The Miami Open is heating up, and it’s giving fans a taste of new talent! Surely, you must have heard of Coleman Wong. The 20-year-old came into the tournament as a wildcard ranked No. 182 in the world and achieved the biggest win of his career by upsetting the No. 13 seed, Ben Shelton. Wong won the match 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(5). With this victory, Wong advanced to the third round of the Miami Open, marking his first time reaching this stage at a Masters 1000 event. Isn’t that impressive? But behind every rising player is a coach guiding them to the top! So who’s the brains behind Wong?
Wong’s journey to the Miami Open wasn’t a solo mission; he’s had his coach in his corner since September 2021. Wong, referring to Rafael Nadal as his “idol,” shared the practice court with the 22-time Grand Slam winner himself as a student of his eponymous academy. Under the guidance of James Allemby, Wong has trained in Mallorca since he was 17 years old and was a hitting partner at the ATP 250 grass court event—giving him ample opportunity to test his level against the top players.
Allemby, a former Futures player and Nadal’s sparring partner took on the coaching role just as Coleman snagged his first boys’ doubles Grand Slam title at the US Open. The lead coach at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca brought a disciplined approach to Wong’s training, unafraid to have the tough conversations needed to push him forward.
He has previously coached Yaroslav Demin and led high-performance pro groups at the Rafa Nadal Academy since September 2022. He has been working with the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Pro Team for the past 5 years, working directly under Toni Nadal, Gustavo Marcaccio, Gabriel Urpi, Marc Gorriz, Tomeu Salva, Pedro Clar, and Joan Bosch.
The coach sees his role as multifaceted, balancing the line between being a supportive friend and a demanding mentor. Under Allemby’s guidance, Wong’s ranking skyrocketed from 1,366 to a career-high of 128. At the Miami Open, Wong, ranked No. 182, made history by becoming the first player from Hong Kong to win an ATP Masters 1000 match. Allemby noted that Wong appeared comfortable in his victory over Daniel Altmaier. The young star then achieved the biggest win of his career by upsetting No. 13 seed Ben Shelton. Which is no easy feat. How did he do it?
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