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USTA, Nick Bollettieri Tag Team on Tennis Prospect Donald Young in Florida
Posted on April 22, 2008
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 22, 2008 -- The USTA announced today that it will be working with Nick Bollettieri in the training and development of some of the top U.S. tennis prospects. This is one of the first examples of the USTA Elite Player Development's new collaborative approach with top coaches and private academies to develop the next generation of American champions.
Donald Young, who is currently working with USTA National Coach Ricardo Acuna, will visit Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Young will be able to work with the many top pros currently training at the Bollettieri facility, and will receive on-court instruction and support from Bollettieri.
Young, 18, is currently ranked No. 73 in the world and is the youngest player in the Top 100. The former No. 1 junior in the world finished 2007 as the No. 7 American in the ATP rankings, playing primarily on the USTA Pro Circuit. Since the Australian Open, Young has played ATP events exclusively, and has won five of his last eight matches on tour, including a win over No. 32 Feliciano Lopez in Indian Wells and a quarterfinal finish in Memphis.
The USTA announced that it will also work with Bollettieri and support the training of three top junior prospects -- Sachia Vickery, Victoria Duval and Alicia Black -- who are currently training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. The USTA will provide coaching assistance, grants, USTA sponsored competitions, and potential wildcards.
Vickery, 12, of Miramar, Fla., captured her second USTA gold ball at the Girls' 14s Easter Bowl and subsequently raised her national ranking to No. 10 in the Girls' 14-and-under division. Duval, 12, of Delray Beach, Fla., won the singles title at the Girls' 12-and-under Winter Nationals in December and is currently ranked No. 2 in the USTA Girls' 12s. Black, 9, of Boca Raton, Fla., has already captured seven 10-and-under titles.
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