In their own words: Michael-Ray Pallares on his tennis career and giving back to the sport

As a volunteer, I am the founder of One Love Tennis Inc., a non-profit designed to reach underprivileged and low-income youth through affordable tennis, education and fitness. (One of the awards that I am most proud of is being named the 2019 Professional Tennis Registry Humanitarian of the Year for my work with One Love Tennis.) I have traveled all over the world, organizing Play-Day events designed to introduce kids to tennis, providing them with the opportunity to continue to develop and enhance their skills. I’ve also created a tennis for behavioral health curriculum that is geared toward educating coaches and therapists on how to implement a program designed to help individuals improve their overall health and wellness through tennis.

I’m also a member of the USTA Adaptive Tennis Committee—an amazing group of individuals who all share the passion of bringing tennis to a group that may otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in this life-changing sport. It is really inspiring to be a part of such a passionate group, with all of us sharing a common goal.

My parents have always been my mentors. My father is from Spain and my mother from the Dominican Republic, and both have always gone above and beyond to help me and support my goals—and importantly, they’ve encouraged me to lead a life of giving back. The United States is a very special place, because it is a country made up of people from all different types of backgrounds and nationalities. Celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month allow us to recognize our backgrounds, come together as a community and use tennis to continue to unite us and help us grow.