Jakarta International Tennis Academy

A long-running hub for junior tennis in Indonesia

Jakarta International Tennis Academy, known across the city as JITA, has been a steady presence in Indonesian tennis since 1981. It began as the Goenawan Fun Tennis Club when founder Goenawan Tedjo was a 20-year-old coach with a simple plan: teach sound fundamentals, build character, and make tennis part of family life in South Jakarta. Over four decades the club evolved into a structured academy with hundreds of active players, a defined pathway from red ball to national competition, and a leadership role in the city’s junior tournament calendar. The name is different, the scale is larger, yet the core mission is unchanged. JITA exists to help young players grow into capable competitors and responsible students, and it pursues that mission with practical facilities, school partnerships, and a culture that prizes consistency.

Why Jakarta works for year-round training

Jakarta’s tropical climate allows tennis almost every day of the year. Heat and humidity require careful session design, but they also create an environment where aerobic capacity and heat management become natural strengths for players who learn to hydrate and recover well. JITA leans into that reality. Sessions are scheduled to avoid the hottest windows, and recovery cues are built into daily routines so that volume can accumulate without compromising health.

Equally important is the city’s scale. In Jakarta, commute time dictates what is possible for school-age athletes. JITA’s multi-site model is therefore not a convenience add-on but a strategic decision. The academy runs programs across several South Jakarta locations, including a primary base at the Cilandak Sports Center near Jalan T. B. Simatupang, additional courts at Sekolah Duta in Pondok Indah, and valuable indoor and outdoor access at UMS 80. Parents can choose the venue that aligns with school hours and traffic patterns, which ultimately protects the training week from being swallowed by travel.

Facilities across three sites

Cilandak Sports Center

The Cilandak base functions as JITA’s administrative and scheduling heart. The academy utilizes multiple outdoor hard or synthetic hard courts, an on-site administration office that streamlines registration and communication, and an air-conditioned waiting room where parents can work while sessions run. The surrounding sports complex adds meaningful extras: a semi-Olympic swimming pool for recovery swims or low-impact cardio, and a basic gymnasium for supervised movement work. Apartments on the property make short stays feasible for families visiting from other parts of Indonesia, though JITA is not a full boarding academy. The feel is community-centric rather than secluded campus, which fits its goal of aligning school and sport.

Sekolah Duta in Pondok Indah

Sekolah Duta offers another cluster of outdoor courts and a semi-outdoor waiting area. Because the venue sits within a school environment, it is a natural fit for after-school classes, team practices, and fixtures against other schools. The setting also encourages consistent attendance. Students transition directly from class to court, which is a decisive advantage during exam seasons when every extra hour of commuting is a cost to be paid.

UMS 80 indoor-outdoor continuity

UMS 80 provides indoor and outdoor courts, the rare combination that keeps training on schedule during heavy rain. For junior development that continuity matters. If the week’s technical theme is serve rhythm or return footwork, moving inside instead of canceling protects the repetition that drives change. It also supports the injury-prevention routines that thrive on rhythm rather than sporadic bursts of activity.

Coaching staff and philosophy

Founder and director Goenawan Tedjo remains the academy’s philosophical anchor. He is complemented by a staff that blends technical specialists with movement and conditioning coaches. The tone is patient and encouraging, yet the structure is precise. Children use age-appropriate equipment and scaled courts to master contact height and balance before they graduate to the power demands of the full-size game. Head coach Revel Yehezkia brings advanced training in junior development and is deeply involved in coach education, which keeps the staff aligned on current best practice. The result is a program that feels friendly at first glance but reveals a clear progression framework once you step onto the court.

At JITA, coaching is built around three promises. First, every athlete will understand the next technical skill they are chasing. Second, match play will be a weekly habit rather than an occasional test. Third, physical literacy will progress in step with tennis skills so that new power is earned safely.

Programs built for progression, not just participation

JITA’s pathway is organized to make development visible to families and players alike.

