Eighth grader Felipe Junqueira celebrates his win at Rafa Nadal Academy in Marbella.
At three years old, Felipe Junqueira hated tennis. Now as an eighth grader, he is about to decide the next chapter of his life based off of that very sport.
“I started my tennis journey when I was three. My mom always wanted me to be a tennis player, but I hated it. My mom kept forcing me to do it until I finally started to like it and I just kept going,” Junqueira said. “I have grown to like the sport, it is so fun and every time I play I end up feeling so happy.”
Tennis is now a catalyst in the biggest decision of his life so far. He is deciding for high school between homeschooling and going to IMG Academy, a boarding school in Bradenton, FL focused on athletics. The school has produced stars like Venus and Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Kei Nishikori.
“I want to become a professional tennis player and become one of the best in the world,” Junqueira said. “Right now, I am leaning towards being homeschooled because it is really challenging to play the amount of hours that I play while balancing school at the same time. I think its going to be very helpful because I am gonna be able to train for longer hours and travel to more tournaments.”
Junqueira has faced pressure from his parents, coaches and teachers who all want him to do his best and achieve his goal.
“I have felt pressure when everyone in the team is watching my match, but I think the pressure really builds character,” Junqueira said. “There definitely is pressure from my parents, but I think it’s good because it is teaching me how to deal with it since there will always be some sort of pressure when you are playing.”
Junqueira has found comfort in community with his school team. Eighth grader Patrick Shie has played with him for years.
“He brings a lot of energy and is a really good player and he can help defeat other schools and he is a key player to help beat other schools,” Shie said. “I think the team will be affected if he leaves because he is a really good player, and we will also lose someone who gives us confidence before every game. I am also going to be losing a good friend.”
With every new chapter there’s a bittersweet feeling. While adventuring another aspect of his tennis career he may be losing his school one.
“I think I am gonna miss playing with my friends and playing as a team,” Junqueira said. “I also like playing as a team because it is like one big family and we can all rely on each other when we play.”