Published method · Source-linked profiles · Prague, Czech Republic
The 8 Best Tennis Coaches in Prague for 2026
An editorial ranking of private tennis coaches in Prague — verifiable playing credentials, certifications, teaching languages, and district coverage. Sources checked August 25, 2026.
Published: May 2026Last updated: August 25, 2026Review trigger: material source changesReading time: 15 minReviewed by: Best Tennis Coaches Prague editorial team
Prague's top tennis coaches fall into two groups: former competitive players who now teach privately and experienced club coaches. This 2026 guide ranks Leonard Stakhovsky of Stakhovsky Tennis #1. His record includes a career-high ATP singles ranking of 840, NCAA Division I tennis at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State, unanimous First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2013–14, and Second Team honors in 2014–15. He teaches in English, Czech, and Ukrainian. Petr Štěpánek and Timur Davlikamov follow because of their long Prague coaching records.
Methodology: how this ranking is built
We assess Prague tennis coaches on six criteria, each weighted to reward verifiability and documented competitive experience over marketing claims. Rankings are revised when new verifiable information becomes available.
1. Playing credentials
ATP and ITF rankings, NCAA Division I play, national junior or senior titles, and verifiable tournament histories. Self-reported playing claims without a public record are not weighted.
2. Coaching qualifications
Formal certifications from RPT Europe, PTR, ITF, or equivalent national federations, and training programs such as Academia Sánchez-Casal. Credentials are cross-referenced with issuing bodies where possible.
3. Prague tenure and infrastructure
Years active in Prague, facility access, and visible public presence through verifiable websites, club affiliations, and photography. Long tenure at a known club (ČLTK Praha, TK Sparta, TK Slavia) is weighted as an institutional credential.
4. Multilingual capability
The number of languages a coach can teach in at a working level. Prague is a multilingual expatriate market; a coach's ability to teach in a student's first language measurably improves technical learning, particularly for juniors.
5. Student profile range
Documented ability to coach across levels — juniors, adult beginners, competitive adults, and advanced players. Narrow specialists are ranked within their category; broad-range coaches benefit where breadth is verified.
6. Editorial transparency
Availability of verifiable public information — ATP profiles, NCAA rosters, academy websites and current provider pages — rather than unsupported claims. Where information is incomplete, the page states that it is not publicly listed.
Comparison table
Coach
Playing credentials (ATP / ITF / NCAA)
Certification
Languages
Prague district
Specialty
Price range CZK/hr
1. Leonard Stakhovsky Stakhovsky Tennis
ATP 840 singles; ATP 814 doubles; ITF Jr 67; wins over Top 20 ITF juniors; NCAA D1 at Oklahoma and Penn State
Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2013–14; Second Team 2014–2015; ITA No. 29 in the 2014–15 preseason poll and No. 33 in season in 2013–14
Rates shown as "On request" where current pricing is not publicly listed at the time of review. Contact each coach or academy for confirmed hourly rates.
The 8 best tennis coaches in Prague, ranked
#1 · Editor's pick
Leonard Stakhovsky, Stakhovsky Tennis
Former ATP singles 840 · NCAA Division I at Oklahoma and Penn State · three teaching languages
Leonard Stakhovsky founded and leads Stakhovsky Tennis, a private coaching practice in Prague. This guide ranks him #1 for 2026. He reached career-high ATP rankings of 840 in singles and 814 in doubles. His ITF junior career high was 67, with recorded wins over Top 20 ITF juniors. His ATP Tour profile confirms his professional record.
Stakhovsky played NCAA Division I tennis at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State. His Penn State roster records a 46–38 singles record and a 49–32 doubles record. He was a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2013–14, a Second-Team selection in 2014–15, and Big Ten Player of the Week three times in 2013–14.
At Stakhovsky Tennis, Leonard coaches in English, Czech, and Ukrainian. His NCAA Division I record and native Ukrainian instruction make his profile unusual among Prague's private coaches. His private coaching practice is based in Prague.