• Munchkin Tennis for ages 3 to 5 introduces rolling, catching, and racquet-hand coordination in playful formats that set up a lifetime of athletic movement.
• Mini Tennis for ages 6 to 10 uses red and orange balls with short courts and low nets. Themes include rally resilience, forehand shape, two-handed backhand mechanics, and a fun introduction to serving.
• Intermediate squads, roughly ages 8 to 18, transition through green and regular balls with an emphasis on swing tempo, recovery steps, spacing on the run, and neutral-ball decision making.
• Advanced squads for ages 10 to 18 sharpen serve plus one, return plus one, and patterns that convert defense to offense. Drills are designed to collapse into live points so that decisions are tested under pressure.
• High Performance is built for tournament-oriented juniors. Volume increases, intensity sessions are layered into the week, and fitness becomes individualized. Video feedback, scouting of common junior patterns, and frequent match play anchor the plan.

A College Placement service sits on top for families seeking guidance on video portfolios, results tracking, communications with coaches, and choosing academic settings that fit a player’s level and personality. Throughout the pathway, group training is supplemented with private lessons, internal ladders, and short-format events that reward consistent attendance.

JITA also delivers a School Program that serves partner campuses from kindergarten through high school. For younger grades, sessions can be staged in gyms or auditoriums with modified courts. The aim is twofold. Tennis becomes another language to teach discipline and respect, and it raises the technical ceiling high enough for students to make school teams and compete beyond school walls.

Adult and seasonal offerings round out the calendar. Parents who want to play can join technique clinics and social doubles sessions. During holiday periods the academy runs intensive camps that tie together technical themes, match play, and fitness, making them a practical on-ramp for new families and a booster block for juniors preparing for tournaments.

How training works week to week

The development framework is simple to describe and demanding to execute: get the technique right, turn patterns into habits, and add the physical and mental layers that let those habits hold under pressure.

• Technical: Players progress from cooperative rally work to constrained live points. Young athletes learn to shape the ball with height and depth, to stabilize the head at contact, and to find spacing under time pressure. Serve development is a weekly pillar, with rhythm drills, toss stability, and targeted second-serve spin.
• Tactical: Pattern language is introduced early. Terms like hold neutral, stretch to advantage, and close to finish give juniors a vocabulary to analyze points. Video is used selectively to check spacing, court position, and shot selection in key moments.
• Physical: Movement efficiency leads the program. That means posture, deceleration, and landing mechanics before heavy strength. The Cilandak pool is a useful tool for low-impact cardio and cool downs in hot months. Growth spurts are tracked so volume and plyometric loads can be adjusted.
• Mental: Older juniors use goal sheets for microcycles, while younger players chase rally targets and effort grades that are clear and game-like. Post-match reflections are short, specific, and actionable, turning results into the next week’s plan.
• Educational: For students balancing academics and travel, staff help craft schedules that respect exam blocks. School partnerships make midweek training possible when tournament weekends are full, which keeps skills from backsliding.

A typical High Performance microcycle might include two intensity sessions focused on serve plus one and transition defense, two volume sessions for pattern consolidation, a fitness block that blends movement circuits with trunk stability, and match play on the weekend. Recovery is not an afterthought. Hydration protocols, cool-downs, and simple mobility routines are built into every session.

Competition pathway and event hosting

JITA is more than a training center. It helps stage competition. In July 2025 the academy operated the JITA Cup Series at Hotel Borobudur in Central Jakarta, bringing International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour Juniors events at J60 and J30 levels to the city. For developing players that matters practically and psychologically. Practically, it reduces travel costs for ranking opportunities. Psychologically, it shows athletes what international-standard match days feel like, from warm-up windows to on-site calls and post-match recovery.

Beyond headline events, the academy runs ladders, internal match days, and open tournaments that keep the competitive rhythm alive week after week. Coaches attend with notebooks full of tactical cues, then fold those observations into Monday’s training blocks. The loop from practice to match to review is short, which accelerates learning.

Alumni and success stories

JITA’s alumni base spans recreational adults who rediscovered tennis through parent classes, school athletes who became fixtures in inter-school competition, and juniors who broke through to national events and the International Tennis Federation junior circuit. Several graduates have moved on to university tennis overseas, using the academy’s training and placement support to build a path aligned with their academic interests. The common thread is not a single star to point at but a steady flow of players who climb a level each season because the environment rewards disciplined work.

