Trevor's Tennis Career
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My name is Trevor Johnson. I am a 22-year-old tennis player and recent graduate from Texas Christian University, more commonly known as TCU. I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the most supportive family anyone could ask for. My parents are still in Las Vegas and manage our small family-owned business. If you asked them, they’d tell you I have had an interest in tennis since I was able to hold a tennis racket at 3 years old. They saw my interest and nurtured it, supporting me in any way imaginable. They have supported me not only mentally and emotionally, but financially as well.
I started really playing tennis at the age of 7 in Las Vegas. I played in local and sectional tournaments until I was about 14. As a family, we decided online schooling would be more beneficial for me as opposed to traditional high school so I could practice more seriously to get to the next level. The harder I worked, the more I improved and my junior ranking did as well. As my ranking went up, it allowed me to enter bigger national tournaments. By the end of juniors, I reached a career high ranking of #3 in the nation. At this point, I felt like I had the skill and opportunity to try and play tennis professionally. I also knew I had the option of going to college and this could give me more time to grow and develop. After a lot of thought and consideration, I felt that taking the college route was the best choice for me. I was recruited by a handful of colleges, but chose to play tennis at TCU, and played for 4 full years as a Horned Frog.
Throughout the years, I experienced some drawbacks that have motivated me to push myself physically and mentally, to achieve playing at this level. About 2 and half years ago, I learned I had a herniated disc in my back and I would eventually need surgery to treat it. Thankfully, my doctors assured me this wouldn’t inhibit my tennis career in the long run. They also told me that I wouldn’t have to have the surgery immediately and we made the decision that we could try to treat the pain as long as we possibly could, and get me through the season. I chose to manage the pain because my team and I were about to start the spring season at TCU and I wanted to help my teammates and my school. For about a year I tried to manage the pain, but it began to greatly affect not only tennis, but my daily activities as well. I decided to move forward with the surgery during the Christmas break of 2016, and because of those doctors, I was able to continue pursuing my dream. The best part about fixing my back was that I could fully train without restrictions, or pain. I didn’t realize how much this was affecting my tennis abilities until after the surgery, when I began to do better and better on the court.
After graduating and being a part of a top 10 program for the past 4 years, I have decided to finally pursue my dream and become a professional tennis player. The only issue that I face in my venture is funding. At this time, the expenses of traveling for tournaments have exceeded what my family and I can afford.
As a college tennis player, you are allowed to play a certain number of professional tournaments with your full college schedule. During my college experience, I played 3 professional tournaments and I am currently ranked 900th in the world. I am planning to play a full summer schedule of tournaments starting in just 2 weeks, and I could benefit from any help anyone is willing to give as soon as possible.
As an upcoming professional tennis player, it is crucial that you have enough money for at least a full year's worth of funding since the rankings are yearly from your first tournament. This funding includes travel, hotel stays, racket stringing, coaching, and many more miscellaneous expenses that become costly over time. For now, I plan to stay in the United States and play tournaments, but if I can get the funds to go overseas and gain some professional ranking points and experience I will definitely take advantage of that opportunity. I will work my hardest to make my school, and my family proud.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and help me pursue my dream!
I started really playing tennis at the age of 7 in Las Vegas. I played in local and sectional tournaments until I was about 14. As a family, we decided online schooling would be more beneficial for me as opposed to traditional high school so I could practice more seriously to get to the next level. The harder I worked, the more I improved and my junior ranking did as well. As my ranking went up, it allowed me to enter bigger national tournaments. By the end of juniors, I reached a career high ranking of #3 in the nation. At this point, I felt like I had the skill and opportunity to try and play tennis professionally. I also knew I had the option of going to college and this could give me more time to grow and develop. After a lot of thought and consideration, I felt that taking the college route was the best choice for me. I was recruited by a handful of colleges, but chose to play tennis at TCU, and played for 4 full years as a Horned Frog.
Throughout the years, I experienced some drawbacks that have motivated me to push myself physically and mentally, to achieve playing at this level. About 2 and half years ago, I learned I had a herniated disc in my back and I would eventually need surgery to treat it. Thankfully, my doctors assured me this wouldn’t inhibit my tennis career in the long run. They also told me that I wouldn’t have to have the surgery immediately and we made the decision that we could try to treat the pain as long as we possibly could, and get me through the season. I chose to manage the pain because my team and I were about to start the spring season at TCU and I wanted to help my teammates and my school. For about a year I tried to manage the pain, but it began to greatly affect not only tennis, but my daily activities as well. I decided to move forward with the surgery during the Christmas break of 2016, and because of those doctors, I was able to continue pursuing my dream. The best part about fixing my back was that I could fully train without restrictions, or pain. I didn’t realize how much this was affecting my tennis abilities until after the surgery, when I began to do better and better on the court.
After graduating and being a part of a top 10 program for the past 4 years, I have decided to finally pursue my dream and become a professional tennis player. The only issue that I face in my venture is funding. At this time, the expenses of traveling for tournaments have exceeded what my family and I can afford.
As a college tennis player, you are allowed to play a certain number of professional tournaments with your full college schedule. During my college experience, I played 3 professional tournaments and I am currently ranked 900th in the world. I am planning to play a full summer schedule of tournaments starting in just 2 weeks, and I could benefit from any help anyone is willing to give as soon as possible.
As an upcoming professional tennis player, it is crucial that you have enough money for at least a full year's worth of funding since the rankings are yearly from your first tournament. This funding includes travel, hotel stays, racket stringing, coaching, and many more miscellaneous expenses that become costly over time. For now, I plan to stay in the United States and play tournaments, but if I can get the funds to go overseas and gain some professional ranking points and experience I will definitely take advantage of that opportunity. I will work my hardest to make my school, and my family proud.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and help me pursue my dream!
Organizer
Trevor Johnson
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV