HOUSTON, Texas—The first big story to come out of the US Clay Court Championships at Houston was also the youngest. Fifteen-year-old Ryan Harrison made headlines when he defeated the oldest man in the tournament, 37-year-old Alex Reichel, to earn his first spot in the main draw of an ATP event.
The Louisiana native, who now trains in New Braunfels, Texas at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy then won his first main draw match against Pablo Cuevas, becoming the third youngest player to record a tour victory since the formation of the ATP in 1990. The last 15-year-old to accomplish the feat was Rafael Nadal, and before him, Richard Gasquet.
And to think – Harrison almost didn’t make it to Houston. His father wanted him to play a Futures event in Little Rock this week, far from the swanky manicured lawns of River Oaks Country Club in Houston, but his son’s persistence won out.
“The first time someone mentioned [playing Houston] was probably after the Sony Ericsson [Open] when I played a good match against [Paul] Capdeville,” said Harrison. “I had some chances to win that match, and so people mentioned me possibly playing here. But I had a futures in Mobile that I was playing, so it all depended on how I played there. If I was still there, I couldn’t play qualies here.”
Harrison lost in the second round of the Alabama futures event – luckily, as it turns out – and headed to Houston with just a day to go before his first qualifying match.
“I came here and I hadn’t played on clay in probably six to eight months so I didn’t know what to expect the first day I got here,” he said. “I had only one day to warm up on clay then I played the next day. So it was a nerve-wracking first day, actually, because I didn’t quite have my footing under me and I was unsure about sliding because I hadn’t done it in so long.”
There proved to be nothing to worry about as the 1277-ranked Harrison took out 95-ranked Cuevas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. “I didn’t know what to expect because I had never played anyone in the top 100 before,” he said afterwards.
“It has sunk in, what happened. But it also sunk in, [the] reality, if I can beat a top 100 player, playing well, four and three, then obviously I can play a high level and expect myself to go out there and win,” he added.
“[Winning] is something I am proud of obviously. I’m really happy with myself to have accomplished that but then again, you don’t enter a tournament to lose second round.
“That’s not the goal when you enter a tournament. I want to feel like every time I enter, I expect myself to win it. Every time I lose, no matter to who it is, I’m going to be disappointed because I expect myself to win. That is my competitive personality.”
That same competitive spirit was also evident during Harrison’s practice sessions with his father and coach, Pat. After every error, he would reiterate why his shot misfired before he received the appropriate coaching from his father.
Tennis is a family affair for the Harrisons. Ryan’s father is a teaching pro at the Newcombe Academy, and his brother, Christian, 13, also plays competitively. The family was based in Shreveport, Louisiana but moved to Texas 4 years ago so their eldest son could pursue his budding tennis career.
“When I was 11 years old, I played my dad in the city championship tournament in Shreveport and after that we knew it was time to move past Shreveport,” Harrison recalls with chuckle.
He began playing tennis at the age of two and could exchange baseline rallies at three. By the age of five, he entered his first sanctioned tournament and qualified for the 12 and Under Super Nationals at seven.
Harrison, who turned pro in November, now spends his days on the practice courts or on the road. He is home-schooled by his mother, a former high school business teacher.
But he wouldn’t have it any other way. Having already secured as IMG agent and sponsors like Nike and Babalot, his existence is far from that of most teenagers.
“I love it. I enjoy doing it. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love doing it so much,” he said of his decision to play tennis.
“I have to sacrifice some things that normal high school kids get to do. Then again, I get to do so much more than they do because I make those sacrifices.
“They have normal days. I get my work in and practice and then I can go to the movies and do that type of stuff. But I have to make sure I have my goals straight and make sure I make my tennis the primary [priority].”
When Harrison came up against top seed James Blake in his second-round match, Blake had nothing but praise for his opponent after a straight-sets win.
“The kid's really good,'' Blake told the crowd after the match. “There's a lot of good things in store for him.”