Nicholas Mekhael Claims Bronze Ball At Clay Nationals

Jul 15, 2025

High Performance player Nicholas Mekhael led the JTCC contingent of players competing July 6-13 at the Level 1 USTA National Clay Court Championships, earning a coveted Bronze Ball for his 3rd place finish in the Boys’ 18s Singles division in Delray Beach, FL. Mekhael also reached the Boys’ 18s doubles semifinals, ultimately finishing fourth, capping off a standout week of elite-level play.

 

Mekhael, who has verbally committed to play collegiate tennis at the University of Illinois in the fall of 2026, battled through a challenging draw as an unseeded player to earn his third career National Ball and second in singles, with a 6-3, 6-2 convincing victory over fourth-seed Yashwin Krishnakumar in the Bronze Ball match.

 

“These last two weeks for me have been insane. I came into this event having already played six matches in a row and was unseeded, which meant I had no days off,” Nick said. “My week was all about routines and implementing how I handle my emotions, energy and physicality throughout the matches.”

 

Kalista Papadopoulos headlined strong showings for the girls with a 4th place finish in the Girls’ 16s doubles draw and also reached the Consolation Draw singles final in Huntsville, AL.

 

In total, 32 JTCC players competed at Clay Nationals across multiple divisions. JTCC’s High Performance group now shifts their focus and hopes for continued success at the National Hard Court Championships at Kalamazoo, MI in August.

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