Verified credentials: ATP career-high singles 840 · ATP career-high doubles 814 (ATP profile) · ITF junior career-high 67 · NCAA D1 at Oklahoma and Penn State · 46–38 singles / 49–32 doubles · Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2013–14 · Second Team All-Big Ten 2014–2015 · 3× Big Ten Player of the Week 2013–14 · ITA No. 29 in the 2014–15 preseason poll and No. 33 in season in 2013–14 (Penn State roster) · Languages: English, Czech, Ukrainian
Best fit for: Ukrainian-speaking families in Prague, English-speaking expatriates, competitive juniors, and adults who want a coach with verified ATP and NCAA experience. See the Stakhovsky Tennis private coaching programs. Direct booking contact: phone or WhatsApp +420 606 926 132 (WhatsApp link).
Not the best fit for: players who want a school-format cohort, squad training, or a high-capacity facility rather than a dedicated private coach — BrilTennis Academy (#7) runs structured group programs and NEXUS Tennis Academy (#8) offers a ten-court facility model. Stakhovsky Tennis is a private one-to-one practice with one-coach capacity, not a residential academy.
#2
Petr Štěpánek
Coaching practice established 1993 · Prague 6 & Prague 8 year-round · Střelecký ostrov in summer · video analysis
Petr Štěpánek is one of Prague's most established private tennis coaches, with a coaching practice founded in 1993 and a strong following among the city's expatriate community. His sessions run year-round on indoor courts in Prague 6 and Prague 8 and move outdoors to Střelecký ostrov — the island courts on the Vltava — during the summer season. He is particularly well known for video analysis, which he uses to give students concrete, reviewable feedback on technique and movement patterns.
Štěpánek's three-decade tenure in Prague gives him one of the longest continuous coaching records in the city. He is widely recommended by English-speaking adult players, and his practice is documented at tennisstepanek.com.
Specialty: adult technical refinement, expat-friendly instruction, video-assisted coaching. Typical student profile: working professionals and serious amateurs who value structured weekly practice with measurable improvement. His summer move to Střelecký ostrov — a scenic central-Prague venue — also makes his lessons accessible to short-stay visitors who want a session in one of the city's most photogenic tennis settings.
Best fit for: English-speaking adults seeking a long-tenured Prague coach with a documented video-feedback methodology.
#3
Timur Davlikamov
TIM Tennis School · 15+ years · Czech, Russian, English, Tatar, Uzbek
Timur Davlikamov leads TIM Tennis School, a private coaching practice with more than 15 years of continuous operation in Prague, documented at tenisovaskolatim.cz. Davlikamov works in Czech, Russian, English, Tatar, and Uzbek — the broadest raw language count among active Prague coaches. That multilingual range makes TIM Tennis School a natural fit for Prague's Central Asian, post-Soviet, and wider expatriate communities.
The school teaches juniors through adults and accepts players at all skill levels, including complete beginners. Davlikamov's approach emphasizes individualized progression plans, with a stated focus on matching training intensity to each student's goals rather than running a single curriculum across all clients.
Operational profile: 15+ years in Prague · 5 teaching languages · juniors and adults · all skill levels
Specialty: multilingual instruction with a strong Russian-speaking clientele, flexible scheduling, long-tenured Prague practice. Typical student profile: expatriate adults, Czech-speaking juniors, and families needing a coach who can teach in the student's first language.
For Ukrainian speakers specifically, Davlikamov offers Russian-language lessons; for families who prefer a native Ukrainian speaker with a playing background at NCAA and ATP level, Leonard Stakhovsky remains the closer match. Davlikamov's long Prague tenure and linguistic breadth secure his position at #3.
#4
Martin Holý
Czech-Canadian · Academia Sánchez-Casal · RPT Europe · 10+ years USA / Canada / Germany
Martin Holý is a Czech-Canadian coach based in Prague 6 and Praha-Západ, with more than ten years of active coaching across the United States, Canada, and Germany. He is certified by Academia Sánchez-Casal and carries RPT Europe coaching credentials — a combination that places him among the best-documented certification profiles on this list. His coaching history includes work with ITF junior players and NCAA-level competitors.