Culture and day-to-day life

The atmosphere at JITA reflects its city roots. The Cilandak site feels like a neighborhood sports center, not a walled campus. Parents often meet in the air-conditioned waiting room, swap scheduling tips, and sometimes join adult drills while their kids train. Coffee shops and restaurants nearby turn practice days into a family routine. The pool becomes a shared space where cool-downs and social laps coexist. Because many players see each other in classrooms and then again on court, there is continuity in friendships that makes the daily grind more enjoyable.

The staff teaches in both Indonesian and English, which simplifies communication for international families and for students targeting overseas universities. Rules are clear and consistently enforced: arrive early, carry your own water, respect ball kids, and thank your hitting partners. Small rituals like post-session court sweeps reinforce ownership of the environment.

Costs, accessibility, and scholarships

Pricing varies by location, group size, and program tier. Rather than a single annual commitment, most families enroll in monthly or term-based blocks that align with school calendars. This structure allows flexible upgrades before tournament seasons and sensible slowdowns during exam weeks. Private lessons, fitness add-ons, and camps are billed separately so that families can build the right mix.

The academy’s mission includes supporting talented juniors who need help to keep progressing. Assistance may take the form of training fee adjustments, help with school alignment, or guidance on assembling a tournament schedule that makes sense financially. As with any city-based program, transportation is a real cost. The multi-site model helps here, since many families can choose a venue that cuts travel time and fuel spending.

If you are exploring aid or a customized training plan, the conversation typically begins with the administration office or the academy director. Families should come prepared with recent results, a short video, and a realistic school timetable so that staff can propose an achievable plan.

What sets it apart

Several strengths distinguish JITA in the Indonesian market:

• Four decades of uninterrupted operation that span multiple generations of players and parents.
• A school-to-academy pipeline that lowers the friction between classrooms and courts.
• Multi-venue training that protects the weekly plan from traffic and weather.
• Indoor access at UMS 80 that keeps technical progress moving during the rainy season.
• A clear path from Munchkin to High Performance, supported by ladders, internal events, and ITF-level hosting.
• Bilingual coaching and college placement guidance that open doors beyond Indonesia.

How it compares regionally

Families often compare city-based programs across Southeast Asia. For players seeking a boarding-style environment with a heavy international schedule in Thailand, look at the structure and intensity at IMPACT Tennis Academy. If you prefer a resort-adjacent base that blends high-volume training with coastal living, the model at SiamSportsPro Tennis Academy Phuket offers a useful contrast. For an urban program deeply integrated with schools in a neighboring hub, explore the scale and pathways at TAG International Tennis Academy. These comparisons highlight JITA’s identity: practical, local, and tuned to Jakarta families who want development without leaving city life behind.

Future outlook and vision

JITA’s trajectory points toward deeper integration of fitness and competition. A Fitness Tennis initiative is expanding the physical curriculum with smarter testing, better movement screening, and progressive strength blocks that keep pace with growth and technique. On the competition side, the academy’s successful 2025 tournament operations suggest a larger role in shaping Jakarta’s junior calendar in collaboration with national stakeholders. Expect continued investment in coach education, selective use of analysis tools for match review, and partnerships that make school alignment even smoother. The vision is straightforward: raise the training ceiling without sacrificing the accessibility that defines the academy.

A quick reality check

JITA is a city academy, not a secluded boarding campus. Families who thrive here are engaged in the process. They coordinate school schedules, build match calendars, and communicate openly with coaches about goals and constraints. Facilities are practical rather than flashy, and services like nutrition, sports medicine, and extended recovery are assembled with staff guidance rather than delivered inside a single building. For many Jakarta families that is a fair trade. You get routine, community, and year-round play without moving away from home.

Is it for you

Choose JITA if you want a credible, locally grounded pathway that starts with scaled, kid-friendly tennis and grows into real match play with weekly competitive rhythm. It suits families who value school integration, consistent coaching with internationally trained staff, and venues that make sense on a Jakarta map. It is also a smart base if you plan to chase international junior points without traveling every weekend, since the academy helps bring sanctioned events into the city. If your priority is full boarding or an isolated campus bubble, other regional options may fit better. If your goal is steady improvement built on fundamentals, clear structure, and a friendly but focused culture, Jakarta International Tennis Academy deserves a close look.