Winning his hundredth tournament at the House in Palm Springs in January, freshman tennis player Gavin Spencer (9) is a force to be reckoned with on the court.

He first began playing tennis at the Marbella Country Club at the age of five.

¨It has grown my character and given me a lot more confidence in everything else I do,¨ said Spencer, ¨I think it has taught me to be respectful to others on and off the court.¨

Spencer practices four hours everyday at the Matchpoint Tennis Academy and he is committed to the sport. He plans on continuing his tennis career in college.

¨I am just looking at any good colleges. Some of the ones I like are University of Arizona and Boise State but USC is up there too. I count all the options in because they are all good,” said Spencer.

His most memorable match was one played in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“It was one of the biggest tournaments I’ve ever played; it was a level one national. I was down 6-5 and then came back won 6-75-60, so I came back in three groups,¨ said Spencer.

It is clear to see that he is an exceptional addition to the SJHHS tennis team.

Q&A with Gavin Spencer

Q: Is it difficult to juggle tennis and schoolwork?

A: It is definitely difficult to get studying in. It’s not too challenging freshman year but I know that it will get harder to balance it later. School is my number one priority and, of course, I want to go to a good college. I have to balance how many hours I have to play based off what kind of work I have.

Q: Do you hope to make tennis your future career?

A: I want to play tennis at a division one college. I am hoping to do something else for a career. If I could make it a career that’d be cool but I kind of want to go into business or somthing like that.

Q: What do you love most about tennis?

A: I like winning. Winning is definitely a great feeling. That’s the number one thing I love most.

Q: What racket do you play with?

A: I play with a Babolat AeroPro Drive.

Q: Are you training and preparing harder than you used to, now that you are in high school?

A: My training has always been up there but yeah, right now is definitely the most important time when college recruiters are starting to look.

Q: What is the furthest you have traveled for tennis?

A: The furthest I’ve traveled was probably to Miami or New York City for national tournaments.

Q: Who in tennis do you admire most?

A: I think Roger Federer because of his class and they way he stays so composed and calm on the court. Definitely Federer.¨

Q: Do you have any advice for other tennis players?

A: My advice is to just stay out there, work hard, keep focused, and definitely keep school number one.

Q: Interests/hobbies outside of tennis?

A: I like stock investing,  reading the news, playing golf, swimming, going to the beach, stuff like that.¨