Charlie Emhardt's Tennis Fund
Donation protected
Hi! I'm Charlie Emhardt and I am pursuing the goal of playing professional tennis and hope to one day compete at all four grand slams. Recently I graduated from Valparaiso University. Valpo is a small, private college located in Northwest Indiana. Valpo participated in the Horizon League while I was in attendance. I loved competing for Valpo!
While competing for a mid-major in Division 1 tennis, I turned the heads of many powerhouse schools. I enjoyed a great deal of success alongside doubles partner Jeffrey Schorsch, competing for Valpo from the beginning, amassing a combined singles record of 51-15 in our freshman year. Our confidence built on and off the court and we continued this success for Valpo through our sophomore year, finishing with a combined singles record of 52-18. After our sophomore season we were able to qualify in doubles for the US Open National Playoffs- a 16 team draw where the winner played in the US Open main draw. Despite losing in the first round of the event, we experienced what it was like to play in an event very similar to a professional event. From this experience, we were very excited to continue to compete for Valpo. In our junior year, our combined singles record was 50-14. Throughout our first three years we finished 78-13 as a doubles team. We dominated the mid-major schools and often upset some big name schools as well. However, there was a significant notion of the big schools not wanting to play us for fear of being upset. Despite this, we continued to succeed for Valpo doing all we could to for the school we loved. After losing in the final of the second consecutive ITA Midwest Doubles Regional, we were worried that our chance to put Valpo in the national spotlight was lost.
However this all changed when we received a wildcard into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships held in NYC, as the culmination of the fall season for collegiate tennis. At this tournament we were able to defeat the number 2 ranked doubles team in the nation from Cal Berkeley, and string together 4 wins to reach the finals. Because of the success we were able to peak in the ITA/NCAA rankings at #8 in the country. However, due to our lack of ability to play ranked teams in the Spring we would fall to #41 but we were still able to qualify for the NCAA doubles tournament. Here we proved that the run in NYC wasn't a fluke as we reached the quarterfinals after two wins before falling to #1 ranked and eventual finalist Georgia. Having made the quarterfinals we were named NCAA/ITA All-Americans, the first in tennis program history at Valparaiso University.
My goal to pursue professional tennis has resulted from my love and desire for the game, as well as my results from the first three years of college. At the beginning of my senior year of college I began planning on how to pursue professional tennis after graduation, and my results this past season only further confirmed my belief that I could do it. However after studying and preparing I realized that in order to travel, train, pay for lodging and food, etc, I will need more than just the prize money from the events. Unfortunately the current format of the ATP/ITF circuit heavily favors the top level of the game meaning that in order to compete at the lower levels of the game, players must have alternative sources of funding.
An investment in my dream will help me pay for travel expenses such as flights/gas/hotels and training/competition expenses such as food and equipment.
The results from the past year have proven to me that I belong at the highest level of professional tennis. I need help to get there, and for your help I will be forever grateful.
To learn more about me continue reading below.
Charlie- I was born in Indianapolis, IN, and raised in Carmel. I'm the third of four children and a fourth generation tennis player. My great-grandfather, grandparents, parents, both of my older sisters and younger brother all play tennis- the sport runs in my blood. I have dreamed about playing pro tennis from a very young age. I played high school tennis in Indiana while attending Carmel High School and was a member of 3 state championship teams as well as winning the state doubles title my senior year. It was right at the beginning of my junior year of college when Jeffrey and I competed at the US Open National Playoffs that I realized I wanted to and could possibly become a touring professional. Since then I have devoted everything outside of the classroom to succeeding on the court. I have an intense passion for the sport and find the tactical side of doubles very easy to understand. I have had success playing singles as well and intend to pursue both singles and doubles with the funds raised from this page.
