Interview > David Caprotta / Physical trainer (Torrevieja, August 28, 1997)
David Caprotta is the son of Pedro Caprotta, a well-known tennis coach in our town. He wanted to start out as a player, although his mind soon led him to another path: that of physical preparation, a role he currently performs with the talented Nicola Kuhn. “My father takes care of the tennis part,” he clarifies.
Likewise, he is the Spanish-German’s sparring partner and when Pedro can’t, he is traveling, “I also act as Nico’s coach.” He also teaches tennis classes to many other pupils, some perhaps future stars, but not yet professionals.
He will talk to us about the importance of the physique and its preparation, much greater than a few years ago, a circumstance that has allowed the careers of players such as Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka to extend. “Nutrition, which can also be a cause of injuries, has improved significantly,” he argues.
Do you become a physical trainer because of your father?
I have played tennis all my life and, of course, I started with him, who trained me. At nineteen years old I entered university with the aim of graduating in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. I then obtained a master’s degree in high performance and began my focus on physical preparation, although I also work as a coach.
What level did you reach as a player?
I got to play the ITF Futures, tournaments that are held to get the first points from the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP). I didn’t achieve any, after playing a couple of tournaments in Tunisia: I realized that I didn’t want to sacrifice my entire life to be a player. I chose to study.
«After playing a couple of ITF Futures tournaments in Tunisia, I decided to focus on my studies»
What have you learned from Pedro Caprotta?
Tennis-wise, it has taught me, above all, to observe technique. Since I was little, when we went to tournaments, and we had to wait to play, he would show me the rivals’ mistakes, or their strengths. Now we both have a very good eye.
Why are today’s tennis players so physical?
Because physical training has become much more professional. In the past it was running for an hour and going to the gym, while today it has been scientifically studied and there is much more individualization of that training. That’s why players are ‘beasts’.
The difference was especially noticeable during the pandemic, when the circuit was suspended for many months. They had a greater margin to train and made a leap in quality on a physical level.
What, for example, is Kuhn’s preparation?
It depends a lot on what time of the calendar it is. If you have a tournament in two months, the preparation will be very different than if you play the following week, in terms of volume, intensity and qualities to work on.
“Many players have the extra pressure of winning games to generate income”
Is tennis a very harmful sport?
Yes, due to the demands of the calendar. You play a match and if you win, you play the next day, so on. If you arrive on Sunday, with tougher matches, two days later you have another tournament, in another city… Furthermore, the tension of wanting to win has a huge influence on muscle tension, causing injuries.
They play a lot because they have a lot of expenses.
Exact. Players must generate income, which puts them under extra pressure: in tennis, if you don’t win matches, you don’t make money, unless you have very good sponsors. All of this means that the calendar is long, very dense, with many weeks away from home.
Are we talking about 100,000 euros a year?
Minimum, since you have to pay for trips, hotels, meals, dinners, material – if you do not have a sponsor – both yours and the coach’s. If you travel with a physical trainer and physiotherapist, the expenses multiply, especially in the most expensive cities.
Let’s think that the diet that these professionals have must be in accordance with the activity they carry out. I believe that a good nutritionist is key to the player’s success, and many injuries can come from there.
«With Nico we have a relationship of enormous trust; “You have to be with him in bad times.”
Does your work also have a psychological component?
In the end we are a fairly united team: I have known Nico since he was five years old, he trained with my father and continues with him. We have a very close relationship of friendship and trust, although we are a team and we have to separate it. In bad times we have to support him, much more than in good times.
Do you usually travel with Nico to tournaments?
Some weeks, yes. Last year he traveled alone many times, because after injuries he fell in the ranking and played minor tournaments. In this way I minimized expenses. Since we knew that he would do well and begin to climb positions, we started traveling with him.
Potential top-10, when will we see its best version?
He still has the potential, the question is whether his level explodes. In January it was 720th in the world and in July, 280th. Currently it is 340th.
