INTENNSE Rounds Out 2026 Head Coaching Staff in Advance of March 13 Draft
INTENNSE Tennis
5 MINS | Published on 01/15/26
ATLANTA, GA -- January 22, 2026 - INTENNSE today announced the hiring of its final group of head coaches as the league continues to build toward its second season and the March 13 player draft.
The league recently announced the hirings of Marcelo Ferreira, Tim Siegel, Amy O’Connell, Jim Harp, Torrey Hawkins, Sofia Rachi as head coaches.
As with the initial announcement, this coaching wave further strengthens INTENNSE’s commitment to elite player development and world-class competition.
The newest additions to the INTENNSE coaching roster—Claudio Pistolesi, Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg, Marcos Ondruska, Simon Pritchard, and Willy Campos—bring decades of experience across the ATP and WTA tours, NCAA programs, and high-performance academies. Their experience leading teams and creating high-performance training environments aligns directly with INTENNSE’s mission to deliver a fast-paced, team-based format.
“Each of these coaches has lived the high-performance tennis journey—either as tour professionals, national-team leaders, or collegiate standouts—and they understand how to translate that experience into daily development for our athletes,” said INTENNSE Commissioner Barry Fulcher. “Their collective expertise raises the bar for our league, our teams, and the opportunities we can provide to players in year two and beyond.”
With INTENNSE expanding its footprint and deepening its coaching bench, the league is positioned to deliver an even more competitive and development-driven product in 2026. The league is preparing for its first-ever draft at RacquetX on March 13. The application process for the draft remains open, with submissions due by January 31, 2026.
Coach Bios
Claudio Pistolesi
Claudio Pistolesi returns to INTENNSE this season after leading Team Jacksonville to a 4-4 record in the league’s inaugural campaign, bringing back a trusted coaching voice with a global reputation for elite player development. Pistolesi is a former ITF World Junior Champion and top-100 ATP singles player who later became one of the tour’s most respected coaches, working with top professionals including former world No. 4 Robin Söderling, former WTA world No. 1 Monica Seles, and multiple ATP and WTA standouts.
Across more than 25 years on the professional circuit, Pistolesi has coached and consulted for players and federations around the world while serving on key ATP committees, including the ATP Coach Committee and ATP Alumni Committee. He is widely regarded for his holistic, high-performance approach that blends technical precision, tactical sophistication, and a strong emphasis on mental resilience.
Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg
Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg is a former professional player and current Division I head coach whose career reflects success at every level of the sport. A standout at the University of Tennessee, she helped lead the Lady Vols to deep NCAA runs before turning pro, where she reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 157 in the world and captured multiple ITF doubles titles.
Pluskota-Hamberg currently serves as head women’s tennis coach at Gonzaga University, where she has guided athletes to all-conference honors and national recognition while building a culture rooted in accountability, toughness, and team cohesion. Her background also includes assistant coaching roles at Arkansas, plus experience as a teaching professional at premier clubs.
Marcos Ondruska
Marcos Ondruska brings a rare combination of top-tier playing and coaching credentials to INTENNSE. A former ATP professional from South Africa, he reached the top 30 in the world in singles and represented his country at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he recorded a memorable victory over Goran Ivanišević.
Following his playing career, Ondruska served as Davis Cup Captain for South Africa, leading his national team and working closely with many of the country’s top professionals. He has also directed high-performance programs at renowned training centers, including Van der Meer Tennis Academy and Redmond Tennis Club, where he oversaw player pathways from promising juniors through the professional ranks. He currently works as Master Tennis Professional at The Manor Golf and Country Club in Milton, GA.
Simon Pritchard
Simon Pritchard is an experienced high-performance coach known for focusing on developing current college players and players that have graduated college and are aspiring pros.
He has spent years leading academy-style training environments, designing daily training blocks and competition schedules that mirror the demands of college and professional tennis.
Pritchard’s coaching philosophy emphasizes fundamentals, physical preparation, and smart match play, helping players translate practice standards into consistent competitive performances.
He currently serves as the Associate Head coach of Kennesaw State University where he coached the 2022 season when the Owls men set the school record for most wins in a season (15), road wins (8) and conference wins (7). Pritchard was a standout student-athlete at Kennesaw State from 2013-2017. While at KSU, he was a four-year team captain and currently holds the program record for wins in doubles and is second in career singles wins.
Willy Campos
Willy Campos joins INTENNSE as the head coach of the league’s Challenge Team, a critical platform for emerging players seeking to break into or advance within the professional environment.
Campos served as Captain of Venezuela’s Davis Cup team from 2010 to 2014, and returned to that role again in 2023, guiding the country’s men’s national team in international competition. He has also been Captain of Venezuela’s Billie Jean King Cup, leading the women’s national team in regional and world cup play for multiple years. He has been a central figure as Venezuela’s national tennis team captain across Olympic-cycle events, including Pan American, Central American and South American regional competitions.
He has built a reputation as a technical specialist and developmental coach, working extensively with juniors and young pros to refine stroke mechanics, movement patterns, and competitive habits that play under pressure.
Through roles at high-performance academies and training centers, Campos has guided players as they transition from regional and national events into higher-level circuits, emphasizing fitness, discipline, and tactical clarity. Campos currently serves as Director of High Performance at Universal Tennis Academy in Georgia.
The application process for the draft remains open, with submissions due by January 31, 2026.
To apply as a player, visit Register to Play.
INTENNSE’s second season will run from June 1 through Championship Weekend, August 2, 2026.
Season ticket deposits for 2026 are now being accepted: INTENNSE Tickets.
For more information or to register, visit: www.intennse.com
