Coaching Spotlight: Gabe Slotnick, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club

More than a decade ago, Gabe Slotnick was sitting in the office of his accounting job at NYU Medical Center, pondering the next step in his life. While he was successful in the corporate world, he longed for something that would provide him more fulfillment.

A former Division III tennis player at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, Slotnick still played recreationally and competed on a USTA Adult League team. One of his teammates was working in the IT industry and decided to leave to become a tennis teaching professional, which was a lightbulb sort of moment for Slotnick.

“I was working in the accounting audit division at NYU Medical Center, and I just wasn’t happy,” he recalls. “I didn’t like what I was doing, I didn’t like who I was working with. At this point, I was in my mid-thirties and wasn’t married, and I said if I’m going to take a chance and do something different, now is the time. I got inspiration from one of my USTA teammates, and said ‘if he can do it, so can I’.”

Slotnick went about entering the tennis teaching field, going for his USPTA and PTR certifications, and has not looked back since. He currently serves as Assistant General Manager and Junior Development Program Director at Manhattan Plaza Racquet, one of the longest-standing tennis facilities in New York City.

“It’s been a real blessing to be able to immerse myself and make that transformation into tennis full-time,” Slotnick says. “Skip [Hartman] gave me the opportunity to come here and to grow here, and I owe him a lot for that. I’m so happy with the decision I made and where I’m currently at.”

At Manhattan Plaza, Slotnick has his hands in a lot of different areas which makes him a key member of their team. He does many administrative tasks as the Assistant General Manager, but he also operates their Junior Development Program, which includes teaching red ball tennis to young players from the ages of four to eight, but he also teaches adults.

His passion is working with the kids and seeing the smiles on their faces when they begin to pick up the sport, and watching their progress grow from not being able to hold a racquet properly to being able to rally. It’s an important stage in tennis development to ensure that young players do not become discouraged, and allows them to find their love for the sport.

“I really enjoy working with that age group, and being able to see them start from zero and all of a sudden after 18 weeks, they are able to rally back and forth,” Slotnick said. “It’s amazing to see that progress and how quickly they are able to pick it up.

I bring that same philosophy to the beginner adults we work with. We recently started doing QuickStart classes for adults, and we don’t overcomplicate things. It’s a three-level progression over six weeks, and we let them learn the basics of fundamentals. The technique will come, but getting them to rally back and forth, being able to control their bodies, remain balanced and control the ball first. Then from there we can add technique. The key is to keep it simple.”

These programs have been extremely successful and have taken off tremendously, with many of the young junior players and adult players advancing beyond taking classes or participating in groups, but are also now taking private lessons. Manhattan Plaza has had to extend its hours of operation to midnight during the week to accommodate the ever growing demand for court time.

Part of the charm of Manhattan Plaza is its rich tradition in the neighborhood in which it stands, which means it holds a special place in the hearts of the members and players who walk through their doors. It’s a big reason why Slotnick and his team take a lot of pride in providing an unmatched environment not just for its customers, but for the staff as well.

“It’s an amazing place to work, and being here at Manhattan Plaza with all of its history and its connection to the neighborhood makes it special,” he said. “We’re on the smaller side, we have just five courts, but that makes it like a family. We pride ourselves on retaining staff, we have very little turnover and we’ve been able to create this atmosphere where everyone works together as a team, and we’re close with one another. The members can see that, and they appreciate that, and it all combines to create an amazing environment for everyone.”

When Slotnick isn’t on court, he spends a lot of his time cycling. He was once an avid runner, completing many marathons before he transitioned into cycling. And outside of his athletic endeavors, he enjoys spending time with his wife and his six-year-old son.

In fact, Slotnick’s son has begun his own tennis journey, which has given Slotnick a lot of pride as he watches his son find his own love for tennis.

“He plays at some of Advantage’s satellite locations, and does a red ball program one night a week at Roosevelt Island,” Slotnick says. “It’s been great, and even late at night we’ll hit the ball against a door in our apartment, when my wife leaves the room, and it’s a great bonding time for us. He’s learning how to control the ball better and is even able to rally with his coach, and it’s really fun to see that progression for him.”

As we enter 2026, Slotnick is excited to continue the growth of the programs at Manhattan Plaza and all Advantage Tennis Clubs locations. That includes running more junior tournaments, and preparing for this year’s summer camps of which Advantage offers multiple.

“Just to continue building with the team we have here, all the way from four-year-olds through 18-year-olds in our junior development program,” he said. “Keep the kids engaged, and keep going strong.”