Northern California

Grumet, Pallegar Highlight 2024 USTA National Championships

Team NorCal was well-represented at one of the most prestigious junior tournaments of the year—the USTA National Championships. Players from all 17 sections compete for National Balls, sportsmanship awards, and the coveted US Open Wildcards.

 

Highlighting this year's Championships was an all-NorCal matchup between Gus Grumet (Mill Valley) and Arin Pallegar (Granite Bay) in the Boys' 16's Singles final in Kalamazoo, Mich. Read their thoughts about their experience below, and check out the top results from Team NorCal.

GUS GRUMET | MILL VALLEY, CA

Boys' 16 Singles Champion

Bobby Kaplan Sportsmanship Award (B16)

 

 

Q: What does it mean to you to win this prestigious tournament and earn a US Open Juniors wildcard?

 

A: It’s a dream come true. To see the list of past winners of Kalamazoo and know that my name will be added is a huge honor. To play at the US Open Juniors will be truly surreal. As a kid, you dream about these moments and I understand how so few get to experience them; I just hope to really take it in and enjoy it. 

 

Q: How did you handle the pressure of being the #1 seed, coming off winning the Clay Court title, and playing your doubles partner in the final?

 

A: The first time I was supposed to be the #1 seed in an L1 (B14s Hardcourts 2022), I broke my foot the day before we were going to depart for the tournament, so that wasn’t the best experience to start out with. I try not to think about seeding because at this level in the juniors, anyone can beat anyone on any given day, so I go into every match just trying to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on myself. 

 

Winning Clays actually took a lot of the pressure off. I was so happy with that first gold ball, and I think I approached Kzoo more loose and confident because of it. I was also dealing with a hip issue after Clays, so I was just so relieved that I was healthy and ready to go.  

Playing Arin in the finals was tough. We’ve been friends for a while and I’m so happy that we were able to play doubles together at Kzoo. He’s such a great player—super focused and has a really high tennis IQ and never gives up—I knew that he would be a very tough opponent and that I would need to play well to win.  

 

Q: You also earned the Boys 16's Overall Sportsmanship award, how do you define sportsmanship and embody that when you play?

 

A: The sportsmanship award is the highest honor. I love tennis so much and I have so much respect for the other players. Tennis requires so much time and commitment and it can bring out the best and worst of all of us. I try my best to remember that and give myself and my opponent as much empathy as I can on the court. 

 

Q: Any other thoughts you'd like to share:

 

A: I am super grateful for my parents, coaches, family and friends who have been supportive and encouraging over the years. I know people think of tennis as an individual sport, but it is definitely a team effort.

 

ARIN PALLEGAR | GRANITE BAY, CA

Boys' 16 Singles Finalist

 

Q: What does it mean to you to get to the finals of Kalamazoo and earn the ITF & Pro Circuit wildcards?

 

A: Reaching the finals at Kalamazoo and earning these wildcards is a huge milestone for me. It feels like the hard work I've put into my game is paying off, and it opens doors for competing at an even higher level. It’s both an honor and a motivation to push myself even harder.




 

Q: How do you plan to build on this result through the rest of your junior career and beyond?

 

A: I plan to continue improving my game, focusing on consistency and participating in higher-level events. My goal is to gain valuable experience and enjoy the process along the way.




 

Q: Any other thoughts you'd like to share:

 

A: I'm grateful for the support of my family and coaches who have been part of this journey. I feel that this is just the beginning, and I'm excited. 

 

Team NorCal Top Finishers

Brishan Paul & Udham Singh, Boys' 12 Doubles Third Place
Tanvi Pandey, Girls' 14 Singles Fourth Place
Mitchell Lee, Boys' 18 Doubles Fourth Place

Girls' 12's: Draws

Tara Guhan - Singles Quarterfinalist

Josephine Zhou - Singles North Champion

Tara Guhan & Savannah Hwang - Doubles Quarterfinalists

 

Boys' 12's: Draws

Pranav Vignesh - Singles Quarterfinalist

Krish Advani - Singles North Champion

Brishan Paul - Singles West Champion

Brishan Paul & Udham Singh - Doubles Third Place

 

Girls' 14's: Draws

Tanvi Pandey - Singles Fourth Place

Karissa Chang - Singles Quarterfinalist

 

Boys' 14's: Draws

Arjun Krishnan - Singles Consolation Semifinalist

Arjun Krishnan - Doubles Quarterfinalist

 

Boys' 16's: Draws

Gus Grumet - Singles Champion

Arin Pallegar - Singles Finalist

Gus Grumet & Arin Pallegar - Doubles Quarterfinalists

 

Girls' 18's: Draws

Alexis Nguyen - Singles Quarterfinalist

Kristina Penickova - Singles Sixth Place

 

Boys' 18's: Draws

Mitchell Lee - Singles Quarterfinalist

Saahith Jayaraman - Singles Consolation Semifinalist

Mitchell Lee - Doubles Fourth Place

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