When Vasil Valkov first picked up a heavy wooden racket as a boy growing up in southern Bulgaria, he never imagined tennis would one day define his life’s work. Today, as the founder of Valkov Tennis Academy in Limassol, Cyprus, Valkov has built much more than an academy; he’s built a movement. His story isn’t just about sports; it’s about resilience, reinvention, and the power of believing in something long before others see it.
In this exclusive interview with The Future Media, Valkov shares his unlikely journey from lifeguard to tennis coach, the moments that almost made him quit, and the dreams he’s still chasing.
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Take me back to the beginning. Do you remember the moment you first picked up a tennis racket?
I was six years old around 1991. My first experience with tennis came thanks to my best friend, Nikolai, who showed me the basics: forehand, backhand. But it wasn’t easy back then. Tennis wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Equipment was expensive, and most of us only had access to heavy wooden rackets. I grew up in southern Bulgaria, right near the borders with Turkey and Greece, and while there were six new tennis courts built near my home, formal lessons were out of reach for most families, including mine. Tennis, for me, began on summer holidays, playing with my cousin.
What brought you to Cyprus, and more specifically, to Limassol?
I started working at a leisure center with an indoor swimming pool and gym just to earn something. I was doing everything, like cleaning, fixing, and helping around. One day, the owner said to me, “Look, you’re working here, you should become a lifeguard.” I protested. To get the diploma, you needed to pass a swimming test. I wasn’t a professional swimmer, but I trained every night after work. Like in the movies, you know? Practicing the flip turn, hitting my head sometimes on the wall because I didn’t know where up and down and left and right were.
But after half a year, I passed the test. After I got my lifeguard diploma, one of my colleagues, Angel, said, “Hey, there’s an interview to be a lifeguard in Cyprus. Let’s go together.”
We went to Sofia, we did the interview, and a few hours later, they called me. They said, “I have good news and bad news. Good news, we approve you. Bad news, your friend doesn’t get the job.” So, the person who invited me didn’t come, but I got the chance.
I arrived in 2008, working at the Fasouri Water Park for the summer season as a lifeguard. Then back to Bulgaria during off-peak season. Then again, next season. But deep inside, I felt Bulgaria was not my country, I love it, but it’s not for me. There, people complain too much. The economy, the politics, everything is negative. I always felt like I wanted to do something else.
By 2010, my Bulgarian girlfriend and I decided to stay in Cyprus. I found a job in a four-star hotel.
One colleague from the hotel, Lena, said, “My son is seven years old, can you start giving him tennis lessons?” I said, “Okay, we can try, but I don’t have so much experience.” This seven-year-old boy is now twenty, and a private chef in New York.
From one kid, it became a few more. Then I thought, “Maybe I can do this.” On my day off, I started renting a court for 10 Euros an hour and doing lessons. I was working full-time in the hotel too, split shifts, mornings, evenings. It was very tough.
Then one day, I had an idea. I still remember telling my girlfriend, “I’m thinking of doing tennis lessons seriously.” And she told me, “You come from Bulgaria, a gypsy, you want to be a tennis coach here? You didn’t make it there, you think you’ll make it here?” She laughed at me.
But instead of getting depressed, it pushed me. It motivated me to prove to myself that maybe I can do it.
Starting something from scratch is never easy. What pushed you to take that leap and open Valkov Tennis Academy? What were you hoping to create and for whom?
One day, I left the hotel 10 minutes earlier to catch a tennis lesson. They fired me. After five years working like crazy, working like the hotel was mine, they fired me. But you know what? It was the best thing. It forced me to choose my path.
That’s how it really started. I remember my first business cards. My mom still keeps one. It said “Vasil Valkov: Private Lessons,” and it had pictures of Nadal and Federer, one on each side.
In the beginning, it was hard. People didn’t know me. Parents would ask, “Have you played professional tournaments?” I would say, “No, but it’s a different skill to play and a different skill to teach.”
But step by step, we built it. Not by having big sponsors or big money, but with hard work, word of mouth, and a lot of belief.
What is your coaching philosophy?
We call our philosophy the DIE method, Dynamic Intelligent Efficiency.
When we teach tennis, we break it down into very simple steps. Not like the traditional way where the coach says, “Bravo, excellent!” and that’s it. No. I don’t just tell you “good job.” I explain every small detail, where your racket meets the ball, how you position your hips, and where your racket should finish.
We divide it into three stages: first, you prepare the racket. Second, you swing. Third, you hit the ball. But it’s not random. Every movement has a reason. We give numbers, we give clear instructions.
So my job, our job, is to make tennis understandable.
What does a day in your life look like now? I imagine it’s more than just throwing tennis balls and sweeping courts. What goes on behind the scenes that people don’t usually see?
