Israeli tennis is undergoing a quiet revolution over recent years, with many of the country’s most talented young players seeking to realize their dreams under the framework of the independent, non-profit David Squad rather than the Israel Tennis Association or Israel Tennis Centers.

The David Squad, named after ancient Israel’s King David, was set up a decade ago by David Coffer, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist from Britain who made his money in real estate, and his son Adam.

It all began in 2005, when David Coffer recognized the distinct lack of clay court training available in Israel.

He financed a two-week trip for eight of the best Israeli junior prospects at the time to come and train on the red clay in the south of Spain.

This team, joined by their coaching staff, became “The David Squad” and hasn’t stopped evolving since, turning into the leading independent tennis academy system in Israel.

Read the full article by Allon Sinai at The Jerusalem Post here.