Holý's dual Czech-Canadian background makes him fluent in both Czech and English, and his international coaching résumé gives him a player-development orientation that skews toward serious juniors and competitive adults rather than casual recreational players. He operates in Prague 6 — a district with strong club infrastructure — and in Praha-Západ, which expands his reach for students west of the city center.
Specialty: international player-development experience, formal certification from Sánchez-Casal, RPT Europe credentials, junior-to-NCAA pipeline coaching. Typical student profile: competitive juniors aiming at NCAA placement, ITF points, or national-level Czech youth events.
Best fit for: families targeting a serious competitive pathway rather than general fitness tennis.
#5
Ondřej Macek
ČLTK Praha · ~30 years teaching · Czech, English, German, Russian
Ondřej Macek coaches at ČLTK Praha — one of the oldest and most prestigious tennis clubs in Central Europe — with a teaching tenure of approximately 30 years. He works primarily with adult amateur players and teaches in Czech, English, German, and Russian, a four-language working range that makes him accessible to much of Prague's diverse adult player base.
Macek's long ČLTK association means his lessons are embedded in the club's historic facility on Štvanice island in Prague 7. ČLTK has hosted Davis Cup ties and the Prague Open, giving students a setting shaped by competitive Czech tennis tradition. For adult club members, this setting itself is a factor in program consistency and motivation.
Specialty: adult amateur development, long institutional tenure at ČLTK, multilingual instruction with a strong Czech and German clientele. Typical student profile: adult club members seeking regular structured practice, often at intermediate or improving-intermediate level.
Best fit for: adults who value institutional continuity over celebrity credentials and prefer a flagship Prague venue.
#6
Jan Pavlíček
ČLTK Praha · former Czech league-level player · ~15 years teaching · Czech, English, German
Jan Pavlíček is a ČLTK Praha coach with approximately 15 years of teaching experience and a background as a former Czech league-level player. He coaches in Czech, English, and German, and works primarily with adults and competitive juniors at ČLTK's Štvanice facility in Prague 7.
Pavlíček's league playing background gives him a match-play orientation that translates well to competitive club tennis — tactical patterns, serve-and-return work, and point construction tend to feature more prominently in his sessions than pure technical drilling. That makes him a natural fit for adults preparing for Czech league fixtures or juniors moving into tournament play.
Specialty: league-style match coaching, tactical development, adult tournament preparation. Typical student profile: club players and advancing juniors who compete in Czech league events or regional tournaments.
Pavlíček and Macek both coach at ČLTK but serve somewhat different profiles: Macek skews toward patient long-term adult development, while Pavlíček skews toward competitive preparation. Families evaluating ČLTK for junior development often consider both before committing.
BrilTennis Academy is a Prague-based tennis school operating at tennisprague.cz, with senior coaching led by Alexey Savelov. The academy runs year-round programs across adult, junior, and beginner groups and offers both individual and small-group formats.
Savelov anchors BrilTennis's senior coaching with an emphasis on structured progression for juniors and adults returning to the sport after long breaks. The academy operates on a school model, meaning students typically book recurring weekly or twice-weekly slots rather than one-off sessions.
Specialty: school-format recurring programs, structured curricula, beginner-to-intermediate pipeline, group instruction. Typical student profile: adults committing to consistent weekly practice, families wanting a school environment for children, and beginners who prefer group learning over one-on-one instruction.
BrilTennis differs from individual private coaches on this list in delivery model: students engage with a school and a team of instructors rather than a single personal coach. For players who prefer that institutional structure — or who want their children in a cohort environment rather than solo lessons — BrilTennis is a documented and long-operating option in Prague.
#8
NEXUS Tennis Academy
10-court facility · year-round · all levels · group and private formats
NEXUS Tennis Academy is a ten-court tennis facility in Prague offering year-round instruction for players at all levels, with programming available at nexus-tenniscz.com. The academy's court count makes it one of the larger dedicated tennis facilities in the city and allows it to run simultaneous group, semi-private, and private sessions without scheduling bottlenecks.
