- November 23, 2024
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Sixteen-year-old Palm Coast resident Jason Legall usually has to travel around the world when he competes in tournaments, so when the USTA event comes to Palm Coast, he loves the fact that he only has to drive 10 minutes.
“When the Future Men’s Tournament comes here, I really get excited,” Legall said. “It’s so close. It’s in my backyard. I’m not supposed to win a tournament of this caliber, but it’s always great experience for me.”
Although he lost in the second round of the Wild Card Tournament to a much older player, Legall was still grateful for the experience of playing someone stronger and more advanced, and he was thankful for not having to travel far.
He has had other opportunities to gain experience and confidence recently. At tennis practice in August, his coach told him that he had a pro for Legall to hit balls with. Legall assumed it wouldn’t be anyone famous, but to his surprise, former No. 1 ranked WTA player, Jelena Jankovi, stepped on the court.
“She asked me to play in a match, and I was shocked,” Legall said. “It would such a great opportunity.”
Legall claims that he actually beat the former top women’s player in straight sets, saying that, while it was only a practice match, it felt just as good as a championship win.
“I didn’t want to celebrate in front of her, so I waited until I got all the court, somewhere alone,” he added. “Then, I just started jumping around and screaming; I couldn’t believe it.”
Legall has been playing tennis since he was 4, when he picked up one of his parents rackets. Twelve years later, he has turned into one a Top 350 junior player in the world. In the same month Legall claims to have beaten Jankovi, he also won two back-to-back doubles championships and went to an International Tennis Federation final.
“Though I wanted to win, it is still great to make it to the last two out of 32,” Legall said. “Getting to a final is tough work, and it’s a lot of pressure sometimes. You have to compete with people from all over the world.”
Legall won his first championship four years ago at a national tournament in Boca Raton, and has since won two others. After getting his first win, he remembers “dropping the racket, jumping around and screaming, ‘I did it! I did it!’”
“After all the tournaments you enter, and you never come out on top, it sometimes bothers you,” Legall added. “But, when it finally happens, it’s like an explosion.”
BOX: The USTA selected Palm Coast resident Reilly Opelka to receive the Main Draw Wild Card.
