Mahdi Taheri (Mike Taheri)

A Lifetime Dedicated to Sport, Education and Leadership

Seyed Mahdi Taheri Rahaghi, internationally known as Mahdi Taheri or Mike Taheri, is an Iranian-Canadian tennis coach, sports executive and entrepreneur whose professional journey spans competitive athletics, scientific education, tennis academy management, sports infrastructure and international business development.

Beginning his tennis journey at the age of five, Mahdi grew up within a family deeply connected to the sport. What started as a childhood passion gradually developed into a lifelong professional commitment. Over the decades, he has combined the experience of a competitive athlete, the analytical background of an engineering graduate, the academic knowledge of a sports science specialist and the practical leadership of an academy director.

A defining chapter of his career was his 20 years as Director and Head Coach of Taheri Tennis Academy, operating at two five-star Homa Hotels in Mashhad, Iran. Today, his entrepreneurial activities include ICM Tennis in Canada, ICM Sport Academy in the United Arab Emirates and Billionaires Tennis, reflecting his continuing ambition to develop sporting opportunities across international communities.

His story is not simply about tennis. It is about family, perseverance, education, reinvention and the courage to build something meaningful.

The Beginning: A Family United by Tennis

For Mahdi Taheri, tennis was never simply a sport introduced during childhood. It was part of the environment in which he grew up. His father, Abbas Taheri, devoted decades to tennis, helping establish a family tradition shaped by athletic discipline, commitment and shared experience. Across generations, members of the Taheri family developed a lasting connection with the game.

Mahdi began playing tennis at five, learning the values of preparation, respect, patience and perseverance from an early age. He later developed more than a decade of national-level competitive tennis experience.

Through training and competition, he discovered that success was not determined by talent alone. It required consistency, resilience and the willingness to improve after every setback. These early lessons became the foundation of his approach to sport and leadership.

Beyond Tennis: The Development of a Multi-Sport Athlete

Although tennis remained central to his identity, Mahdi's sporting interests extended into swimming, water polo, taekwondo and badminton. He also reports competitive achievements across these disciplines, including championship results and a freestyle swimming record.

These experiences contributed to his understanding of athletic performance from different perspectives:

• Swimming developed endurance and technical coordination.
• Water polo strengthened teamwork and tactical awareness.
• Taekwondo emphasized balance, discipline and concentration.
• Badminton refined agility, anticipation and reaction speed.

Together, these disciplines helped shape his belief that successful athlete development requires a combination of technical skills, physical literacy, confidence and mental resilience.

The Engineer Who Returned to University to Study Sport

One of the defining decisions in Mahdi Taheri's life was his return to university after completing his education in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Solid Mechanics. Engineering developed his analytical thinking, attention to detail and systematic approach to complex challenges. But despite his academic foundation in engineering, his deepest professional passion remained sport.

He wanted to understand more than how athletes train and compete. He wanted to understand the science behind human movement, learning and performance. He therefore returned to university and completed a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education Management, strengthening his knowledge of sports administration, organizational planning and leadership.

He subsequently completed a Master's Degree in Physical Education, specializing in Motor Behavior, deepening his understanding of motor learning, coordination, skill acquisition and athlete development. He later participated in the doctoral entrance examination in Physical Education as part of his continuing academic ambitions.

This educational journey brought together several disciplines that would shape his career: engineering provided analytical foundations, competitive athletics provided practical experience, sports management developed his organizational understanding, and motor behavior connected coaching with the science of human movement and learning.

Experience becomes more valuable when strengthened by knowledge, and learning should never end simply because a career has already begun.

Two Decades of Leadership: Taheri Tennis Academy, Iran

For 20 years, Mahdi Taheri served as Director and Head Coach of Taheri Tennis Academy, operating at two five-star Homa Hotels in Mashhad, Iran. This chapter became one of the most important foundations of his professional career.

His responsibilities combined tennis coaching, athlete development, program planning, staff coordination, instructional standards and academy operations. Working within five-star hospitality environments required exceptional professionalism, organizational discipline, reliability and attention to the experience of athletes, families and private clients.

