Christian Borrero: Tennis Professional
Christian is a native Houstonian with a Level 2 certification as a teaching professional with RSPA bringing 9 years of coaching experience. Like most tennis phenoms Christian started his tennis career at age 6 and began competing in tournaments at age 10. Coach Christian played varsity tennis for Cypress Ranch High-school and reached top 50 Texas super champion level in juniors. Christian played in 3 national junior events that earned him a scholarship to Arizona Chirstian University, a division II program. With the help of coach Julian, both coaches are the foundation of our new high performance junior program. Coach Christian leads several of our most sought-after ladies’ clinics, including the popular” Tennis Co-Ed live ball intermediate” which tends to have a 7 to 14 day wait list, so we encourage you to secure your spot early through the Houstonian app.
Tennis tip of the month: "The continental grip” for high performance juniors
To be a high-level competitive junior, you need to have the ability to effectively use the continental grip. It allows for a better serve. Better volley technique. Better backhand and forehand slice gives you ability to hit different shots and place the ball in different areas of the court making the continental grip the most versatile grip in tennis.
Sebastian: Pickleball Professional
Juan Sebastian Gonzalez is a PCI certified professional whose racquet sports journey started in Colombia and continued to flourish in the United States. Sebastian brings 14 years of combined playing and coaching experience across tennis and pickleball. Sebastian previously competed in USTA junior tournaments while playing for Mayde Creek High School in Katy, Texas. In 2025, Sebastian began competing in the international pickleball circuit. Since then, he has earned singles and doubles titles across South America and the United States, reaching a top 100 singles ranking in South America and establishing himself as a respected international competitor.
Pickleball Tip of the month: "Shot selection”
Just because a ball can be attacked does not mean it should be.
Be patient enough to wait for the right opportunity. If the ball is below the net or you are off balance, choose a reset instead of forcing a speed up. You will win more points through smart shot selection than by trying to hit the hardest shot.
Julian Haddad: Tennis Professional
Julian Hadad is pursuing an RSPA teaching professional certification. He has 7 years of coaching experience in Tennis, Pickleball, and Padel and is a Houston Native. Julian began his tennis journey at age 7 and was number 1 in Texas in the 10 & under and kept climbing to top 20 in the State for USTA for his age division. Coach Julian took his talents to Washington & Lee University, a division III school and helped win a conference championship. He reached the ITA regional semifinals and produced the most match wins as a freshman. He earned 1st team all-state honors at Cypress Ranch High School.
At The Houstonian, Coach Julian leads our high performance junior programs designed to prepare athletes for tournament play, Junior Team Tennis (JTT), and Junior UTR Sunday competitions and provides quality private, semi-private, and group lessons.
Junior Tennis Tip of the month:
Net clearance, instead of aiming for small spots on the court which cause low net clearance, focus on the height of your ball and big targets. Your goal should be to hit one more ball over the net. The key to hitting with more height is your stance. The lower you get, the more upward motion you can get on the shot. Your primary objective is to get low and maintain a low stance through the shot.
Get your children ready for fall after school junior tennis:
Fall afterschool junior tennis: After a long summer camp we will start the fall season a week later August 24-Monday-Tuesday-Thursday. For everyone to recharge their batteries and start the Fall season fully energized. We encourage you to take advantage of the full season option at a discounted rate to secure your children’s spot, please enroll at the link below.
https://houstonian.campintouch.com/ui/forms/application/camper/App
Pickleball Open Play: Come join us for the nighttime open play Mon-Tue-Weds 6pm-8pm & Saturday Mornings 10am-12pm.
Pickleball news: we had our first pickleball wedding proposal: we cannot confirm if he went to Jared! But he did propose. On Sunday July 12 Ann Liem said "Yes!” on court 1 We wish them a beautiful long life together.
New lessons: You still have time this summer to try tennis for the first time or to come back after a few years away. We have three convenient ways to get you started.
6-week beginner tennis coming back in the fall – look for future dates in early fall or email: sflood@houstonian.com
- The Houstonian app: Menu >Racquet Sports>Request a Lesson> fill out the form & send.
- Phone-Tennis 713.685.6847, Pickleball 713.685.6849
- Racquetsports@houstonian.com or jsalgado@houstonian.com
Our racquet sports manager will then reach out within 24-48 hours.
"My first tennis tournament”
Coach Sebastian hosted the first timer’s tennis tournament; it gave a chance for members that never competed before in a tournament format and to also experience what competitive tennis is all about. The event was a tremendous success.
Liam Funk, a Member of The Houstonian Club has made it to the Nationals at the Little Mo national tournament for a second year in a row. Congratulations Liam!
