The Tennis Professional
José Antonio played on the ATP tour for 12 years, reaching a career-high rank of 202 in 1991. During this time, he was a member of the Chilean Davis Cup team (1986-1992). In 1979, he had the privilege to win the Orange Bowl World Championship for Juniors.
The Coach
After retiring from the pro tour, he started his coaching career focusing on the human inside of the tennis player. In his 25 plus years as a coach, he spent 15 years as Director of Tennis at one of the most prestigious clubs in Germany. After that he created SPORTmind© where he aspired to develop players from the inside out. He also had the privilege of coaching Steffi Graf, as well as working to develop the maximum potential of many promising juniors. Jose Antonio was acted as Official Agent for the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar until 2018. He was a member of the Tennium Tennis Platform between 2018-2020. Now he works in his own High Performance Program.
The Student
Wanting to understand Tennis from the different perspectives, he has been a student through out his career. His curiosity and hunger of knowledge has led him to interact with great coaches and successful people from a variety of walks of life. He is an avid reader, took courses ,studied Sport & Tourism Manager and Mental Fitness, always having the human development as a corner stone. Jose Antonio is also a successful author of Evolution in Clay® and Evolve your Game©. Since 1985, he has been living mostly outside of his native Chile, allowing him to add the valuable treasure of multicultural perspective. Jose Antonio is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, German, English, and can deal with some French and Italian if needed.
The Philosophy
Drawing upon a lifetime entrenched in the world of tennis, spanning three generations in a tennis family, transitioning from the Junior Tour to the ATP professional Tour, and evolving into a coach, I affirm that whether on the tennis court or navigating the 'Game of Life,' the key to personal success lies in taking charge of our growth and self-development to unlock our full potential. It demands a resolute commitment to learning, disciplined and consistent efforts, and the courage to embrace responsibility, risk, failure, and the resilience to rise again.
Through honest introspection, unwavering commitment, and delivering your utmost as both an individual and a player, you'll equip yourself to influence and enhance the quality of your journey and outcomes, tapping into a profound sense of fulfillment. Reflecting on my own journey to becoming a professional tennis player, I wish I had known these principles from the start, fueling my determination to share this wealth of knowledge and experience. Let's collaborate to craft your personal success strategy, paving the way to the full realization of your potential.
Third generation of tennis professionals, grandfather, Armando Ibarra, was one of the first tennis Pros in Chile. Mother, Carmen Ibarra, was Chilean Nr.1 Player for 15 years and 4 times South-American Champion. Uncle Patricio Cornejo was a top Professional Player and Davis Cup finalist.
