Bobby Cooper is a New England junior currently competing in the Boys' 14s and 16s divisions. At the time of writing, he holds a New England ranking inside the top 15 in both age divisions. Bobby recently won USTA's National Diversity & Inclusion Essay Contest and was given the opportunity to show off his skills in Florida at a winter showcase.

 

Learn more about Bobby here: 

 

Age: 14

 

Hometown: Cambridge Massachusetts

 

Age you first played tennis: 9

 

Where do you compete out of or play most often? Harvard University & Manchester Athletic Club

 

Favorite professional player: Rafael Nadal

 

Favorite subject in school: History

 

Favorite movie: Get Out

 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? The power to heal

 

If you could go to dinner with one person, who would it be? Colin Kaepernick

 

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Racquet you currently use: Babolat Pure Aero

 

Something special you always have in your tennis bag: 45” shoelaces, lacrosse ball, stretching band

 

What are your tennis goals/aspirations? Short term- Work every day to improve my fitness and technique. Compete to the best of my ability. Long term- Make Division I college tennis, go on to be a pro player and win inside of Arthur Ashe stadium.

 

What prompted you to enter the Diversity & inclusion Essay Contest? I was looking to see whether USTA provided scholarship/grant opportunities that would help defray the cost of my tennis journey.

 

What did you write your essay about? An unsung pioneer of tennis. More specifically, I wrote about Talley Holmes, a co-founder of the American Tennis Association (ATA), the tennis association for black African Americans during Jim Crow. Talley was the ATA’s first men’s singles champion, but he was also a scholar, graduating from Dartmouth and becoming an entrepreneur, teacher, and humanitarian.

 

Did you expect to win? No, I did not expect to win given that it was a national competition. However, I gave it my best shot.

 

What were your emotions like when you found out? Thrilled

 

What is the coolest part about now getting the chance to go down to the Winter Showcase in Florida? Seeing how my game has improved relative to my peers, meeting new friends and reconnecting with former coaches like Steve Smith, who first taught me the basic mechanics of tennis.