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Hilton Head Island, SC — Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) presented its annual awards this week during the PTR International Tennis Symposium. The event, which includes 50-plus on court and classroom presentations for tennis teachers and coaches, a trade show and tournament, will be held May 2-5, 2013, at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA.

Felipe Alarcon, of Bradenton, Florida, and Savina Diankova, of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, have been selected as PTR International Master Professionals.

PTR established the International Master Professional designation to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of tennis throughout their career. Only PTR members who have been certified at the Professional level for nine-plus years, have maintained their membership in good standing for at least five consecutive years, and have earned 5A rating are eligible to apply. There are only 33 PTR International Master Professionals.

Born and educated in Ecuador, Felipe Alarcon started his career at the Tennis Director at Club Buena Vista in Quito from 1993-2005. From there, he moved to Puembo to serve as Tennis Manager at Social Country Club. In 2011, Alarcon had the opportunity to coach under Nick Bollettieri at IMG Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Alarcon stayed in Florida and currently works at Pembroke Lakes Parks.

He came to the United States with stellar reputation in South America, and has become well respected here. Under his tutelage, many juniors have become ITF internationally ranked players. As a player, he has won many tournaments, including capturing the 40s Singles title at PTR Championships in 2010, and has been the Tournament Director at Davis Cup and the South American Juniors Championships.

Alarcon has been a participant and presenter at numerous ITF conferences, as well as a speaker at the PTR International Tennis Symposium. He has been a great advocate of PTR since joining in 1993. A certified Professional, Alarcon’s quest for education and knowledge is not limited to bettering only himself as a coach. To grow the game and support the organization, Alarcon has hosted numerous PTR workshops, so others can earn their tennis teaching certification, and enjoy the career that he loves.

Savina Diankova has been involved with tennis for more than 37 years. She has had success throughout career because of her desire to learn and love for the game. One of her proudest achievements was guiding both of her children to achieving ATP and WTA rankings. But more importantly, she has not been afraid to start over.

After successfully coaching in her native Bulgaria – and Turkey – Diankova moved to the United States with nothing in her pocket, but the determination that this is where she wanted to work. She started as a teaching pro at Bronx Youth International Tennis Center, in New York. Shortly after, she took a job at the Hudson Valley Health & Tennis Club, where she quickly rose from a teaching pro to Head Pro/League Coordinator to Director of Tennis.

Seventeen years ago, Diankova embraced the philosophies of PTR, and has become an ambassador for the organization. She is a PTR Adult Development Clinician and Tester, teaching others how to teach tennis. Diankova has always taken the time to learn and grow the game. For several years, she has taken classes at New York State University, and has spent countless hours helping local communities and tennis associations develop their programs.

Diankova believes that regardless of the conditions or circumstances, we can find a way to get the job done. Every student is different, each requiring a different approach, and the challenge for coaches is to find a way to get the message through to them. Her message has been heard by the international tennis community.

To earn the International Master Professional designation, PTR members must demonstrate their broad involvement in tennis over several years. They have shown growth in their knowledge of the game, a strong involvement in introducing tennis to their community, expertise in teaching and coaching and a commitment to developing professionally. An International Master Professional should be a strong representative of the sport and one who displays the highest standards in the tennis teaching profession.

PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 14,000 members in 117 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game.

Photo from left: Felipe Alarcon, PTR CEO Dan Santorum, Savina Diankova