In recent years, I’ve seen a growing trend among parents and players: prioritizing training only with “better” players. Even though the intention is good, the belief is incomplete.

 

Real development doesn’t happen by training only against higher-level players. In competition, you must adapt to players who are stronger, players who are at your level, and players who are lower level. Each one presents a different challenge.

 

Training with someone stronger pushes you out of your limits and forces you to raise your intensity. Training with players at your same level exposes you to reality because you can win or lose, and you must learn to handle that uncertainty.

 

Training with players at a lower level teaches you how to deal with the pressure of “having to win,” a pressure that becomes more common as a player improves.

 

Especially in junior development, the most important factor is not the level of the hitting partner. The decisive factor is the coach on court, the one guiding, correcting, and teaching the player how to handle each situation.

 

Many parents focus only on who their child trains with, when the priority should always be who is coaching them. The coach is the person who gives the information that shapes the player for the future.

 

A balanced program combines both different levels and a coach who knows exactly what to teach in each scenario.

 

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My Experience Growing Up in Argentina

 

I grew up in Argentina, a country that has produced some of the toughest competitors in the world. The system I trained in didn’t depend on who I wanted to train with each day, but on learning to compete against all levels.

 

Thanks to that system I became the number one junior in the world, and I did it by training with players who were stronger, at my level, and below my level. Each one taught me something different.

 

There were no excuses and no switching courts because the level didn’t motivate me. You trained, you learned, and you competed.

 

That approach shaped my entire career. I became number one in the world not by training only with the best, but by learning how to compete against everyone.

 

Back then, the idea of a “tennis academy” meant exactly that: training alongside other players, competing every day, and learning from many different playing styles.

 

Training in a group never meant having eight or ten kids on one court. Serious development always respected one rule: a maximum of three or four players per court.

 

On weekends, I went to my club and played with older kids, younger kids, and adults who only knew how to hit slice forehands, slice backhands, and drop shots. What looked like chaos was actually one of my greatest teachers because I had to adapt to different styles, rhythms, and intensities every single day.

 

Adaptability is one of the greatest strengths of any top ATP or WTA player. The more scenarios you can handle, the more competitive you become.

 

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The Common Mistake Parents Make

 

I understand parents who want their kids to train with strong players. The intention is good.

 

But there is one very common mistake: assuming that if the hitting partner is lower level, the session has no value.

 

When parents intervene, switch courts, or feel the day wasn’t productive, they unintentionally remove one of the most important learning opportunities: the pressure of having to win.

 

Maintaining concentration, keeping intensity high, not underestimating the situation, solving tactical problems even at slower rhythms, and finding internal motivation instead of depending on the opponent are all skills developed when training with lower-level players.

 

In tournaments, these situations appear constantly. And if the player has never practiced them, it becomes a major problem.

 

The truth is very simple. The best players don’t behave like this. They arrive at practice, they do their work, they follow the coach’s guidance, and they leave the court satisfied. No complaints. No excuses. This is one hundred percent guaranteed.

 

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Training Must Simulate Tournament Reality

 

A proper development process must reproduce, in a controlled setting, the situations a player will face in competition.

 

In tournaments, the progression usually looks like this: early rounds are more accessible, mid-rounds are played against similar levels, and the toughest opponents come later.

 

If training doesn’t simulate this structure, players arrive unprepared for the emotions and challenges of real competition.

 

Real competition is trained beforehand, not during the event.

 

The goal is not just to raise the level, but to learn how to compete in every possible context.

 

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Important Clarification About Differences in Level

 

When I talk about training with stronger, equal, and lower-level players, I am not referring to extreme differences. High-quality training requires a minimum technical and competitive base on both sides.

 

But within a reasonable range, mixing levels becomes one of the most powerful tools for developing rhythm, adaptation, consistency, pressure management, and decision making.

 

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The Example of Professional Tennis

 

On the professional tour, it is common to see top 50, top 100, and even top 10 players training with juniors or lower-level sparring partners.

 

The reason is simple. Professionals understand that the purpose of training is not to win the set. The purpose is to work on tactical patterns, automate decisions, and adjust technical details.

 

The level of the partner does not determine the quality of the training. The purpose of the session does.

 

Top players improve because they know exactly what they want to work on, regardless of the opponent’s level.

 

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The Reality of UTR

 

UTR is a useful tool for balancing training sessions. Extreme gaps do not produce a productive session. For example, UTR 11 against UTR 6 will not create the rhythm and structure needed for improvement.

 

But a session between UTR 11 and UTR 9 or even UTR 8.5 can be extremely productive with the right coaching, even if the set score is one sided.

 

With proper guidance, both players improve. One learns to manage pressure and work on tactical goals. The other learns to handle faster pace and higher intensity.

 

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Specific Training Roles for Both Players

 

The key to making mixed-level sessions productive is coaching guidance. It is not just about playing points. It is about assigning specific objectives so both players improve.

 

The higher-level player can focus on transitions, changing heights, tactical patterns, starting down in the score, or playing with one serve. These challenges push them out of their comfort zone and prepare them for real tournament pressure.

 

The lower-level player benefits by learning to manage rhythm, make decisions under pressure, stay consistent, adjust technique, and handle faster pace and intensity.

 

With the right structure, both players develop essential skills.

 

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Final Message to Parents

 

Every parent wants the best for their child. That is natural.

 

But the best scenario is not always the strongest partner. The best scenario is the one that teaches the most.

 

Players learn from stronger partners, equal partners, and slightly lower-level partners. All three situations develop different competitive skills.

 

Development is not only about improving strokes. It is about learning to compete, adapt, handle pressure, maintain focus, and solve problems. These abilities only develop through exposure to a variety of training scenarios.

 

Trust the process.

Trust the coach.

Allow your child to learn how to compete in every situation.

That is what builds a real player.