Chicopee’s Faisal Takes Unconventional Route to No. 1

A soccer player in his youth, he got his first taste of the sport when he enrolled at Chicopee High School for his senior year. He played doubles on the team and soon became hooked.

Upon graduation, Faisal fed his newfound obsession by joining USTA League teams, where he regularly competed in singles.

As he continued to progress, he tried his hand in singles tournaments, where he quickly found success. In 2019, he achieved the year-end No. 1 ranking in New England Men’s 3.0, earning himself a trip to NTRP Nationals. Faisal competed in Arizona in April 2021 after the championships were postponed a year due to COVID-19. He won the finals of the Silver Bracket, but he was hungry for more.

He soon made a name for himself throughout the Western Mass. tennis community, and became a regular at Ludlow tennis club, where he played every night with his high school teammate, Moe Serafini.

“We played seven nights a week. He pushed me, and it’s hard to find those people who want to play all the time, so I really appreciated that time,” Faisal said.

“I give all the credit to Judy. She always pushed me, set up goals for me, and if I played without goals, it wouldn’t feel right,” Faisal said. “Before I started training with her, I played a couple of 3.5 tournaments and struggled. I've only lost a few tournaments since I’ve taken lessons. It’s been an amazing experience.”

“From the first time I met him until now, Ahmed has been a sponge. He has a passion to learn, to soak up every nuance and to improve,” Dixon said. “He is extremely self motivated, inquisitive and a joy to teach. He is without a doubt a very special young man.”

Faisal has taken weekly lessons with Dixon ever since, and in just about a year’s time, he jumped from a 3.0/3.5 NTRP rating to a 4.5.

“Judy really taught me about focus, pressure and not to give up on matches. I had no confidence before I took lessons, and now I always talk to myself in a match and can just focus on the next point,” Faisal said. “I’ve lost the first set in lots of matches but have been able to come back to win thanks to her. And now, even when I lose, I’m never upset, it’s always a positive experience to learn from my mistakes.”

Faisal is lined up to make another trip back to NTRP Nationals in April, where he hopes to improve on his 2021 result. And from there the dreams are big for Faisal, who is currently studying industrial engineering at Western New England University.

“I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had in tennis, and it’s become a very important part of my life. I’d love to play in a pro level event or maybe even travel around the world to represent Team USA like Judy did. With her by my side, I believe it is possible.”

Faisal won his most recent tournament on Thanksgiving weekend in Pennsylvania with partner Casey Wegrzyn and plans to compete in one more event before the end of the year.

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