With a lifelong dedication to tennis, Jordan Sanchez has been instrumental in shaping Liga.Tennis as it expands its reach and transforms racquet sports across Indonesia and beyond.
Raphael Jordan De Asis Sanchez, originally from Manila, Philippines, discovered his passion for tennis at 11, quickly rising to become a nationally ranked junior player. His talent earned him a tennis scholarship in the U.S., leading to a career with Peter Burwash International, where he coached at top resorts worldwide.
Though initially hesitant about Bali, what was meant to be a one-year assignment turned into 28 years—where he fell in love with the island, its culture, and his wife, Mike. His journey with Liga.Tennis began when founders Dmitry Shcherbakov, a former student of his, and Ayunada envisioned creating a tennis facility beyond the Liga App. True to his word, Dmitry built Liga.Tennis Umalas, followed by several more locations. Starting as Operational Director at Liga.Tennis Center & Academy, Jordan now serves as Director of PT Ligatennis Sports Management, overseeing the company’s growing network of clubs.
Hi, Jordan! We would like to know, as Liga.Tennis continues to grow, how has your leadership style evolved, and what key lessons have you learned?
Dmitry, or Dima, and Ayu have put a lot of faith in me, and having them as my support system at work made the transition much easier. Dima and I are total opposites in our working styles—like fire and ice—but we intersect on three core traits: passion, hard work, and integrity. That’s why I truly believe in our vision and mission. Dima can be the toughest person in the meeting room, but the next day, he’ll be out there getting down and dirty with the staff, cleaning the tennis courts. Our company’s core values keep us united and on the same level. I always try to show our team that while I may be leading them, I am also serving them—and that’s important. Staying humble and earning their respect means that, no matter what, your team will always be there, ready to give their best.
As for the key lesson—hire and build a team with people who have the highest level of integrity. The right person for the right seat. Our management company, Liga.Tennis Sports Management, is composed of an amazing group of intelligent and honest people. We all work hard, have fun, and support each other. And when you have these types of people on your team, the sky’s the limit!
In our previous interview with Dmitry, he spoke about Liga.Tennis’ vision to make active lifestyles more accessible through racquet sports. How has this mission evolved under your leadership, and what new initiatives are in place to further this goal?
The first and most important thing is to truly believe in your mission statement: “Inspiring people to live better through tennis and racquet sports.” We train every team member in our company to know, understand, live, and embody this mission—from our housekeepers to top management and owners. We’ve even made an “unofficial company rule” that everyone in the company must play tennis, padel, squash, or use any of our facilities for free in their spare time, allowing them to experience our mission firsthand and embrace a healthy lifestyle.
Aside from expanding to different locations and offering multiple racquet sports, we have also simplified our court, lesson, and class fees by introducing package options. These packages give players the opportunity to make advanced bookings for courts, lessons, and classes without locking players to commit for a longer period compared to memberships. We want to give everyone a chance to be able to play. This year, Liga.Tennis will also be active in community outreach programs by visiting orphanages, various rehabilitation facilities, and hosting“open houses at Liga.Tennis”—ensuring that everyone has the chance to experience the game.
Liga.Tennis’ comprehensive tennis program caters to all types of players. We have a Junior Tennis Academy and an Elite Tennis Program that caters to aspiring junior players, along with a weekly tennis program for players of all levels, from beginner to advanced. All in all, we are in most ways, putting the interest of the game for everyone to enjoy and possibly to also discover the next future tennis champions.
We’ve also discussed the Liga App’s role in connecting players and simplifying access to sports facilities. How has the platform grown since then?
What started off as a platform for a player match-up has grown into a multifunctional app where you can find racquet sports facilities, join community groups, set up your own tournament, or even use its booking system for your own tennis or racquet sports business.
All Liga.Tennis facilities use the Liga App to monitor all our branches. We have started implementing online payment and will soon transition to a fully cashless system across all locations, making everything simpler. We’ve also added a rating feature for our coaches’ performance, allowing us to continually improve on better service and upgrade our coaches’ teaching skills. Nowadays, it’s all about efficiency and speed, and the Liga App helps you find where you want to go and what you want to do.
Your annual tournament is the biggest of its kind, attracting over 300 participants and hundreds of spectators. How do events like this elevate the tennis scene and create new opportunities for players?
The Liga.Tennis Open is our flagship tennis event of the year and it has always been the highlight event for most tennis lovers—not only in Bali but across the country and even from all over the world. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. We have a calendar of tennis tournaments that leads up to the Liga.Tennis Open, and the purpose of this format is for players to be able to have targets and progression. Whether you’re actually playing in the tournament, or just a spectator watching matches, you will feel the energy and, hopefully, be Inspired to get on the tennis court to play.
You’re now developing clubs beyond Indonesia, including in Turkey. What markets are you targeting next, and how do you determine the right locations?
The beauty of our business model is that we will adapt to each location, but still maintain the same Liga.Tennis standards. Of course, we research locations, but our doors are always open to anyone looking for a great experience. As you mentioned, we may have a project in Turkey, but we are already developing and building facilities in Ubud, Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, and possibly Semarang and Jakarta in the near future. Each location has its unique features and different types of clientele, but Liga.Tennis will be consistent in its programming and service standards.
With six clubs already operating and five more in development, Liga.Tennis is aiming for 77 clubs worldwide. How do you envision Liga.Tennis’ impact at that scale?
We always look at our progress from three different standpoints: community engagement, sports development, and, of course, business growth—since we have investors and partners to answer to. We could build the largest and most sophisticated facility in the world, but without the people and the community, it would just be a facility.
Tennis is considered one of the healthiest sports, while padel and pickleball are currently the fastest-growing recreational pastimes in the world. I always say tennis is the Rolls-Royce of racquet sports—for players, it’s all about feeling that perfect stroke when you hit the ball. The beauty of padel and pickleball, on the other hand, is in the actual playing experience—that’s where the fun is. That’s why Liga.Tennis has evolved from just tennis to include a variety of racquet sports. And if you ask me how I envision Liga.Tennis’ impact when we achieve 77 clubs? I hope to see more happy, healthy people living life to the fullest. Liga.Tennis will provide a haven where communities gather, where fun and exciting activities bring people together, but most importantly, a sense of home each and every time they walk into our facilities.
What’s next for you and Liga.Tennis?
Well, this journey in my life has just begun. My goal right now, as the company grows rapidly, is to ensure that our systems and structure are firmly in place to provide the best experience and service to our clientele at every Liga.Tennis facility. Consistency—whether you play at Liga.Tennis Umalas, Sanur, or even Turkey, we want our clients to enter our facility knowing they are in Liga.Tennis. The ambience may vary depending on our locations, but you will definitely receive the same warm, welcoming atmosphere, professional service, and friendly smiles from our team.
As for Liga.Tennis as a company? Stay on course with the vision—77 properties in 10 years. Dima focuses on development, and I handle operations. No matter how many facilities we ultimately build, I know one thing for sure: Liga.Tennis has already made a positive impact on many people’s lives.
How can our readers get in touch?
Download the Liga App and reach out to me there!