David Saye '22 Recruiting Profile

Boris Becker once said, "I love the winning, I can take the losing, but most of all I love to play."  For as long as I can remember, I have had an undeniable passion for the game of tennis and everything that comes along with it - adversity and grit, sportsmanship and honesty, work ethic and success, mentors and friendships - the game can provide so much.  In 2017, my father took me to watch the NCAA Championships in Athens, Georgia.  The matches and the players were of course phenomenal, however, the main thing I took from that event was the excitement from playing on a team.  Watching the players cheer (and heckle) and provide energy to their teammates was inspiring.  With every point being critical, the intensity and the excitement on the court was palpable.  Having played only USTA individual tournaments up to that point, a team event in tennis was very foreign to me.  I left Athens that day fired up with one goal in my mind - to play high-level collegiate tennis.  Since that time, I have had the opportunity to play at many distinguished USTA team events, including having the honor to represent my home state of North Carolina in the Southern Cup (Line 1 Boys 16s).  As a freshman in high school, I played #1 on the Varsity Team for Charlotte Country Day, achieving an undefeated season in both singles and doubles, winning Conference Player of the Year and All State honors and leading the team to the State Championship.  As a sophomore, I decided to focus even more on my tennis game and chose to attend IMG Academy in Florida.  Unfortunately in September 2019, a doctor in Florida misdiagnosed a small fractured bone and I continued to play (in pain) for the remainder of the 2019 season with mediocre results. After receiving a second opinion that confirmed the fracture, I took a break from hitting during the Winter and limited my competition while maintaining my fitness level at IMG.  Completely healed and anxious to start again this Spring, I was preparing for USTA and ITF competition when the pandemic unfortunately began.  Since the lock down, I have continued my tennis training with my coach and maintained focus on my studies (I currently have a weighted 3.93 GPA).  I will attend IMG for my junior year and I look forward to working diligently to achieve my goal of playing in college.   Playing college tennis will elevate my passion for the game to the next level while at the same time building character and lifelong friendships.  Thank you for your consideration.  A link to my tennis videos can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgDh72h86cWUZ0CQrDz0OA.