UK Tennis Freshman Draxl Ready for U.S. Open Juniors
Before he plays his first match for the Kentucky men’s tennis team this fall, Liam Draxl has some major business to which he needs to attend.
After spending a week in Lexington and attending his first college classes, Draxl leaves for New York this weekend, where he will compete in the juniors at the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in New York. This will be Draxl’s fourth major junior tournament this season, after he competed at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.
In order to bring home the title in the U.S. Open juniors, Draxl would need to win seven matches in seven days, beginning on Sunday and concluding on Saturday. Draxl enters the event as the seventh seed, and has his sights set on sticking around for a while.
“Obviously, going into every tournament I play, I want to win it, but you can’t think like that,” Draxl said. “You have to take it one match at a time. I think I’m a pretty good player on hardcourt. I think I can do some damage at this tournament. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll give it my best.”
At the Australian Open juniors, played on hardcourts, Draxl won two matches before falling in the third round. Playing on clay at the French Open juniors, Draxl lost in the first round. Playing on the grass courts at the Wimbledon juniors, Draxl won his first-round match before being upset in round two.
Now, he’s back on his favorite surface, the hardcourt, for the U.S. Open.
“I think it’s what I’m most used to,” Draxl said of the surface. “And it’s what all college matches are played on, so that’s good.”
Playing in the junior events, which are played in conjunction with the major championships, has given Draxl some once-in-a-lifetime moments, such as seeing his idol in person.
“You share the same locker rooms (with the pros), the same practice facilities,” Draxl said. “Nobody has the aura that (Roger) Federer has. Seeing him in person was crazy. Seeing him around, face-to-face in real life, was amazing.”
How did the 17-year-old Draxl, who hails from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, end up in Lexington and playing for the Cats?
“First off, Matt Gordon, the assistant coach here, was coaching me a lot at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy before he took the job here,” Draxl said. “Obviously, I loved working with Matt. He started recruiting me, and I had a lot of interest. UK’s coaching staff for tennis is one of the best in the nation.”
After spending a week in the Bluegrass, Draxl already feels at home.
“I love it here, I think it’s a good fit,” Draxl said. “Easy to transition, I think I’m pretty settled in.”
Draxl is ranked 10th in the world in the Under 18 classification, and he will boost the Wildcats this fall when he takes the court. He’s looking forward to a couple of things he’s rarely experienced in tennis.
“Probably the team aspect,” Draxl said. “In my career so far, it’s always been singles, maybe some doubles, but nothing like college. Playing for your team, playing for your school, I think it’s going to be amazing. Also, the on-court coaching during your matches will totally different than I’m used to, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
But before he gets to work for UK this fall, Draxl is hoping to make a splash at the U.S. Open juniors, beginning on Sunday.
