Four players representing three National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters got the opportunity to represent themselves and their chapters in one of the most prestigious USTA junior events over the last week: the USTA National Clay Court Championships.
Isabella Doni and Jeremy Orlicki-So from NJTYL in the Bronx, Joshua Miller from Legacy Youth Tennis and Education in Philadelphia, and Sydney Wright from the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in Silver Spring, Md. earned their spots in the draw by winning their respective events at the USTA Foundation Excellence Program Wild Card Playoff.
Held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. from June 25-28, the tournament brought together some of the most promising talents in the USTA Foundation's Excellence Program for four days of high-level tennis competition while allowing the athletes the opportunity to get a closer look at the world-class home of American tennis.
Last week at nationals, Doni, Orlicki-So and Wright competed in their respective under-12 divisions, while Miller competed in the under-14s. In the older division, Miller reached the second round in singles and the third round in doubles with his partner Gurjot Singh.
Other highlights for the group included a first-round doubles win for Wright with her partner Madyson Peav, and a Round 1 singles win for Orlicki-So. Orlicki-So and his doubles partner Aarav Gaur also played a tough Round 1 doubles match against the No. 2 seeds before falling just short in a match tiebreak.
Ten NJTL chapters around the country are fielding Excellence Teams in 2022, with nine others fielding Development Teams. NJTL youth are chosen for the Excellence Program based on their elite level of tennis ability, educational outcomes and commitment to the pathway to become student-athletes at the collegiate and professional levels.