News & Features

My Players

|

My Lists

|

My School

|

My Notifications

Team Home

The summer days of constant tennis practices and tournaments are coming to a close. The start of the school year means busy schedules for students - but many junior tennis players won't let that keep them from carrying their summer success into fall. We caught up with a few of those players in this month's Prince Hot 100 Lists.

The Prince Hot 100 lists are published each month, and the September Hot 100 lists feature the one hundred boys and girls who most improved their rankings during the month of August. You can find out more about the Prince Hot 100 - and how the lists are calculated - by reading here.

The latest lists, published earlier today, are available here:

• Boys' Hot 100
• Girls' Hot 100

We talked to a few of these top performers...

Roundup

Damien Ruparel (Westfield, N.J.)

Three-star sophomore Damien Ruparel credits his recent growth to his focus on physical fitness. Developing his muscular and cardiovascular endurance has allowed him to play more competitively in long matches.

"I've realized there is so much more to tennis than just hitting thousands of balls each and every day," Ruparel said. "While it's important to maximize the time you're able to get on the court, physical conditioning really takes your game to the next level."

This fitness routine came in handy in several matches last month, particularly one that Ruparel described as his best match of August. He met five-star sophomore Patrick Maloney in the consolation quarterfinals of the Midtown Eastern Grand Prix. This last match of the day came when Ruparel was injured and fatigued.

"It was one of the tougher matches I've played in a while. Patrick is a very strong player, so going into the match, I was nervous and not sure how to set my expectations, especially because it was the last match of the tournament," Ruparel said.

The three sets, full of big serving and hitting, were very close, but Ruparel took the match, 6-7(7);7-6(3);10-8. "It was just a matter of who played the critical points better," he said. "I will definitely remember that win."

In addition to his strong performance at the Midtown Eastern Grand Prix, Ruparel reached the quarterfinals of the Mendham Summer's End Championship, achieving a 7-2 record for August.

The three-star player works with coach Vladmir Sergeev. In addition to fitness and conditioning, the two are working on strategy and point structure. Ruparel describes his game as aggressive.

"I like to stay on the offense," he said. "However, if need be, I am able to hold my ground and stay consistent throughout the point."

Over the summer, Ruparel had the opportunity to work as an instructor at a local tennis club, where he taught both kids and adults. This experience only furthered his love for the sport.

"Each day, my passion for tennis grows more and more," he said. "Now it's more of a lifestyle than just a sport."