Junior Player Spotlight: Leo Carmo, Ross School Tennis Academy
Growing up in the middle of a tennis academy, Leo Carmo’s life has always revolved around the sport. Ever since he can remember, he was walking around on the clay courts of the Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) while his father, Vinicius, the academy’s Director of Tennis, orchestrated and operated its programming.
“I’ve been playing tennis ever since I could walk,” said Leo Carmo. “My dad always had me holding a racquet while walking around, and even from an early age he was putting me through hand-eye coordination drills. Being out there practically every day, I’ve watched him work with so many players over the years, and Ross has always felt like a second home to me.”
And so from an early age, Carmo fell in love with tennis. While he would play soccer for a few years growing up, as well as leaning into his Brazilian roots and doing jujitsu training, tennis was always number one in his heart. While growing up in and around Ross School Tennis Academy, with your father as its director, could lead to a burnout from the sport, that has not been the case for Leo, who credits that to the dynamic relationship he has with his father.
“He has been super inspirational to me and has always been there,” he said. “He doesn’t put too much pressure on me, he’s not a typical tennis parent who is always pressuring you or telling you to do things a certain way. He understands tennis and what it takes, so that’s helpful, but we do a good job of separating coach and father.”
Vinicius added:
“I think it’s harder for me than it is for him. I have to be his father and his coach, so when we are on court I tell him what to do, and then when we get home I do the same thing, so it’s important to find that balance. But I’m lucky that he is such a mature kid for his age, and the fact that he has been here since he was young watching me coach, and running the programs makes him in tune with what should be happening on the courts.”
Carmo has a big serve and effective forehand, and his main focus now in his training is improving his match play and gaining more experience in matches. He wants to continue getting better at point construction and understanding how to properly use his weapons during matches.
Helping him to achieve that goal are the talented coaches at RSTA, many of whom are former professional players or currently compete collegiately, and from all different backgrounds. RSTA has a very international feel and that is evident with its plethora of coaches and instructors which helps foster a well-rounded approach to teaching tennis.
“I’ve been through the whole pathway here, from red dot and green dot to orange ball. This is my second home,” said Carmo. “The coaches are great and amazing people, and it’s great to be able to learn from a mix of coaches who come from different backgrounds. Some coaches who are good players don’t always know how to interact and connect with their players, but the coaches here are not like that at all. They make everyone feel comfortable and welcoming, which helps us have fun while training but still taking it seriously.”
The RSTA provides not only tennis instruction but also top-tier fitness and dietary training to all of its players. Those services and amenities aren’t reserved just for the elite players in the Academy, but are available to the players in all the programs, as well as the kids from local schools in the Hamptons who often come to RSTA to play.
“This is part of the full Ross School Academy experience, it’s well-rounded and we offer it to everyone,” said Vinicius. “We have a sports psychologist here, we help teach them how to eat, proper breathing when on court and everything it takes. This is not just the Tennis Center’s mentality, but it’s the Ross School mentality.”
All of that has helped Leo Carmo become one of the top players in the RSTA, and this past spring he helped the Ross School varsity high school team capture the Suffolk County Small School title and advance to the Long Island Championship. Having been used to competing individually throughout most of his tennis career, Carmo embraced being part of the team and was a key factor in his team’s success.
“It was an amazing season. From the young guys like myself through the older guys, we all got along super well and were great friends,” said Carmo. “It felt nice to be a part of a team. I play all of these tournaments and it can be lonely sometimes, so to have the team support and hear people cheering for you was a cool experience. I’m excited to try and do better next season and hopefully go to the State Championships.”
The younger Carmo has goals of one day playing college tennis, citing his love of the team experience he felt competing in high school tennis, and then hopefully be able to turn professional sometime after that. But for now, he will continue to put in the work and use all of the resources he has access to at the RSTA to improve his game.
For Vinicius Carmo, his objective with Leo is the same as it is for all the kids he teaches:
“My goal for him, and all the players here, is first and foremost be the best they can be,” he said. “That’s the ultimate goal, and it means something different to each person. Tennis can teach us so much about ourselves, how to deal with adversity and how to handle struggles, things like that. If I can pass those sorts of lessons onto my son and he can take that away from me, then we did something right.”