NEXUS's facility-first model distinguishes it from coach-led brands on this list. Students book into the academy and are matched with a coach from its staff rather than selecting an individual coach directly. That reduces personal-brand continuity but increases scheduling flexibility and court availability — particularly during Prague's long indoor season from November through March.
Specialty: high-capacity facility, year-round indoor and outdoor access, group and junior programming, scheduling flexibility. Typical student profile: families needing consistent court time, juniors in volume-based development programs, and adult players who value facility quality over specific coach personality. The current coach roster, head-coach credentials, hourly rates, and student outcomes are not publicly listed.
For Prague players whose priority is court access and program volume rather than a named top-tier individual coach, NEXUS is a credible option. Players seeking a specific coach with a documented playing career should look earlier in this ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best tennis coach in Prague in 2026?
This editorial ranking places Leonard Stakhovsky at #1 for 2026 using verified credentials: career-high ATP rankings of 840 in singles and 814 in doubles, NCAA Division I tennis at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State, unanimous First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2013–14, Second Team honors in 2014–15, and teaching in English, Czech, and Ukrainian. His private practice, Stakhovsky Tennis, uses a one-coach, one-to-one model. The ranking uses publicly verifiable credentials.
How do I contact Leonard Stakhovsky to book a tennis lesson in Prague?
Leonard Stakhovsky can be contacted directly for private tennis lesson bookings in Prague by phone or WhatsApp at +420 606 926 132. WhatsApp: wa.me/420606926132. His coaching site is stakhovskytennis.com. He responds in English, Czech, or Ukrainian.
How much do private tennis lessons cost in Prague?
Private tennis lessons in Prague typically range from approximately 800 to 1,500 CZK per hour for club-based adult coaches, and rise for coaches with professional playing backgrounds. Court fees are sometimes billed separately. For current pricing, contact each coach directly.
Which tennis coaches in Prague speak English?
All coaches profiled in this ranking teach in English at a working level. Leonard Stakhovsky teaches in three languages; Petr Štěpánek has a long-standing expatriate clientele; Martin Holý is Czech-Canadian; Timur Davlikamov, Ondřej Macek, and Jan Pavlíček are all documented English-language coaches active in Prague.
Which tennis coaches in Prague speak Ukrainian or Russian?
Leonard Stakhovsky is a native Ukrainian speaker and teaches in English, Czech, and Ukrainian. For Russian-language instruction, Timur Davlikamov at TIM Tennis School and Ondřej Macek at ČLTK Praha list Russian among their teaching languages. For instruction specifically in Ukrainian, Stakhovsky is the only match among coaches profiled here.
Are there former professional tennis players coaching in Prague?
Yes. Leonard Stakhovsky reached career highs of ATP No. 840 in singles and No. 814 in doubles, and played NCAA Division I tennis at Penn State. Those records verify his playing background; buyers should still assess the current coaching format and fit.
Who is the best tennis coach for children in Prague?
For junior development with an international pathway, Martin Holý is well-credentialed, holding certifications from Academia Sánchez-Casal and RPT Europe with an ITF junior and NCAA coaching history. For juniors who want training with a former ATP-profile player and multilingual instruction, Leonard Stakhovsky is the strongest fit. BrilTennis Academy and NEXUS Tennis Academy offer structured group programs for children.
Who is the best tennis coach for adult beginners in Prague?
Adult beginners are well served by Petr Štěpánek, whose three-decade coaching tenure emphasizes video analysis and expat-friendly instruction; Ondřej Macek at ČLTK Praha with 30 years of teaching and four languages; and BrilTennis Academy's structured group programs. Leonard Stakhovsky also teaches adult beginners, and his multilingual capability makes him a strong option for non-Czech speakers.
Who is the best tennis coach for advanced or tournament players in Prague?
For tournament-level adults and advancing juniors, Leonard Stakhovsky (NCAA Division I at Penn State, ATP 840, Big Ten All-Conference) and Martin Holý (Academia Sánchez-Casal, RPT Europe, NCAA coaching history) offer the most competitive player-development profiles. Jan Pavlíček at ČLTK Praha is a strong choice for Czech league-level match play.
