Natalizia Diroma
Natalie makes her rounds as a USPTA P1-rated professional and PTR1- rated professional.
She is based at the top-rated tennis resort in the country – Sea Pines Racquet Club – where she has also assisted the Stan Smith/Billy Stearns Tennis Academy for the first two years. She taught part time at clubs such as Port Royal, Golden Bear and Melrose Club, Hilton Head Beach and Tennis, as well as coaching the Hilton Head High School tennis team.
Outside the tennis industry, Natalie worked at San Paolo Bank in London for four years as an information technology assistant and as an accountant for El/AL Israel Airline and Globus Gateway British Tours for three years. It was while working for the bank in London that she decided to finally work toward a full-time tennis career.
Natalie feels that her non-tennis employment and completion of studies abroad have complemented her performance as a teaching professional. “It has helped me to realize what passion I really had and wanted to pursue in some ways to feel more complete within myself,” she says.
Involved in sports from a young age, Natalie has been playing tennis since she was 13 years old and practiced with her cousin David, who is a well-known coach for the Italian Tennis Federation (I.T.F) and has greately contributed to the success of italian tennis players such as Roberta Vinci, Francesca Schiavona to name a few. “I enjoy the discipline,” she says, “and the fitness required, together with the mental toughness involved to obtain a positive attitude in this sport, which can reflect our challenges throughout life.”