It’s just another sunny day in Ponte Vedra, but on the courts at the Sawgrass Racquet Club, a revolution is underway.
Ryan Khan, the new assistant tennis pro at Sawgrass Country Club, is determined to take tennis in this town to a new level.
"It’s a sport for life," Khan said. "It opens doors to meeting people in different fields. There are few sports that a common person is able to be around."
Kahn has been with Sawgrass just short of one month, but he has already made an impact. Head pro Magnus Berglund said he knew right away that Kahn was one of their top picks for assistant tennis pro.
"He is easy to talk to and very professional," said Berglund. "He was what we were looking for. The members think he is a good teacher."
Kahn is originally from British Guyana, where he began playing tennis at an early age. He said he used to do martial arts and across the street from the kung fu studio was a park.
"I saw these guys hitting the ball and thought ‘I can do that’," he said. "I wanted to try it, so I went over to the facility and starting hitting with an old aluminum racket. A few months later I dropped martial arts."
Kahn has 12 years of teaching experience from inner city courts to country clubs. He represented Guyana at the Davis Cup and was ranked number 2 in the nation in singles and number 1 in doubles for his age group.
Despite the accolades, Kahn is a family man at heart and loves the game and sharing the fun with his own kids.
"When we play it’s a treat," he said. "I’m not coach, I’m just dad."
Kahn and his family plan to relocate to Ponte Vedra sometime in the near future. He said the area reminds him a great deal of South Florida but the attitude of residents is much nicer.
"It’s different," he said of Ponte Vedra. "The attitude is much more southern."
In addition to acting as the assistant tennis pro, Kahn is the Junior Director and is in charge of building the junior tennis program.
"Every day feels like the first day," he said. "Not too many places have that feeling. This is the ultimate job to have. There is so much more I can learn here. It’s giving me the freedom to be myself."