Over two decades, Mahdi developed extensive practical knowledge of managing a tennis academy while maintaining the standards expected within premium hospitality facilities. He learned to balance athlete development with operational responsibility, staff leadership, service quality and long-term organizational planning. The experience helped shape his understanding of both the educational and business dimensions of sport.

It also strengthened his belief that a successful academy must be built upon more than technical expertise. It requires trust, consistent standards, effective leadership and a long-term commitment to the people it serves.

Twenty years of leadership was more than a professional position. It was the foundation of a philosophy built upon responsibility, excellence and service.

Building the Courts Where Future Athletes Begin

Mahdi's professional involvement in tennis has extended beyond coaching and academy management into sports infrastructure. Drawing upon his engineering education and tennis experience, he became involved in clay tennis court construction and facility development in Iran. He reports more than 15 years of experience in this field and participation in the construction of over 30 tennis courts across multiple Iranian cities.

This work connected his technical background with his understanding of the practical requirements of tennis facilities. For Mahdi, a tennis court is more than a playing surface. It is a place where children discover sport, coaches share knowledge, athletes pursue their ambitions and communities develop lasting connections.

His experience reflects a broader vision of sports development: creating both the educational programs and the physical environments that make participation possible.

The Coach: Developing People, Not Only Players

Throughout his career, Mahdi Taheri has coached children, junior competitors, adult players and athletes with different physical abilities and performance goals. His approach combines competitive experience, professional coaching education and academic knowledge of human movement and learning. He emphasizes technical foundations, movement quality, age-appropriate instruction, individual progression and long-term development.

He believes that every athlete has different needs:

• A young beginner requires encouragement and a positive introduction to sport.
• A developing junior needs structure, patience and consistent guidance.
• A competitive athlete requires preparation, technical refinement and mental resilience.
• An adult learner benefits from instruction that respects individual experience and personal goals.

For Mahdi, coaching is not simply about improving a forehand or developing a serve. It is about helping individuals gain confidence, discipline and the ability to respond positively to challenges. Families can see this approach in the ICM Player Development Pathway and the free junior home training guides.

A coach's greatest contribution is not only the skills an athlete learns, but the confidence and character that athlete carries beyond the court.

Wheelchair Tennis: Coaching Beyond Barriers

An important part of Mahdi's professional experience includes wheelchair tennis, with national-team-level head coaching responsibilities. This work strengthened his commitment to individualized athlete development and inclusive sporting opportunities.

It reinforced his belief that athletes should be supported according to their abilities, ambitions and personal circumstances rather than assumptions about their limitations. The values that define sport (determination, preparation, resilience and continuous improvement) extend across different athletic disciplines and abilities. His experience in adaptive tennis continues to influence his interest in accessible and inclusive sports programming.

A New Beginning: Building ICM Tennis in Canada

After developing extensive professional experience in Iran, Mahdi continued his journey in Canada. Entering a new sporting environment required adaptation to different systems, professional expectations, facility arrangements and community relationships. He continued his work in tennis coaching and program development in Ontario.

In 2018, he established the Canadian academy operations that developed into ICM Tennis. Through ICM Tennis, he has worked to develop structured programs for young children, juniors, adults, recreational participants and competitive athletes across Ontario communities, including Whitby and Oshawa.

As Founder and Director, his responsibilities encompass business strategy, coaching standards, program development, staff recruitment, facility partnerships, scheduling, budgeting, customer experience and organizational growth. The development of ICM Tennis represented an important transition from individual coaching and academy leadership to managing a multi-location sports organization.

For Mahdi, the purpose of an academy extends beyond delivering lessons. It is to create a professional environment where athletes can develop, coaches can grow and families can build lasting connections through sport.

An International Vision: ICM Sport Academy, UAE

Building upon his experience in Iran and Canada, Mahdi expanded his entrepreneurial ambitions toward the United Arab Emirates. Through ICM Sport Academy, he has pursued sports education and business development opportunities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. His vision includes tennis, pickleball, youth development, family sports programs, coaching education and inclusive community participation.

