Craig Acker on working out the top talent at the USTA National Campus

"I can never want it more than the athlete, like it starts and ends there. If they're a pro [with] all these opportunities that they have, which I envy a lot, the life of a pro athlete is pretty incredible. But I can't want it more than them."

The 2020 season of the TENNIS.com Podcast kicks off with USTA strength and conditioning coach Craig Acker. 

Based in Lake Nona, Fla. at the home of American tennis, Acker works with players of all ages and levels. He played an integral role in helping CiCi Bellis get back on the court after her four arm surgeries, and worked with Reilly Opelka well before he made his way to the Top 40. 

He tells us about his day-to-day life in the gym at the USTA National Campus, and the rewards and challenges of working out for a living. His job requires a lot of attention to detail with each player having different needs and goals. He gives us his opinion on tennis players doing Olympic weight lifting, and the importance of having a full team to help an injured player properly recover.

And how much of his job involves yelling at players to run faster or lift more? Luckily for Acker, he works with an inspired group of players that don't need to be pushed to work hard. 

Watch the TENNIS.com Podcast episodes on YouTube and Facebook.

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