Welcome to Luisa’s Tennis Academy
"From Ecuador to Miami, tennis has always been my greatest love. Now, I’m here to share that passion and teach the game that has shaped my life."
About
My name is Luisa Subia.
At Luisa’s Tennis Academy, it’s not just about hitting the ball. It’s about instilling resilience, persistence, and attitude in every player. I teach kids and adults how to approach the game with toughness and discipline, qualities that can be carried off the court and into life.
Chapter 1
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It was a day like any other day in Ecuador—that one specific day that changed everything, that turned my life upside down.
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I was 14 years old, thinking about what I usually thought about: tennis. My practice, my matches, my slice, my forehand. My sister sat next to me as my parents chatted about their day in the front seat of the car, driving us home from my beloved grandfather’s house. I was pretty much in my own world, in my own mind.
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Before I share the details of that horrific day, I want to share what my life was like before.
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I first started playing tennis when I was 7 years old. I don’t remember the very first day I picked up a racket, but I do remember that shortly afterward, it was the only thing I thought about. I loved it! I loved the way it made me feel as a child. I felt powerful, capable, and focused. I saw myself in my idol, Martina Hingis, who turned professional when she was only 14 years old. I could see myself in her when I watched her play.
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I was lucky to train with two incredible players—Andrés Gómez, a French Open champion, and Miguel Olvera, who won the Cincinnati 1000 after coming through the qualifiers. He is still the only player to ever do that. Their passion shaped mine.
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​In Ecuador, where I was born and raised, I lived a somewhat privileged life. My parents were very young when they married, and when my mother gave birth to the first of their three girls—that would be me—they didn’t have much. But my mother’s father was a very successful businessman in the small town where we lived, and so I was afforded much more than other kids. I had a full-time coach, I was a member of a fancy tennis club, and I had people helping me chase my dream of being like Martina.
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Little did I realize that that privilege came at a steep price.
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My interest in and love for the game had allowed my coaches to introduce me to their friends—friends they often leaned on, and ones I too would learn to lean on throughout my life. Their names were toughness, resiliency, persistence, and attitude.
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Back to the story of that fateful day. I remember it was stunningly beautiful—warm, sunny, wonderful. And then, in an instant, it was none of those things.
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When we arrived at the entrance to our home—we had a gate that had to be opened by hand—my mother, who wasn’t driving, got out of the car to open it. Impatient as I always was as a child, I jumped out too.
And then I saw them—men with masks. And those masked men were carrying guns. And those guns were pointed directly at my mother and father.
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What was happening was so surreal. It felt like I was watching a movie or trapped in a dream—but unfortunately, it was far too real.
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The men forced my father into the back seat, climbed into the car, and drove off. Fifty meters down the road, they stopped and threw out my little sister—crying and terrified.
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Hours later, the ransom calls came to my grandfather—money in exchange for my father. If it wasn’t received, very, very bad things were going to happen.
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Thankfully, my grandfather had the means. An exchange was made, and my father was returned. But now everyone knew—anyone connected to my grandfather was a high-value target. It was no longer safe for us to stay in the country of my birth.
Chapter 2 - Coming to America
​Within two weeks, my new home was Miami, Florida—and everything was different.
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We went from being a family of means to a family that had to scrape and claw just to put food on the table. I watched as my mother and father set about making a new life for us girls.
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They accepted whatever jobs they could get and worked very, very long hours. I became the babysitter and caretaker because I was the oldest.
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No longer could I play tennis except for twice a week in a group class—a far cry from what I was used to. Life’s circumstances forced me to choose: either be resilient and brave, or feel sorry for myself. With the example of my parents—and what I imagined my hero Martina Hingis would do in my situation—there really was no choice. Resiliency became my path, and it's what I now believe defines me as an adult.
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My tennis dream didn’t die entirely. I later joined my high school team and led them to districts and state—one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Because of that success, I was offered a full-ride scholarship to play tennis.
Things were starting to turn around. But then... there was another fateful day that changed everything.
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On my way to an early morning test, I was rear-ended in a car accident. I woke up in the hospital—confused and injured. Because of my injuries, I couldn’t play. And in a heartbreaking blow, I lost my scholarship.
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Without it, I couldn’t afford school. That chapter closed in an instant. It was devastating. And I had to call on my old (and new) friend—resiliency—once again.
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Tennis was now out of the question. So, I turned to my grandfather’s roots: entrepreneurship. Starting from scratch, I built a retail business that expanded to several mall locations and created a level of success that I’m still proud of today.
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But my first love—tennis—I was always pining for.
Chapter 3
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Nearly 10 years passed without touching a racket. I was like a jilted lover—heartbroken, not wanting anything to do with it.
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But then I found a way to reconcile—and once again, I found myself “hitting.” It was my greatest love who helped me find my way back to my first love.
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My son Alexander was born, and suddenly, an opportunity presented itself.
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When he turned 5, I started taking him to the tennis club so he could learn. As I coached him, I slowly began hitting again myself. One session led to another, and something inside me lit up.
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It felt like returning to myself—finding myself all over again.
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One day, while hitting with friends, someone from the club asked if I could cover a few kids’ lessons. That single favor turned into my new life—and my new passion. ​
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​Coaching became more than I ever expected. The relationships I’ve built with the kids are one of the most rewarding parts of my life.
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They come to learn tennis, but that’s not all I share with them. I introduce them to my old friends: toughness, resiliency, persistence, and attitude.
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I realized I could teach them more than technique—I could share the same strength, discipline, and joy that tennis gave me. In 2017, I became a full-time coach, and I haven’t looked back since.
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Alexander is now 15 and an absolutely incredible tennis player in his own right. He played on a district champion team and won about 75% of his matches. Watching him grow through the sport has been one of the most meaningful parts of this journey. It inspires how I coach every day.
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Knowing what tennis gave me—my voice, my strength, my second chance—makes it even more fulfilling to pass it on to the next generation of players.
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If you have children who want to learn—or even if you want to learn—I would love to share the sport with you. I can help develop their game, but more importantly, I would love to introduce them to my friends: toughness, resiliency, persistence, and attitude.