National Roundup
Tennis Recruiting Welcomes the Class of 2031
by James Hill, 2 September 2024
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A group of rising sixth graders is already making the world of tennis sit up and take notice.
Members of the Class of 2031 have been winning prestigious tournaments, collecting wins against highly-ranked players and accumulating honors in bunches. Many are equally as successful at endeavors off the court as well.
Let’s take a closer look at four of the rising sixth graders, who could become the future stars of American tennis:
James Borchard (Thousand Oaks, California) is ranked No. 1 in Tennis Recruiting Network boys singles and doubles. Borchard attends Wildwood Elementary School in Thousand Oaks. The 5-foot-2 right-hander is coached by his dad, Quinn Borchard, head tennis professional at Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks.
The younger Borchard recently captured the USTA Boys 12s National Championship doubles crown with Nathan Lee (Tustin, California). Borchard was also a singles semifinalist and went on to win third place at the tournament. He earlier won the USTA Spring Championships (Easter Bowl) doubles with Taiki Bartolin (Ventura, California). Borchard took the singles top prize at a pair of L2 tournaments in Long Beach, California and in Tucson, Arizona. He and Lee also won the doubles competition in Long Beach.
His dad played NCAA Division I college tennis at the University of Portland. Being a tennis pro’s son, Borchard’s first steps were on the court at his home club. Borchard started hitting balloons around the house at the age of 1, and began tennis classes when he turned 3. His mom, Lindsey, also encouraged her son.
“One of the best strengths James has is his decision making and critical thinking in matches,” his parents said. “He is a great intuitive tennis player who can really feel the flow of a point and what the correct shot is to hit at the right time. James really comprehends the difference between offensive, neutral and defensive balls to hit during the point.
“His variety of shots help him greatly to be able to change things up during a match and keep an opponent guessing as to what shot he will hit next. James is as comfortable finishing a point with a closing volley as he is digging out a defensive slice out of the corner.”
Borchard enjoys anything that involves hand-eye coordination. He plays ping-pong, pickleball, and dodgeball, among other games. A good amount of time is spent playing with his younger brother, Beau, in whatever activities the two agree on.
Lucy Dupere (Wake Forest, North Carolina & Greenville, South Carolina) is ranked No. 3 in girls singles by the Tennis Recruiting Network rankings. The 4-foot-10 left-hander now attends the South Carolina Prep Academy, a charter school that offers hybrid learning. Dupere has been coached for five years by Meghan Coomes. She also trains with Max Desmars and Sophie Woorons of Brookstone Tennis Club in Anderson, South Carolina.
Dupere and Jessie Janiak (Western Springs, Illinois) advanced to the doubles semifinals of the USTA Clay Courts, and the duo later took third place. She also was a quarterfinalist in singles. Dupere won the L3 Macon (Georgia) doubles title with Brielle Amey (Boca Raton, Florida), and the singles and doubles competition (with Nicole Blanco - Cumming, Georgia) at the L3 Evansville, Indiana, tournament. As a 9 year old, Dupere won the Little Mo National Championship.
Her dad and mom are Jeremy and Lauren Dupere. At age 5, her parents took her to a University of North Carolina tennis match. There was a ball signing, and young Lucy declared “she was going to be just like them one day.”
“Lucy has been so blessed to develop strong relationships with the team,” the Duperes said. “That has positively shaped and influenced her tennis. These young women not only inspire her, but they have taught her how to compete, lead, the value of building relationships, and how to be a teammate. That is often missing in an individual sport like tennis.
“Lucy is a fierce competitor. She is feisty and tenacious on the court. She brings tremendous heart to every match. She gives 100 percent effort on every ball and fights to the end. Lucy is self-motivated and determined to accomplish her goals.”
Outside of tennis, Dupere enjoys playing golf. Her parents said she is happy just to go to the driving range and hit golf balls. Dupere is particularly fond of outside activities, including basketball, bicycle riding, or throwing the football.
Evan Fan (Mason, Ohio) is ranked No. 4 in boys singles by the Tennis Recruiting Network.. The 5-foot-1 right-hander attends Mason Intermediate School in his hometown. Fan is coached by Brian Schubert, director of junior tennis at Five Seasons Sports Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fan reached the doubles semifinals of the USTA Nationals with eventual singles champion Ishaan Marla, also of Mason. Earlier, Fan won the L3 Carmel Racquet Club singles event held at Carmel, Indiana.
His dad and mom are Ming Fan and Yan Xu. Evan Fan played competitive soccer for four years until the COVID pandemic hit. Then, in the fall of 2020, he was introduced to the sport of tennis by his father.
“He showed some good instinct and ability on tennis early and kept going,” Fan’s parents said. “He also won various levels tournaments and continued building confidence. Evan has been pretty consistent and powerful on his forehand. He continues to develop more backhand games with a more aggressive approach.
“Overall, he has a more attacking style of play with a strong forehand, consistent rallies, a good overhead, and can take the opportunity to finish points. He has a decision-making ability in tough moments. Evan has a quite high athletic ability, which shows in several sporting activities. He learns quickly and can develop a good sense on how to achieve a relatively high level.”
Fan is also a highly competitive chess player. He began studying the game at the age of 5, and has since won multiple state chess championships. For the past two years, Fan has represented Ohio in the John D. Rockefeller III National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions. His peak national ranking was No. 11, which he reached in 2021. Fan’s short-term goal is to achieve the National Master title next year.
Aimee Peng (Bradenton, Florida) is No. 4 in the Tennis Recruiting Network girls singles rankings. The 5-foot-1 right-hander attends Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton. Peng is coached by Lance Luciani and Heath Turpin of Tennis RX Elite Training Center, located in her hometown.
Peng and Christina Li (also of Bradenton) reached the doubles semifinals of the USTA Nationals. Earlier, Peng advanced to the singles quarterfinals of the USTA Clay Courts, and won the singles of the L4 USTA Florida Classic in Orlando.
Jianxiang Peng and Lu Zhang are Peng’s father and mother. They said their daughter tried various sports, but chose tennis. Their other kids selected ballet and golf, but Peng “fell in love with tennis.”
“Aimee has been a very active girl since she was young,” Peng’s parents said. “We see her dedication to the sport she loves. We respect every child’s choice and are willing to support their dreams.
“Aimee is a very aggressive player with good groundstrokes and a good understanding of the court. She has done the right things in her development so far. She trains with her coach for three hours every day after school. In Aimee’s current training plan, her coach improves her physical fitness through fitness training, laying a good foundation for her future development. No matter what situation she encounters, she can always stay calm. In her games, Aimee never gives up easily. No matter what the result of the game is, she always tries her best to play well.”
Off the court, Peng enjoys reading and painting. When she is not in school, or going through the rigorous training regimen, she reads her favorite books and works on her paintings.
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About James Hill
James Hill is the Assistant Sports Information Director at Trinity
University in San Antonio and a freelance writer. He has covered all
levels of tennis competition.
