After his university studies at the University of Leuven where he holds a Master Degree in Sport Science, Carl began his coaching journey with the Belgian Tennis Federation in 1992 and went on to coach Kim Clijsters from her junior years through to becoming a Grand Slam finalist. In 2006, he led the Belgian Billie Jean King Cup team to the final, working with a world-class line-up that included Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Kirsten Flipkens.
His career later took him to the LTA, where he led the women’s tennis programme in Great Britain including the rise of Laura Robson, Johanna Konta and many others into the top 100 before building and running the Kim Clijsters Academy. Until recently Carl was PTR’s International Director of Coaching and ran two International Tennis Academies in Spain whilst continuing to work with players and coaches at every level (including Cirstea, Zidansek, Andreescu,…).
With more than three decades of experience at the highest level of the game, Carl brings a wealth of knowledge on and off the court, while keeping his focus simple: helping people and organisations perform better. As a keynote speaker he was trusted by Proctor & Gamble, BNP Paribas Fortis and several other organisations including also all Grand Slam Federations as well as Tennis Europe and ITF.
His services include:
- Performance coaching for players, developing their technical, tactical and competitive game.
- Mentoring for parents, helping them navigate the long-term development of a young player.
- Education and mentoring for coaches and academies, enabling coaches, teams and organisations to strengthen their approach to player development and create better performance environments.
- Keynotes for boards, leadership offsites, sales kick-offs and performance summits, translating three decades of coaching world-class players into practical insights and decisions your team can put into action on Monday morning.
Whether you are a player looking for that extra 1%, a parent seeking guidance, a coach or academy aiming to improve your development approach, or an organisation looking to build a stronger performance culture, Carl offers practical, experience-based support tailored to your needs.
Explore Carl’s services in English, French or Dutch and discover how he can help you take the next step: carlmaes.com