Valpo Stats/Honors:
Charlie-
1st in career doubles wins (117) and doubles winning percentage (.830)
3rd in career singles wins (86)
Tied 1st (w/Jeffrey) single season doubles wins (31)
NCAA/ITA All-American (2017)
Second Team All Horizon League (2016,2017)
Ranked #8 in doubles (w/Jeffrey) in the ITA/NCAA (Feb 2017)
Doubles runner-up (w/Jeffrey) at the USTA/ITA National Indoors (Fall 2016)
While competing for a mid-major in Division 1 tennis, I turned the heads of many powerhouse schools. I enjoyed a great deal of success alongside doubles partner Jeffrey Schorsch, competing for Valpo from the beginning, amassing a combined singles record of 51-15 in our freshman year. Our confidence built on and off the court and we continued this success for Valpo through our sophomore year, finishing with a combined singles record of 52-18. After our sophomore season we were able to qualify in doubles for the US Open National Playoffs- a 16 team draw where the winner played in the US Open main draw. Despite losing in the first round of the event, we experienced what it was like to play in an event very similar to a professional event. From this experience, we were very excited to continue to compete for Valpo. In our junior year, our combined singles record was 50-14. Throughout our first three years we finished 78-13 as a doubles team. We dominated the mid-major schools and often upset some big name schools as well. However, there was a significant notion of the big schools not wanting to play us for fear of being upset. Despite this, we continued to succeed for Valpo doing all we could to for the school we loved. After losing in the final of the second consecutive ITA Midwest Doubles Regional, we were worried that our chance to put Valpo in the national spotlight was lost.
However this all changed when we received a wildcard into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships held in NYC, as the culmination of the fall season for collegiate tennis. At this tournament we were able to defeat the number 2 ranked doubles team in the nation from Cal Berkeley, and string together 4 wins to reach the finals. Because of the success we were able to peak in the ITA/NCAA rankings at #8 in the country. However, due to our lack of ability to play ranked teams in the Spring we would fall to #41 but we were still able to qualify for the NCAA doubles tournament. Here we proved that the run in NYC wasn't a fluke as we reached the quarterfinals after two wins before falling to #1 ranked and eventual finalist Georgia. Having made the quarterfinals we were named NCAA/ITA All-Americans, the first in tennis program history at Valparaiso University.
My goal to pursue professional tennis has resulted from my love and desire for the game, as well as my results from the first three years of college. At the beginning of my senior year of college I began planning on how to pursue professional tennis after graduation, and my results this past season only further confirmed my belief that I could do it. However after studying and preparing I realized that in order to travel, train, pay for lodging and food, etc, I will need more than just the prize money from the events. Unfortunately the current format of the ATP/ITF circuit heavily favors the top level of the game meaning that in order to compete at the lower levels of the game, players must have alternative sources of funding.
An investment in my dream will help me pay for travel expenses such as flights/gas/hotels and training/competition expenses such as food and equipment.
The results from the past year have proven to me that I belong at the highest level of professional tennis. I need help to get there, and for your help I will be forever grateful.
To learn more about me continue reading below.
Charlie- I was born in Indianapolis, IN, and raised in Carmel. I'm the third of four children and a fourth generation tennis player. My great-grandfather, grandparents, parents, both of my older sisters and younger brother all play tennis- the sport runs in my blood. I have dreamed about playing pro tennis from a very young age. I played high school tennis in Indiana while attending Carmel High School and was a member of 3 state championship teams as well as winning the state doubles title my senior year. It was right at the beginning of my junior year of college when Jeffrey and I competed at the US Open National Playoffs that I realized I wanted to and could possibly become a touring professional. Since then I have devoted everything outside of the classroom to succeeding on the court. I have an intense passion for the sport and find the tactical side of doubles very easy to understand. I have had success playing singles as well and intend to pursue both singles and doubles with the funds raised from this page.
Valpo Stats/Honors:
Charlie-
1st in career doubles wins (117) and doubles winning percentage (.830)
3rd in career singles wins (86)
Tied 1st (w/Jeffrey) single season doubles wins (31)
NCAA/ITA All-American (2017)
Second Team All Horizon League (2016,2017)
Ranked #8 in doubles (w/Jeffrey) in the ITA/NCAA (Feb 2017)
Doubles runner-up (w/Jeffrey) at the USTA/ITA National Indoors (Fall 2016)
Organizer
Charlie Cem
Organizer
Carmel, IN