Program Director
Neville Godwin
Coaching Career Highlights: Neville has worked with several ATP tour professionals:  Kevin Anderson: Coached the South African player to a world top 10 ranking and a US Open final appearance in 2017. Anderson’s success under Godwin’s guidance earned Neville the ATP Coach of the Year award in 2017. Hyeon Chung: Coached the South Korean player to the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2018, making Chung the first player from South Korea to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. Reilly Opelka: Worked with the American player, contributing to his development and success on the ATP Tour. Alexei Popyrin. Alongside Xavier Malisse, Neville has been instrumental in Alexi’s development and success, including winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal in 2024 Coaching Expertise ​​ Neville has developed key strengths and competencies in training the following aspects of the game ​Match play strategies that enhance competitive performance and decision-making on court. Emphasis on footwork techniques to improve agility, balance, and overall movement during play. Focus on stroke mechanics to develop consistency and accuracy in every shot. Training in mental toughness to build resilience and maintain focus under pressure during matches. ​ ​ Coaching Philosophy Neville emphasizes a holistic approach to coaching, focusing on technical skills, tactical awareness, physical conditioning, and mental toughness. He believes in tailoring training programs to the individual needs of each player, ensuring they reach their full potential both on and off the court.
Head Coach
Ross Nemeth
Coaching Career Highlights With over 30 years of coaching experience, Ross Nemeth has made a significant impact in the world of tennis. He has worked with numerous national junior champions in both singles and doubles and has successfully coached top ITF junior players. Notably, he guided a player from the age of 13 to winning the U18 Junior National Championship and competing in the Junior French Open, culminating in a full scholarship at a top 10 Division 1 college in the USA. Ross has a proven track record of helping players secure college tennis scholarships in the United States. International Experience Ross has travelled extensively, including visits to the Dutch National Tennis Training Facility and participation in prestigious junior ITF tournaments such as the Junior Fed Cup in Barcelona, the Astrid Bowl in Belgium, and the Junior French Open. Coaching Expertise Ross brings a comprehensive approach to player development, focusing on: Technical development: Enhancing stroke mechanics and footwork. Tactical training: Developing game strategies and conducting match play analysis. Physical conditioning: Fostering strength, agility, and endurance. Mental toughness: Building resilience and confidence on the court. Coaching Philosophy Ross emphasises the importance of developing well-rounded players. He believes in nurturing technical skills, tactical awareness, physical conditioning, and mental toughness to prepare athletes for success both on and off the court
Professional Coach
Allon Rock
Coaching Career Highlights Allon attended Washington College in 1990 where he developed the love of coaching at summer camps at the College. Allon has worked and run extremely successful tennis programs at various schools in and around Johannesburg. Even though he has almost 34 years coaching experience, he has played the game for 47 years and has developed players on the principles of, firstly love for the game. Developing a holistic approach to coaching students from beginner level and taking them as far as they would like to go. He has coached students from beginner level and even though not seen them through all the stages, they have gone on to get tennis scholarships in the States. He has a nurturing approach to coaching and enjoys working with beginners to give them all the technical tools necessary to see them progress up the different levels. He works on all aspects of the game, including stroke production, footwork and the mental side of tennis, which of course is vital. He also has a passion for training in general and runs successful cardio, boot camp classes which enhances fitness and stamina for every day play. His retention of students is testament to the way he deals with people and believes in building life long relationships.
Head: Strength & Conditioning
Taren Naidoo
Taren Naidoo has extensive experience in the field of sport science, which makes her an invaluable asset to the team. Her contribution extends past acedia and has worked with the Indian national hockey team using advance scientific analytics and diagnostics tools to enhance player performance. Besides the work she is doing at Next Point Tennis, Taren also lectures at WITS. She currently holds the position of Associate Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Department of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. ​ Educational Background: Master’s Degree in Sports Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Professional Experience: Lead Scientist for the Indian Hockey Team2. Sport Scientist for the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Women’s Hockey Team (2012-2020) and Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams (2017-2020)2. National Representation: Worked with the South African U21 Hockey Team and the South African Women’s Senior Hockey Team. ​ Achievements: Published research on elevated salivary C-reactive protein and its prediction by low cardio-respiratory fitness and being overweight in African children. Contributed to the success of UJ sports teams, including gold medals in Varsity Sport and USSA competitions.