Tennis at Lafayette College. On the court, Matt makes sure that every player follows proper technique to prevent any injuries that could be caused by incorrect form. His favorite tennis player is Diego Schwartzman because he can relate to him and it shows that it doesn’t matter what size you are! Matt works closely with our Directors of Tennis overseeing the weekend junior program.
Love Moore
Love is a native New Yorker born and raised in Harlem. She started playing tennis as a teenager finding joy hitting at her local tennis wall. With the help of her mom and support from Gotham Stadium, Love dedicated herself to rigorous training and improving her competitive tennis skills. After dramatically improving her game and playing competitively in USTA tournaments, she channelled her love of tennis into coaching children in her local community and elementary schools. As a coach, Love became PTR certified and safe play approved and recently added a “head in the game, mental health betterment” course. Love’s teaching style emphasizes the importance of technique, strategy, consistency and bringing a positive attitude to learning and training. She admires Roger Federer’s game and philosophy.
Sarah Anvery
Our Pickleball Director Sarah grew up in Rockland County, NY. She is a passionate pickleball coach and high-level player with a deep love for the game. Sarah combines precision, power, and strategy to help players of all levels improve. Her goal is to inspire others to embrace the fun and fitness of pickleball. Outside of playing and coaching, she has demonstrated organizational prowess and creativity in managing pickleball tournaments. Off the court, Sarah is a practicing orthodontist.