Yhonny Murray first discovered tennis as a 7-year-old ball boy in the Dominican Republic when he was working at the local tennis club in Cabarete. By the age of 9, he was in demand as a hitting partner. The following year, he was on his way to a scholarship summer at the esteemed IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. He trained at Bollettieri Academy under the guidance of Nick Bollettieri. At the time he was ranked #1 junior for Dominican Republic and was also competing in the ITF junior circuit.

Yhonny had a successful junior career, with wins over the likes of Andy Roddick, Dimitri Tursunov and Victor Estrella Burgos. This led to a full scholarship at St Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey (3 State Singles Championships) and eventually at Temple University. Throughout his collegiate career, he played first singles and first doubles, and even competed in and won three Junior Olympics. Yhonny has been recognized and awarded countless times for his impressive sportsmanship shown towards his opponents throughout his junior career.

Yhonny also pursued his passion for coaching, especially inner-city kids and high-performance juniors. Upon graduation, he launched his full-time career as a tennis teaching professional. Reaching across the barrier of income and class, Yhonny has volunteered with several organizations, such as Sports for Life and the USTA. Hosting and volunteering at summer camp workshops, celebrity events, and within school programs, Yhonny always tries to make time for those who may not have always had the means to play this great sport. He’s worked at many of NJ’s top tennis facilities, including the prestigious Bradford Tennis in Montclair, where he’s head pro.

 

Although Yhonny is a full-time tennis pro and full-time family coach to his 2 children, he still finds time to compete in local tournaments. He manages to play open singles as well as mixed with his long-time doubles partner. Yhonny’s two children, Gabriel and Yohany, have also inherited his passion for the game!