Patrick Kypson knows the precise punishment — including how many steps on the VersaClimber, an extreme aerobic exercise machine — he must endure for every transgression he commits during a practice session with Ivan Lendl, the three-time United States Open champion who helps oversee Kypson’s development as a tennis player.
“Oh, yeah, if we throw a racket, it’s 5,000 steps,” said Kypson, 18, one of five junior players who have been training together for about two years in an experimental program supervised by Lendl and backed by the United States Tennis Association. “If we wear our hat backwards, it’s 3,000 steps.