He was born on May 26, 1957. He graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education in Belgrade, founded the first Children’s Sports School in Serbia, worked for 30 years at the Athletic Club „Partizan“ and was a member of the professional council of the Athletic Federation of Belgrade, as well as a federal coach at the Athletic Federation of Serbia. In the meantime, he started cooperating with the Tennis Club „Partizan“, after which he started working with numerous other tennis schools that raised many famous domestic tennis players. For a short time, he even coached young Novak Djokovic.
During his rich career, he has collaborated with more than 200 tennis players, including Marko Miladinovic, former second junior in the world, Bojana Jovanovski, who was 31st on the WTA list and a member of the expert team in the Fed Cup finals in Prague along with Slobodan, Miki Jankovic, winner of the World Cup in Düsseldorf, Goran Mihajlovic, former tennis champion of Yugoslavia, Goran Tosic, winner of several tennis tournaments, as well as athletes, such as former European champion Slobodan Branković…
A special place in his career is occupied by the collaboration with Marko Miladinovic, whom he coached from his childhood:
„It is really rare for to work with someone continuously from the age of nine to 20, especially since he has made such a success. In addition to being the second junior in the world, I can boast that he never had an injury, that his training process was never stopped by some treatment. That is one part that I could perhaps attribute to myself, that his upbringing and his development were harmonious“.
Other tennis players he coached did not have any injuries or other health consequences as well. Slobodan is known for his caution in training, he never forces tennis players beyond their capabilities, even though tennis makes them push their limits. He treats the children in „Match’n play“ tennis school in the same way – he checks their physical status and basic abilities before giving any exercises.
„The position of the feet, knees, hips, spine is looked at… This detection leads to a condition, whether it is good or not. Then a test of basic movements is done, stability and mobility are checked. For example, there is a squat on the whole foot. Many athletes cannot do that, and that tells you about the harmonious development and good flexibility of certain muscle groups. On each of these tests, you can see if the joints are functioning, if some are weaker and so on“, Slobodan explains.
Based on that review, Slobodan compiles an exercise program unique to our tennis school, the so-called corrective training aimed at correcting irregularities. With the exercises he sets, he corrects all the previous and possible discrepancies in the development of young tennis players, which is especially important, because tennis is an asymmetric sport.
„If you do everything with your right hand, you get an asymmetrical body, from scoliotic postures to winged shoulder blades, so problems with growing up. Forty, 50 years ago, young people grew up playing differently, they had various movements. Parents bring their children to tennis today, and they don’t even know how to stand, run and move well. That is the problem. It’s good that there is someone in our club who can pay attention to that, notice those deformities and make suggestions on how to do exercises both in the club and at home“, says Slobodan.
After corrective action, he creates a general action program, during which children do exercises such as crawling, running and rolling forward, and then he assigns exercises specific to tennis, various movement structures, such as stepping, adjusting and catching the ball.
„The first task is to ensure proper growth and development. The next thing is that this harmony is in accordance with the requirements of the tennis game. Coordination in tennis is one of the most difficult ones, because you have to adapt the eye to the movement of the ball, the signal has to go from the center to the feet, you have to approach the ball, adjust yourself and only then perform a hand movement, that fine coordination, and you also have to stop with good balance. The matter is very complex“, Slobodan points out.
Due to the comprehensive approach that our coaches have built over the years, which you will certainly not find in most tennis clubs, in „Match’n play“ tennis school proper psychophysical and social development of your child is guaranteed, as well as their mastery of tennis.
„Children are different. Some are unenergetic and some are hyperactive. My experience can handle everyone and create a balance“, Slobodan concludes.
