Meet the staff

Jai Nettimi is a Tennis Professional at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. He is a USPTA and USTA Youth tennis certified ITA and CIF Coach, who has been voted a top-50 tennis professional in the Southern California region. Involved in the Desert tennis community for over 23 years, Jai has extensive experience in both teaching and coaching the sport, as well as management of facilities and clubs. Jai was born in Southeast India but moved to the United States as a young child; eventually attending the University of California Santa Cruz and winning back to back NCAA tennis titles in 1995 and 1996. After graduating, he played on the ATP satellite tour before settling down as a full-time resident in the Coachella Valley. Jai is married with two children, and loves travelling with his family and watching his two young boys compete in sports.

Heather Dore is a Tennis Professional at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. After playing junior tennis in Florida, she played collegiate tennis for the University of North Florida. During her 4 years, she earned numerous All-Conference and All-American honors, was ranked nationally in both singles and doubles, and was a member of the 1994 NCAA National Championship team. She served as the UNF Assistant Coach after graduating, and has been inducted into the UNF Athletics Hall of Fame. She has also worked as an Associate Tennis Professional and Camp Director at the ATP International Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and Youth Tennis Director at Pablo Bay. After completing her degree at UNF, she earned a Doctorate degree in Psychology from Florida State University and worked as a college professor for many years. She is also an experienced and certified Montessori teacher. She enjoys teaching and coaching players of all levels on the mental and physical parts of the game. Heather and her husband share two teenage daughters who play competitive soccer and keep them busy when they are not on the court.

Lisa Kempton is a Tennis Professional at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden as well as the Program Director of the Coachella Valley NJTL (National Junior Tennis and Learning). She is a USPTA certified instructor with over 15 years of experience in both teaching and racquet stringing. As one of the most senior instructors at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden with more than 10 years at the club, she enjoys and has extensive expertise teaching players of all levels. Lisa is a consistent staple of both our Adult and Junior level programs, so whether you are looking to hone your own skills or shape your junior star into a future pro, Lisa is the right person for the job!

Stu Mittleman is the Director of Fitness at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and is one of American’s most well-known fitness educators and endurance athletes. Stu is a "master" of endurance, with an extensive international following due to his incredible personal accolades that span over three decades, as well as books that have helped thousands of athletes reach their athletic peak. His achievements include World Record setting performances in ultra-distance running, international success as a Triathlete, and a recent inductee into the Ultrarunning Hall of Fame.