The academy brings together his experience in sports management, professional coaching, hospitality environments and international partnerships. For Mahdi, international expansion is not simply about operating in additional countries. It is an opportunity to connect communities, share professional knowledge and create sporting opportunities for future generations.

Billionaires Tennis: A Premium Expression of Excellence

Mahdi is also the founder and director of Billionaires Tennis, a premium tennis brand in Canada. The concept reflects his experience in professional coaching, private client services and five-star hospitality environments.

Billionaires Tennis focuses on personalized tennis experiences for individuals, executives and families seeking professional instruction within a premium service environment. The brand emphasizes discretion, personal attention, quality and professional standards. It represents another dimension of his entrepreneurial vision: combining the traditions of tennis with personalized sports experiences.

From Professional Coach to International Sports Executive

Mahdi Taheri's professional journey reflects the development of an athlete and coach into a sports executive and entrepreneur. His experience spans competitive athletics, professional tennis coaching, sports education, academy management, five-star hospitality operations, sports infrastructure and international business development. His executive responsibilities have included strategic planning, staffing, financial management, program development, facility coordination, professional partnerships and organizational growth.

His leadership philosophy draws upon several perspectives:

• The athlete understands discipline and competition.
• The coach understands learning and individual development.
• The engineer understands analysis and structure.
• The sports science graduate understands movement and skill acquisition.
• The academy director understands organizational responsibility.
• And the entrepreneur understands the determination required to build something new.

Together, these experiences have shaped his commitment to professionalism, sustainable growth and long-term impact.

The Taheri Family: A Legacy Across Generations

The Taheri Tennis Legacy is not the story of one person alone. It is connected to a family tradition shaped by sport, education, responsibility and shared purpose. Mahdi's father, Abbas Taheri, helped establish the sporting foundation that influenced his childhood, and members of the extended Taheri family have maintained a longstanding connection with tennis across generations.

Mahdi's wife, Sara, has contributed to the family's sporting organizations through program management and operational leadership. Their children, Samyar and Sasha, represent another generation growing up alongside the family's sporting journey.

For Mahdi, the meaning of legacy is not that every generation must follow the same professional path. It is that each generation can inherit values that help them build their own future: discipline, integrity, education, respect, perseverance and the courage to pursue meaningful ambitions.

A true family legacy is not measured only by what is inherited, but by what each generation contributes to those who follow.

The Courage to Begin Again

Mahdi Taheri's journey has involved repeated transitions: from a five-year-old tennis player to a competitive athlete; from athlete to professional coach; from engineering graduate to student of sports science; from coach to academy director; from 20 years of leadership at two five-star Homa Hotels to developing sports organizations in Canada; and from Canadian entrepreneurship to international ambitions in the United Arab Emirates.

Each chapter required adaptation. Each transition demanded new knowledge. And each achievement brought new responsibilities. His story offers a message that extends beyond the sporting world:

• Your first profession does not have to define your entire life.
• Your first qualification does not have to be your last.
• Your circumstances do not have to determine the limits of your ambitions.
• The experience gained through one chapter can become the foundation for something greater in the next.

It is never too late to learn. It is never too late to begin again. And it is never too late to build a future that reflects your purpose.

The Legacy Yet to Be Written

Today, Mahdi continues to pursue a vision centred on international sports development, coaching education, youth participation, inclusive programming and sustainable sports organizations. His ambitions remain rooted in the lessons of his childhood and strengthened by decades of professional experience.

He believes that sport can develop more than athletic ability. It can build confidence, discipline, resilience, respect and a lasting sense of purpose. The Taheri Tennis Legacy is therefore not simply a record of past achievements. It is an ongoing commitment to education, leadership and the creation of opportunities for others.

From the tennis courts of Iran to sports organizations in Canada and international ambitions in the UAE, Mahdi's journey reflects the power of lifelong learning and perseverance. A family tradition became a passion. A passion became a profession. A profession became a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge became leadership. And leadership became an international vision.

Built Through Discipline. Strengthened Through Knowledge. Defined by Perseverance.