Sergio Barbu loves soaring to new heights! An avid recreational pilot, Sergio is always ready to meet a new challenge and see things from a different perspective. As the Director of Tennis for Taconic Sport & Racquet, Sergio will bring us a fresh perspective, new ideas, and exciting concepts.
Sergio was born in Bucharest, Romania and came to the United States, sponsored by his uncle, at age 15. Once settled in Middletown, NY, Sergio began competing on the Eastern Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation Circuits. His high level of play and dedication to the game propelled him to #10 in 16u and top 20 ranking in 18u. During his high school career, Sergio also played #1 singles and #1 doubles for Middletown High School, winning the Section 9 Championship in Orange County for two consecutive years.
After graduating from Middletown High School, Sergio was recruited to play college tennis at Division II Concordia College in NY as #1 singles and #2 doubles. As a member of the team he fought hard to win the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rolex Qualifying Championship. Sergio went on to participate in the NCAA Division 2 tournament in his sophomore year and attained a Top 20 national collegiate ranking. He was awarded the Intercollegiate Tennis Association “Player to Watch” Award. In addition to Sergio’s impressive tennis college career, he was a dedicated student with a major in Business Administration.
After college, Sergio’s love for the sport compelled him to pursue a career in tennis. As a USPTA Tennis Professional, Sergio taught at Sound Shore Indoor Tennis and served as Head Pro at New Rochelle Tennis Club and First Assistant Pro at Tamarack Country Club. Sergio has spent the past eight years as Head Pro at Proform Tennis Academy. During this time, Sergio worked to build unified teams of Tennis Professionals and offered mentorship to junior pros. He developed and rolled out innovative adult and junior programming, developed elite junior players, and worked to offer improvements and ideas to ensure increased player participation and growth. Sergio has a passion for developing a player’s game and proficiency. He enjoys watching as his students, both junior and adult, grow and progress as players.