Tennis One

Coaching Team

Meet Our Experienced Coaching Team !

International experience. Local impact.

 

Nelson Cuellar | Director / Mission Bay Tennis Club Head coach

ITF Level 2 - International Tennis Federation Club Professional

Phone number: 021 175 1546

Background

Nelson has been a high-level player since the age of 8, representing Bogotá, Colombia in local, regional and international tournaments. Nelson has established multiple Tennis Schools and Academies in New Zealand and Estonia (Tennis One Tenniseklubi)

With a passion for tennis, Nelson uses his knowledge and skills to achieve collectively set goals and motivate his students to help them reach their full potential through intensity, discipline and will. 

"Through consistency, passion, will and hard work, true champions are achieved!"

Coaching style

  • Systematically broken down by levels and skills, called "My Tennis Journey".

  • Empowering

  • Enthusiastic, intense and cheerful

Qualifications

  • Coach registered with the New Zealand Tennis Union

  • AJC Tennis NZ

  • LOA certified trainer

  • ITF Level 2 club professional coach

  • Bachelor of International Business Administration - Universidad de la Sabana - Colombia

Coaching experience

  • Head Coach Mission Bay Tennis Club

  • Founder of Tennis One Estonia

  • Founder and former Director of Team1 Tennis (formerly known as Tennis Monsters) 2015-2023

  • Former head coach at Birkenhead, Greenhithe and West Harbour tennis clubs (2015-2020).

  • Former Coaching Director in Te Atatu, Waimauku, Forrest Hill, Pompallier and Browns Bay.

  • Head coach at Eden Epsom tennis club (2017-2023)

  • Tennis coach since 2005 in the USA and New Zealand.

  • Coach at Kohimarama tennis club

  • Abitreener at Next Generation Tennis Club

Organising tournaments and events

  • Former Main Draw LTD Director (Albany Youth Regional, over 250 players)

  • Organised around 6 club tournaments per year at Eden Epsom Tennis Club (average 140 players), over 50 tournaments as a director.

  • Director of Hot Shots Junior Tournaments, Leagues and Fun Events

AWARD-WINNING TENNIS AUCKLAND CLUB COACH OF THE YEAR 2017-2018

Rates: 

Mission Bay Tennis Club members:

1 Hour: $100

10 Hours package: $920 (6 months expiry date, non-refundable, transferable to another person)

Non-Members:

1 Hour: $115

10 Hours package: $1035 (6 months expiry date, non-refundable, transferable to another person)

 

Krista Kivi | Senior Coach 

Phone number: 021 176 1829

 

Krista Kivi is an experienced and highly regarded tennis coach with a strong background in junior development and international coaching. Before joining Tennis One, she spent seven years working with the biggest tennis academy in Estonia, USTA, where she played a key role in developing hundreds of young players from grassroots to national level.

Krista has also run successful tennis camps across Estonia and in several countries around the world through Traveling Rackets, combining high-quality coaching with a passion for creating memorable tennis experiences.

At Tennis One, Krista leads our junior development programs, bringing her expertise, warmth, and global perspective to help every player reach their full potential

Rates:
Mission Bay Tennis Club members:
1 Hour: $90

Non-Members:
1 Hour: $100

 

Howard Ho | Tennis Coach
Phone number: 027 5720638

Background
Howard started playing tennis at the age of 5 and was a strong junior player, ranked
7 in NZ in the 18 and unders, with an international junior ITF ranking of 660. He
played in the top team for St Kent’s prep where he was Dux and Tennis champion,
and then in the top teams for King’s College where he was offered a scholarship. At
this time he was also chosen to represent the Auckland team to play against other
regions in junior events.

Howard is an enthusiastic, encouraging and energetic coach who can help you reach
your tennis goals. He has coached tennis, both group and private lessons, since the
end of high school, and has coached at Takapuna Tennis Club, Remuera Rackets,
ASB Tennis Centre in Parnell (now known as Next Gen), Waiata tennis club (where
he was junior interclub controller), and Belmont Tennis Club, as well as at private
tennis courts.
Howard has a master’s degree with first class honours from the University of
Auckland, with a double major in Maths and English, and Masters level Latin. He has
done extremely well academically and was the top scholar in NZ for English in his
final year of high school, receiving over $20,000 worth of scholarships and being
flown to Wellington to receive his awards.
For the last 10 years Howard has been coaching both boys’ and girls’ teams at
King’s College where he has been working together with former NZ no. 1 Mark
Nielsen. Howard has been in charge of all afternoon lessons there. This year he was
the main coach for the King’s Premier Girls team and had the privilege to be their
designated on-court coach when they won the National Title for the first time ever,
defeating the always strong St Kent’s Premier Girls in the semifinal and Wellington’s
Queen Margaret College in the final. He is currently splitting his time between
coaching at King’s College and coaching at his home club, Mission Bay, with Nelson
and his Tennis One team.
During the last 10 years Howard also occasionally travelled to money tournaments in
Australia where he achieved a ranking inside the top 200 in Australia. He is a high
level player who is the current captain of the Mission Bay Caro Reserve team. To
keep fit, Howard does yoga daily and basic gymnastics as well (some of you may
have seen him do a backflip on court before).

Rates:
Mission Bay Tennis Club members:
1 Hour: $90

Non-Members:
1 Hour: $100

Professional Stringing Services: $55 including standard strings (may be more for select premium strings)
$30 if providing own strings

 

Juan Luis Ramirez  | GTM Lead

Phone number: 027 355 0632

Juan is the growth connector behind TennisOne, bringing people, partnerships, and opportunities together to help our community thrive. With a background in PR, marketing, and tech, he shapes how TennisOne is experienced both online and on court.

From securing sponsor relationships to creating content that captures the energy of our players, Juan helps position TennisOne as more than a tennis academy, but a community people want to be part of.

His philosophy is simple: give more value than you take. Whether building partnerships, creating opportunities, or supporting local players, he leads with generosity, curiosity, and a strong belief in community led growth.

Outside of TennisOne, you’ll likely find him exploring new tech tools, enjoying strong coffee, or capturing moments through a camera lens.