From Togo to Tennis: Coaches Agnamba and Akli raise champions in College Park

Fast-rising American Robin Montgomery, and new coach Denis Kudla, credit their experiences at the Junior Tennis Champions Center.

© HD Photography 2023

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland—Where do high-performance tennis coaches come from? What makes them even choose to become coaches? How does one learn to be a coach? Team sports such as baseball, basketball and football have linear career paths, akin to a corporate ladder. But it’s not so clear in tennis.

We’re quite familiar with the coach who was once a pro, such as Grand Slam champions Juan Carlos Ferrero and Conchita Martinez, or the many one-time Top 200 players who work with active pros. There are also tons of ex-college players, as well as longstanding instructors and one-time hitting partners who naturally evolve into the coach role.

Then there’s the distinct journeys taken by Ali Agnamba and Oliver Akli.

For nearly 25 years, Agnamba and Akli have been the primary high-performance coaches at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. Located less than a mile from the University of Maryland campus, the JTCC has been the training ground for dozens of college players, as well as such pros as Frances Tiafoe, Hayley Baptiste, Robin Montgomery and Denis Kudla.

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The 20-year-old Montgomery, who reached a career high of No. 95 in the world this June, began working with Agnamba when she was six. In 2021, while still working with Agnamba, Montgomery won the US Open junior girls’ singles and doubles titles.

“He shaped me but did it in a way that let me become who I am as a person and a player,” says Montgomery, who continues to communicate frequently with Agnamba, while also working extensively with USTA head of women’s tennis Kathy Rinaldi.

Kudla commenced his training time at JTCC when he was 10. He trained with Akli all through his formative years, and spende frequent time with him over the course of his 16 years as a pro.

Ranked No. 3 in the world as a junior, Kudla turned pro in 2010, and reached a career high of No. 53 in 2016. He credits Akli for creating a long-term vision of a playing style in a way that balanced passion, work, and the underrated aspect of frequent humor.

“He laughed all the time and was always in good spirits,” said Kudla. “That was huge for a kid to have a rigorous developmental plan and also have fun with it.”

“You make a judgment,” says Agnamba. “I couldn’t become a great player, but I could become a great coach.”

“When I’m teaching at first, I want to make sure they’re enjoying it,” says Akli. “I want them to leave the court wanting to come back.”

Like anyone in any job, Agnamba and Akli carry deep memories of where they came from, and what factors have shaped their attitudes. In their case, it began in Togo, a nation with a population of just over nine million and scarcely a trace of significant tennis tradition.

“We learned tennis by ourselves,” said Agnamba. “We were hitting, watching and studying while playing with club members.”

From childhood into adolescence, Agnamba and Akli were used to playing with just three tennis balls for months at a time, earned tips as ball boys for members of a local club, and devoted themselves to the study of strokes, tactics, psychology, fitness, equipment—and all else that helps one learn the game.

They brought in a great work right work ethic right away from day one, and the creative mindset to look for solutions . . . to be disciplined and give your best every day.Vesa Ponkka, JTCC president on coaches Agnamba and Akli

Thousands of miles from regions where even moderately ranked juniors are swiftly given multiple tennis racquets, it was a big day when each was put on a free list. That happened in the mid-1990s, around the same time Agnamba and Akli represented Togo in Davis Cup play (collectively they played 12 matches). By that time, Agnamba and Akli had both played a few local pro events.

“We were young when we moved [to the U.S.],” said Agnamba, “and realized very quickly that we were not eligible to play college tennis, and then we didn’t have enough funding to start playing at some of the pro events around the country. So, you make a judgment. I couldn’t become a great player but I could become a great coach.”

“They brought in a great work right work ethic right away from day one,” said Vesa Ponkka, JTCC president, “and the creative mindset to look for solutions . . . to be disciplined and give your best every day.”

“He laughed all the time and was always in good spirits,” says Denis Kudla of coach Akli. “That was huge for a kid to have a rigorous developmental plan, and also have fun with it.”

Many times, Agnamba and Ali have told their students about their journey. The vivid contrast with the American tennis culture provided students with a rare perspective about how fortunate they are to have the chance to learn the game in a country with vast resources.

“It was amazing to hear what they went through,” said Kudla, praising the humble qualities Agnamba and Ali instill in their players.

“We always like to use the analogy that each practice and each match is like your own puzzle,” said Montgomery. “And I think since [Agnamba] had that freedom growing up, was self-taught and really close with Oliver, they helped each other grow and learned to give the player space.”

Along with that, Agnamba and Ali are always seeking new instructional tactics.

“When I’m teaching at first, I want to make sure they’re enjoying it,” said Akli. “I want them to leave the court wanting to come back.”

“You’re trying to make them comfortable at the beginning,” said Agnamba, “and then when you show them that you care enough, you can start to slowly implement some of the things on them.”

“In lots of other places, players are over-coached,” said JTCC vice president Megan Moulton-Levy. “They’re told too many things to do. They’re not allowed to be creative on their own. The court is your ultimate canvas, and you’re an artist, so you can create and problem-solve.”

According to Moulton-Levy, one of Agnamba’s great assets is his ability to help a player make a change in a way so subtle that the player’s confidence is never broken. This is yet another contrast to environments where a player is frequently reminded of one shortcoming after another.

“As a teenager, he just tried to bring out the best in me,” says Montgomery.

“He shaped me but did it in a way that let me become who I am as a person and a player,” says Montgomery of Agnamba.

Then there’s Akli, praised by Moulton-Levy and Kudla for his sharp strategic and tactical mind.

“He just saw the big picture and applied that to our game plans,” said Kudla. “We had a lot of trust and success with him.”

Kudla retired earlier this year and is currently coaching Reilly Opelka. From motivation to laughter, the lessons he learned from Akli continue to echo.

“There’s a level of consistency that’s been there for 22 years,” said Moulton-Levy. “They are the backbone.”

According to JTCC CEO Ray Benton, “With Ali and Oliver, there’s a strong sense of humility and an appreciation of giving back.” It adds up to a distinct brand of coaching wisdom, one puzzle piece at a time.