Angela Haynes finds joy in coaching after WTA career

Angela Haynes didn’t think she would enter the coaching profession once she retired from playing on the WTA Tour in 2011.

Haynes felt like she needed a break from tennis. But after giving birth to her daughter two years later, Haynes realized how much she loved the sport and wanted to stay connected.

She began working at University Tennis Academy-Blackburn Tennis Center in Brookhaven, GA, and discovered her aptitude for teaching the sport.

“I really came to love and appreciate the game even more being on the other side of it,” Haynes said. “I enjoy the process of helping people try to reach their full potential when they play. I enjoy helping my players develop new skills. That brings me personal joy.”

Haynes, a mother of two, relocated to the Atlanta area from Southern California after retiring from the tour, where she reached a career-high ranking of No. 95 in singles and No. 86 in doubles.

Haynes, 41, now works independently at a private court in Dunwoody, GA. She coaches players of all ages and abilities, from high-level juniors to weekend warriors trying to stay active. Haynes has conducted numerous USTA national and regional camps over the years.

Coach high performance teams for USTA Southern

“Angela is awesome. She has worked many high-performance camps for USTA Southern and coached many of our Southern teams,” said Maria Cercone, USTA Southern Director, Junior Tennis & Player Development. “She is a great mentor and friend to many, and she’s been able to handle being a mother and working in a business that can be tough as a woman.”

Haynes was coached by her father, Fred. She started at age 3, and grew up playing with her two older siblings, including brother, Dontia, a former San Diego State player who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2005.

“I was curious, so one day I asked my dad to play. He gave me a racquet, and the next thing you know, I'm out there for like seven hours with my siblings hitting balls,” Haynes said. “I actually had a skill for it and I picked up on some things really early just by sitting there and watching my siblings play. Playing with my brother was a huge advantage because I became very strong and competitive very early from training with him.”

As a junior, Haynes idolized Monica Seles and Steffi Graf. At one point in her junior career, she trained at the same courts in Southern California with Venus and Serena Williams, who became her inspirations.

Williams sisters were inspirations

“Seeing them be successful really hit a nerve for me. I was stoked,” Haynes said. “It made me feel like I can do this. I train with them. It gave me more confidence that it was possible.”

Beyond instructing players, Haynes has tried to give back to the sport by serving as a mentor to other female coaches through USTA Southern’s CoachHer program.

“We're trying to help more women get their foot in the door when it comes to coaching, because it's dominated by men,” Haynes said. “It would just be lovely to be more appreciated and seen as a woman's coach. I think we bring a unique and needed perspective, especially on the emotional side. Mentoring other coaches is something I've just dived into and have really enjoyed.”

Haynes loves being on the court with her students and watching them develop over time. She hopes to continue coaching for at least the next five years before potentially exploring other roles.

“I'm starting to think like I should get more into the administrative side in the future and maybe do something more with the USTA,” Haynes said. “I haven't really come up with the exact plan, but those are the kind of directions that I want to go into.”

Although she didn’t initially aspire to become a coach, Haynes is happy she chose to pursue it as a career.

“I have no regrets for the path that I've chosen. Tennis has opened so many doors, and I am so grateful,” she said. “I have really come to appreciate the sacrifices that were made, especially my dad for really putting himself on the back burner through the struggle to help me accomplish something that I wanted to do in life. So, anything I can do to help other people find their path a little quicker in tennis or make it easier, that's my ultimate goal in life.”