Meet this Hall of Fame coach's newest tennis prodigy | Interview with Vlada Hranchar and Rick Macci

‪@RickMacci‬ has coached Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Jennifer Capriati. Now, he's calling 10-year-old Vlada Hranchar, unlike anyone he's coached before. In this exclusive The Rally Report interview, we sit down with Hall of Fame coach Rick Macci and rising Ukrainian tennis star Vlada Hranchar to discuss the partnership that's turning heads across the tennis world. Vlada opens up about fleeing Ukraine, learning English after arriving in America, her demanding 3:30am training routine, why she's known as "The Panther," and why Carlos Alcaraz is her biggest inspiration. Macci explains what he saw within five minutes of watching her play, why he believes she's a generational talent, and how he's building her game for the future rather than chasing junior results. If you enjoy long-form tennis interviews with rising stars, coaches and behind-the-scenes stories from the sport, subscribe to The Rally Report. 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @the.rallyreport ✍️ Read our tennis features on Substack, link in our Instagram bio! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:31 Inside Vlada's 3:30am training routine 06:30 Why Macci took on Vlada 07:22 How a Ukrainian toddler fell in love with tennis 08:57 Rick Macci's first impression of Vlada Hranchar 13:11 Why modern tennis is getting faster every year 14:29 The competitive nature of being an athlete 15:54 Vlada's first impression of meeting Rick Macci 17:43 Learning English after fleeing Ukraine 18:40 Inside Rick Macci Tennis Academy 21:20 Why she's called "The Panther" 24:10 Vlada Hranchar's biggest tennis rolemodels 28:07 The one thing Macci says Vlada taught him 29:40 What she misses most about Ukraine 30:52 Who does Vlada remind Macci of? 33:20 The importance of balance, taekwondo training, and having the tools to succeed 40:23 How the coaching scene has changed 42:22 What 40 years of coaching taught Rick Macci 43:15 Vlada's favourite surface 46:41 The advice every young tennis player needs to hear