About Andrew

Andrew is a racquet professional and has over eleven years of tennis experience. As of April 2023, he is among 400 people worldwide who are certified as Master Racquet Technicians (MRT) by the United States Racquet & Stringers Association (USRSA). Andrew also has Pro Tour Stringer certifications with the Global Racquet Stringers Association (GRSA) and the European Racquet Stringers Association (ERSA). These certifications prove that he meets very high standards in the racquet service industry. 

Andrew recently strung at the inaugural ATX Open WTA 250 event with renowned stringers Mark Gonzales and Josh Newton, and strung the racquets of the tournament winner, Maria Kostyuk.

As a racquet professional, Andrew helps athletes maximize their tennis potential by tailoring equipment to them based on their play style and specific needs. He focuses on details such as the appropriate type of string, tension, head size, string pattern, grip size, and how a racquet should be weighed and customized to complement a player’s style. Andrew advocates maximizing swing speed through the hitting zone and recommends players use a racquet that is light enough to maximize swing speed potential. He also acknowledges the uniqueness of every player’s racquet goals, and recognizes that there can be exceptions to what is generally recommended.  

When he is not servicing racquets, Andrew can be found rallying on the tennis court with players and coaches.  

Be sure to check out his racquet Instagram page: @ata_racquet_services. 

About Eric,

Eric Schmidhauser has played a key role in developing two elite junior tennis academies in Texas. In 1993, Eric founded the St. Stephen’s Tennis Academy and raised the funds to build the 12-court tennis facility. As the leadership team grew to include Coach Jack Newman and Coach Doug Davis, the St. Stephen’s Tennis Academy developed a national reputation for excellence, with many of its players receiving tennis scholarships to top, Division I universities. In 2002, Eric helped found the Austin Tennis Academy and he played an instrumental role in getting ATA’s facility built over two phases of development.

In 2007, after 5 years of helping ATA grow its reputation for excellence in junior tennis development, Eric accepted a position as Development Director at A Glimmer of Hope Foundation. Eric found his work over the next five years at Glimmer tremendously fulfilling as it involved raising funds to provide the rural poor of Ethiopia with clean water, schools and health clinics. In his role with Glimmer, Eric also had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia 19 times to personally witness the profound impact of Glimmer’s work in the field.

After a brief time working in Los Angeles for the Giving Department of TOMS Shoes, Eric and his family returned to Austin. Eric is delighted to return to the Austin Tennis Academy in his management role, assisting Coach Newman with recruiting, customer relations and administering the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation. Eric also enjoys helping coach ATA students at tournaments, drawing on his 15 plus years of coaching experience.