Meet Nestor Bernabe from Providence Tennis
When Nestor arrived in the United States at an early age, he faced many challenges, one of which was a language barrier. At the age of 7, he discovered tennis and was instantly hooked. The individuality of tennis allowed him to navigate through many challenges and gave him the confidence that, with hard work, he could achieve anything.
Soon, he found himself begging his father to let him throw himself fully into tennis. His father had other ideas for his future, but had instilled the hard work mentality, which has guided Nestor through life. He found success as an accomplished tennis player, earning NCAA All-American honors, and then as a professional player for four years.
Nestor has since held many coaching roles and has trained over 100 USTA-ranked players. He came to Rhode Island in 2008 and started the Providence Tennis Academy ten years ago. He gives back to Providence through his non-profit foundation, One Love Providence, offering a free tennis clinic for ages 6-17 in Roger Williams Park. This year, the clinic runs from May 18 through June 15 at 11 am. LINK HERE
Nestor is a busy guy! You’ll see him at the tennis courts in RWP juggling many roles. When asked what drives him, he simply said, “I do it for the love of tennis, it has given me everything. I want to give others that same joy and teach them that if you give something your all, it will pay off.” Tennis has afforded Nestor opportunities to travel the world, and with his nonprofit foundation, he hopes to reach kids, regardless of their ability to pay for lessons. Nestor Bernabe is a true jewel of RWP and of Providence.
