David Witt

Last updated

David Witt
David Witt (2024 DC Open) 01.jpg
Witt in 2024
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Residence Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S.
Born (1973-06-02) June 2, 1973 (age 51)
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro1991
PlaysRight-handed
Prize moneyUS$ 295,543
Singles
Career record15–23
Career titles0
2 Challenger, 0 Futures
Highest rankingNo. 128 (8 November 1993)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 1R (1998)
French Open Q3 (1994)
Wimbledon 1R (1994)
US Open 2R (1994)
Doubles
Career record13–17
Career titles0
2 Challenger, 0 Futures
Highest rankingNo. 157 (22 August 1994)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open 1R (1994)
Wimbledon Q3 (1993)
US Open 3R (1993)

David Witt (born June 2, 1973) is an American tennis coach and former professional player. He is currently coaching Frances Tiafoe and is best known as the former long-time coach of Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula. He enjoyed a successful junior career, during which time he won the USTA Boys' 16s Clay, Hard and National Championships and was the top-ranked under-16 in the USTA in 1989. [1] He was also a semifinalist at the US Open Junior Boys Singles event in 1991. [2]

Contents

Career

His closest career win on the main tour was in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, where he and Brian MacPhie were runners-up in the doubles in 1994. He did win two challenger-level events in his career: Guadalajara, Mexico in 1992 and the Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger at Binghamton, New York in 1997. He retired from professional tennis in 2005.

Coaching

In 2002, while working as the resident pro at the Deerwood Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, Witt was approached by the Williams sisters to act as a hitting partner during their participation at the Bausch & Lomb Championships at nearby Amelia Island. In 2007, they asked him to accompany them to Charleston, South Carolina for the Family Circle Cup. [3] Since then he has acted as a travelling hitting partner for both women, [4] most notably for elder sister Venus. [5] [6] In December 2018, Venus ended the 11-year partnership. [7] David Witt coached Jessica Pegula from July 2019 [8] to January 2024. In March 2024, Witt began coaching Maria Sakkari, [9] and five months later, in July he started collaboration with Frances Tiafoe. [10]

ATP career finals

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Legend
Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0)
ATP Masters Series (0–0)
ATP Championship Series (0–0)
ATP World Series (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–0)
Clay (0–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoors (0–1)
Indoors (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1 Apr 1994 Birmingham, United StatesWorld SeriesClay Flag of the United States.svg Brian MacPhie Flag of the United States.svg Richey Reneberg
Flag of South Africa.svg Christo van Rensburg 		6–2, 3–6, 2–6

ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals

Singles: 4 (2–2)

Legend
ATP Challenger (2–2)
ITF Futures (0–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–2)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
ResultW–L   Date   TournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0-1Sep 1991 Whistler Mountain, CanadaChallengerHard Flag of Brazil.svg Fabio Silberberg 5–7, 3–6
Win1-1Nov 1992 Guadalajara, MexicoChallengerClay Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mark Koevermans 6–4, 6–3
Loss1-2Aug 1994 Binghamton, United StatesChallengerHard Flag of India.svg Leander Paes 4–6, 2–6
Win2-2Aug 1997 Binghamton, United StatesChallengerHard Flag of the United States.svg Brian MacPhie 6–2, 6–4

Doubles: 4 (2–2)

Legend
ATP Challenger (2–1)
ITF Futures (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (1–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0Jul 1994 Winnetka, United StatesChallengerHard Flag of the United States.svg Brian MacPhie Flag of the United States.svg Doug Flach
Flag of the United States.svg Wade McGuire 		7–5, 6–2
Loss1–1Jul 1997 Flushing Meadows, United StatesChallengerHard Flag of the United States.svg Michael Joyce Flag of the United States.svg Geoff Grant
Flag of the United States.svg Mark Merklein 		1–6, 4–6
Win2–1Apr 1998 Birmingham, United StatesChallengerClay Flag of the United States.svg Doug Flach Flag of Israel.svg Eyal Erlich
Flag of the United States.svg Eric Taino 		6–4, 7–5
Loss2–2May 2004USA F11, Orange Park FuturesClay Flag of the United States.svg Scott Melville Flag of the United States.svg Levar Harper-Griffith
Flag of the United States.svg Chris Kwon		5–7, 3–6

Performance timelines

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open AAAA Q3 AAA 1R 0 / 10–10%
French Open AAA Q2 Q3 Q2 AAA0 / 00–0 – 
Wimbledon A Q1 Q1 Q3 1R Q2 AA Q1 0 / 10–10%
US Open 1R 1R Q2 1R 2R AA Q1 Q1 0 / 41–420%
Win–loss0–10–10–00–11–20–00–00–00–10 / 61–614%
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells AAA Q1 Q1 AAAA0 / 00–0 – 
Miami A 2R A Q1 Q3 A Q1 A Q1 0 / 11–150%
Canada AAAAAAAA Q1 0 / 00–0 – 
Cincinnati AAA Q3 AAAAA0 / 00–0 – 
Win–loss0–01–10–00–00–00–00–00–00–00 / 11–150%

Doubles

Tournament 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open AAAAAAAA0 / 00–0 – 
French Open AAA 1R AAAA0 / 10–10%
Wimbledon AA Q3 Q2 AAA Q1 0 / 00–0 – 
US Open 1R A 3R 2R AA 2R Q1 0 / 44–450%
Win–loss0–10–02–11–20–00–01–10–00 / 54–544%
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Miami AA Q2 AAAAA0 / 00–0 – 
Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00 / 00–0 – 

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References

  1. ↑ "David Witt - Profile". Association of Tennis Professionals.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Open Junior Championships 1991". International Tennis Federation.
  3. ↑ "Witt is a hit with Venus and Serena", The Florida Times-Union , July 13, 2007
  4. ↑ Vach, Richard (2007), "Family man Witt joins Williams tennis clan", JAX Tennis Magazine (July)
  5. ↑ Harwitt, Sandra (June 26, 2008), "No tune-ups, no problem for the Williamses at Wimbledon", ESPN.com
  6. ↑ Clarey, Christopher (July 6, 2008), "Venus rises in sister act", The New York Times
  7. ↑ "REPORT: VENUS WILLIAMS PARTS WAYS WITH LONGTIME COACH DAVID WITT". Tennis. December 10, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Pegula steps up in WTT while looking to springboard into tour return".
  9. ↑ "Maria Sakkari Hires New Coach David Witt in Bid for Return to Top".
  10. ↑ "Tiafoe ready for U.S. swing with new coach (David Witt), confidence from Wimbledon". July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
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