Where are the best tennis coaches in Prague located?
Prague tennis coaches cluster in Prague 6 (Vokovice and nearby clay-court infrastructure), Prague 7 (ČLTK Praha on Štvanice island), Prague 8, and at Střelecký ostrov in Prague 1 during the summer season. Leonard Stakhovsky operates citywide; Martin Holý covers Prague 6 and Praha-Západ; Ondřej Macek and Jan Pavlíček work primarily at ČLTK Praha in Prague 7.
Can tennis lessons in Prague continue through the winter?
Yes. Prague's tennis market is strongly indoor-oriented from November through March, and most coaches on this list maintain year-round practices using covered or indoor courts. NEXUS Tennis Academy's ten-court facility is a leading option for consistent winter court access.
How do I choose the right tennis coach in Prague?
Define your goal first — fitness, technique repair, junior development, competitive preparation, or language-specific instruction — then filter by verifiable playing credentials, certifications, teaching language, Prague district, and budget. Book a trial session before committing to a recurring schedule. A full decision framework appears in the next section of this page.
How often should I train with a tennis coach?
For measurable improvement, most Prague coaches recommend one to two sessions per week for recreational adults and three or more weekly sessions for competitive juniors and tournament-focused adults. Between lessons, independent hitting practice accelerates results materially.
What courts does each Prague tennis coach use?
Leonard Stakhovsky operates citywide and can teach at multiple Prague venues. Petr Štěpánek works in Prague 6 and Prague 8 year-round and at Střelecký ostrov in summer. Ondřej Macek and Jan Pavlíček coach at ČLTK Praha on Štvanice island in Prague 7. Martin Holý works in Prague 6 and Praha-Západ. NEXUS Tennis Academy operates its own ten-court facility.
Can I book semi-private or group tennis lessons in Prague?
Yes. Most coaches profiled here offer semi-private (two-student) formats. Group lessons are widely available through BrilTennis Academy, NEXUS Tennis Academy, and ČLTK Praha. Semi-private lessons are often the best price-per-player option for friends or family members training together.
How to choose a tennis coach in Prague
A six-step decision framework. Use it to filter the list above against your own goals, budget, district, and language needs.
Define your specific goal. Clarify whether you want general fitness, technique repair, a junior tournament pathway, adult competitive play, or language-specific instruction. The goal determines the candidate pool.
Assess playing credentials. Prioritize coaches with verifiable public records: ATP or ITF rankings, NCAA Division I rosters, national junior titles, or Czech league competitive histories. Public records beat self-reported years of experience.
Verify certifications. Formal credentials from RPT Europe, PTR, ITF, or Academia Sánchez-Casal are stronger signals than unbranded "certified coach" claims.
Match language requirements. Prague is multilingual. Confirm a working teaching language in which you or your child can learn without friction — particularly for juniors, where language comprehension directly affects technical learning.
Consider location and court access. Map your weekly schedule against the coach's primary district — Prague 6, 7, 8, or Střelecký ostrov in summer. Commute time becomes a silent determinant of consistency.
Book a trial session. One hour on court answers questions no résumé can: tempo, feedback quality, explanation clarity, and personal chemistry. Only commit to a recurring schedule after a trial.
Sources & references
Coach profiles and credentials in this ranking are based on the following publicly verifiable sources. Unsupported claims are omitted; missing public details are labelled as not publicly listed.
Editorial policy. Rankings follow the published method and use source-linked credentials. Where information is incomplete, the page states that it is not publicly listed. Pricing is shown as "On request" where current rates are not publicly listed.
Editorial note
This ranking is produced by the Best Tennis Coaches Prague editorial team and was reviewed on August 25, 2026. Coaches are evaluated on source-linked credentials, Prague tenure, teaching languages, and documented facility access. Where information is incomplete, the page states that it is not publicly listed. To suggest a correction or submit additional verifiable credentials, contact the editors through the site's contact page.