While Pat Cash was storming Wimbledon and making Davis Cup history, his childhood rival Dom Gambaro was plotting a different path — not chasing trophies for himself, but preparing to guide others toward theirs.
“I always knew, right from when I was 16, that I wanted to coach,” Gambaro says. “I’ve been doing it ever since. I got my licence in 1986 — nearly 40 years now.”
The fire to teach still burns strongly.
But that doesn’t mean the competitive flame has been distinguished.
Gambaro, who grew up battling Pat Cash in juniors, has quietly carved out his own name on the Masters tennis scene. He’s been ranked among the world’s top 50 for the past decade, peaking at No.14.
“Growing up I was in the same age bracket as Pat and he was my rival and I finished second to him a bit,” he said.
“He went on to have an incredible career, but I am happy with the life I’ve had in tennis too.
“The Masters is something I enjoy, you never really lose that part of you.
“I still love to play, still love to compete. No matter what level you’re at, if you’re a competitive person, you want to get out there and give your best.
“You start playing because it’s fun — and whenever it gets hard, you go back to that feeling. You’re out there because you love it.”
Now, Gambaro is bringing that passion to Bond University as Head Coach of its high-performance tennis program — his first foray into the world of university sport.
“It was a bit overwhelming at first,” he admits. “I wasn’t sure if I would stack up, but I’m feeling it now. It’s been really good,” he said.
“I’ve spent the first six weeks getting to know the athletes, working out how they learn best, and challenging them to think about their own development. You can’t coach every athlete the same way — and you can’t coach the same way year after year. You have to keep evolving, and I feel like I’ve been able to do that.”
Bond’s high-performance squad is made up of ten elite student-athletes — five men and five women — with big ambitions at this year’s UniSport Nationals after a third-place finish in 2023.
The squad includes women's captain Livvy Devenport, Alice Sasso, Kyra Vamsikrish, Ava Cowley, and Marissa Jones, while the men’s lineup features captain Alec Braund, Andrew Ngo, Leonardo Modica, Gav Tan, Matt Lee, Michael Chrisp, and Yifan Wang.
“We don’t know much about the opposition, so I’ll treat this first year as a learning curve,” Gambaro says.
“But we definitely want to improve on last year’s performance.
“Livvy is doing really well, she’s making finals at tournaments, and Alec is a proven performer — so we’ve got good leadership on both sides.”
Devenport says Gambaro and his team have already made a huge impact.
“Coach Dom is an incredibly motivating and passionate presence on court,” she says. “His energy is infectious — he builds confidence, celebrates progress, and brings intensity to every session.”
She also credits assistant coach Paul Thomas for creating “a high-standard and calming environment, where learning is prioritised, and athletes feel supported while being challenged.”
Gambaro is supported by a trio of highly accomplished volunteers in Thomas, John Grant, and Mike Wilken — all of them ITF Masters players with world rankings.
Grant recently returned from Florida where he represented Australia at the ITF World Masters Team and Individual Championships, bringing a wealth of international experience back to The Canal.
Together, the coaching group is setting the tone for what Gambaro hopes will be a golden chapter in Bond Tennis.
“It’s about communication, about nurturing people and seeing them grow,” he says.
“And there’s nothing better than seeing the results of the work you’ve all put in.”