“I’ve wanted to pursue tennis professionally or at least in college for a while now,” Marina Duncan, tennis player and senior, said.

For some high school athletes, like Duncan, the idea of turning professional isn’t a distant dream—it’s the next step. In certain sports, especially individual ones like tennis, athletes don’t have to wait for college or a draft. If they’re good enough, with enough talent, maturity, and support, they can go straight from high school to playing professionally. Even for the most high achieving of athletes, the road to success isn’t easy, and is far from guaranteed.

“You can tell when an athlete has the potential to go pro from their work ethic, their familial environment, their talent, coordination, effort, and priorities,” Head tennis coach Daniel Brunette said.

Tennis stands out as one of the few global sports where athletes can realistically go pro as teenagers. Coco Gauff turned professional at just 14, and won a Grand Slam championship at 19. Legends such as Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams all started their career as a professional in their late teens. The system the professional tennis world has for athletes to go pro makes is more accessible, with no draft or age limit. Athletes aren’t even required to play at the collegiate level. If an athlete is talented enough, like Duncan is and hopes to be, it is possible to rack up a high UTR (Universal Tennis Ranking), and eventually earn ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) status.

Despite the high reward that can come with going pro, there is also lots of stress.

“I’ve had some of my previous athletes be amazing at tennis or academics, but choose to go to a smaller school such as Case Western because there is less stress and more enjoyment involved,” Brunette said. “There is a lot of pressure involved in professional or even college sports.”

But, as Brunette said, going pro or even collegiate means competing with the nation’s or world’s best. Teenagers out of high school face not only older, stronger, and more experienced players but also the emotional toll of life on tour. Constant travel, injuries, and mental fatigue are part of the game.

As a coach, Brunette has helped his athletes through their tennis careers.

“Marina is an exceptional tennis player,” Brunette said.

With her position as two singles on the varsity tennis team at CHS, Brunette said he hopes and believes she will do great things one day. 

College sports are also a great way to integrate into professional sports. For example, CHS graduate Nishesh Basavareddy went to Stanford to play collegiate tennis, and is now a ranked professional athlete.

Elaine Li, tennis player and sophomore, also has a lot of potential in the tennis world, and she dreams of this life despite the challenges. She and her family both have supported her throughout her journey of playing tennis. Li has been working hard throughout the last two years to become good enough at tennis to be able to earn a scholarship.

“I want to get into a good division I tennis program, and then go wherever I want to after that, whether it be academics or professional tennis, the latter would be amazing, though,” Li said.

Going pro out of high school isn’t for everyone, It requires discipline, mental strength and a support system in both family and coaches. But for those who display all these qualities, the leap to professional athletics can lead to greatness.

“Tennis is worth the risk, for me,” Duncan said. “I practice and I work hard and I think my goals can be reached with effort and some hope.”