If only it were just sweeping courts!
Honestly, at the beginning, when we had maybe twenty students, one court, it was okay. I was doing everything, coaching, cleaning the court, advertising, administration, counting payments, even fixing the nets. I thought I could manage everything by myself.
But when the academy started to grow, it became impossible. I realized I’m not so good as a businessman, so I needed to split responsibilities. Like Onassis said, “If you can afford to, you pay someone who knows better.”
So now we have a financial manager, an administrator, and someone responsible for advertising. I still coach a lot, but now I have more time to focus on developing the academy, to think ahead.
Every day still starts early and finishes late. I meet parents, organize tournaments, plan schedules, and check the courts.
And even now, if something needs to be cleaned or fixed, if the wind blows the chairs down, I still do it myself. No problem.
You take old courts and refurbish them for your use. Can you share more about that side of the work?
When I say we renovate a court, it’s not just a little painting or fixing the lines. I mean from zero. Some of the places where we work, the courts were built 35 years ago, as part of old building complexes. They were abandoned, broken, and nobody was using them.
So I made a deal with the complexes. I would renovate everything myself, at my expense. In return, we could use the courts for our academy and the residents.
We did four artificial grass tennis courts, and we brought the special sand, not from Cyprus, but from Bulgaria. It’s white sand, not yellow like most places use.
People sometimes ask me, “Why is the sand white?” And I say, “Because it’s from Bulgaria, and why from Bulgaria? Because I’m from Bulgaria!”
This sand is special because it helps prevent injuries. On artificial grass, if you don’t have the right amount of sand, you can twist your ankle easily. The right sand makes it safer, softer, and better for the players, especially kids.
For me, it’s not just about making a court look nice, it’s about making it playable, safe, and professional. And I was part of every step, cleaning, organizing, and helping to lay the surface.
To rebuild a court from scratch takes about 45-50K Euro and a lot of experience, patience, and work.
I always say, if you want something done well, you have to be part of it yourself.
Limassol has changed a lot in recent years. How has the city shaped the way your academy has grown, and how do you think the academy is shaping the city’s sports culture?
Limassol is growing very fast. It’s becoming more international. And that helped the academy a lot.
We are in the heart of Limassol, one of the best locations. We speak Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, English, and Bulgarian. People recommend us mouth-to-mouth. They trust us because we care.
So far, we have 6 coaches and approximately 500–600 students.
Many people coming from big cities, Moscow, London, Geneva, think, “What can you learn in Cyprus?” But when they see the level of our training, they are surprised.
Now we see how tennis is becoming more popular. Kids are playing. Adults are playing. People are investing in sport. And I believe we contributed to that, not only by giving lessons, but by organizing skill tournaments, making social tennis events, and building a real community around the sport.
Every academy has its own people, its own students. I’m not afraid of competition. I believe there is enough work for everyone. Each person has their place. Same here.
Why tennis? Of all the sports you could have chosen, what keeps you in love with this one, and what do you hope people walk away with after stepping onto your courts?
I tried many sports, but tennis stayed with me.
You know, in football, for example, when someone is about to kick the ball, they have time to prepare, they slow down, and you can see them thinking. But in tennis, it’s instant. You don’t have time to think. You need to react fast, move fast, and decide fast.
That’s why I love tennis. It’s a sport that keeps your brain active all the time. Studies even say that tennis players live 9 to 10 years longer on average. You’re not just hitting a ball, you’re developing concentration, stamina, balance, and quick decision-making.
Tennis teaches you to be present, to be in the moment. Most people hit the ball, and they’re already thinking about something else. But if you really play, you feel the court, you feel the ball, you’re alive.
And it’s not just the health benefits. Through tennis, I made friends, I found business opportunities, and I even got a car with a huge discount because one parents helped me! It’s an amazing sport that gives you so much more than you expect.
When people step onto my courts, I want them to feel that. I want them to discover something about themselves, whether their strength, their joy, or their ability to focus and push forward.
What is in the future for you and Valkov Tennis Academy?
We are dreaming bigger now. Since my dad passed away, I am even more determined to make the Valkov name mean something. To make him proud.
One of my biggest dreams is to create an indoor tennis academy. Right now, in Cyprus, we don’t really have indoor tennis courts. They say, “It only rains 20-25 days a year.” But what about the summer? It’s 38, 45, sometimes 50 degrees. Who wants to play tennis outside in that heat?
Imagine, a clubhouse with four indoor courts, air-conditioning, no wind, no sun, no dust. A place where people of all ages, even older people, can play comfortably year-round. People would come not just from Limassol but from all over Cyprus: Nicosia, Paphos, Larnaca.
That’s the dream. And step-by-step, like how we started from one court, we are working to make it real.
