The 2016 UST­A Clay Court National Championships unfolded last week, with 14 ATA Academy players competing across all age divisions. The standout performance came from ATA College Prep Senior Abigail Chiu, who brought home a Gold Ball for winning 1st place in Girl’s 18s doubles – her 8th National Ball overall.

“This moment in particular was the most special feeling I’ve had after claiming a national ball,” Chiu said. “Between it being one of my last ever super nationals and having my mom witness me winning a gold ball for the first time, it was truly rewarding. The acknowledgment I’ve received especially amongst my ATA peers has made this accomplishment feel even better.”

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Abigail traveled to the event, hosted in Memphis, TN, with ATA CEO Jack Newman. Following a tough first-round singles loss, Abigail was able to refocus and earn three-straight wins in singles before her undefeated run in doubles with partner Elysia Bolton.

“I have to give a huge thanks to Coach Newman who played a huge part in this,” Chiu said. “He was so encouraging and gave me great motivation throughout the entire tournament. We had a specific ritual everyday that allowed me to stay calm and focused and I really do credit him in the highest ways. I really believe he is the best at what he does and when you get the chance to travel with him one on one, you come to realize why ATA is so special. Of course I also credit my three main coaches: Coach Doug, Coach Brandon and Coach Dio who consistently take care of me both physically and emotionally.”

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Chiu also credited her access to two beautiful red clay courts here at here home Academy; appropriately named The Chiu Family Clay Courts.

“The clay courts at ATA have definitely been nice,” Chiu said. “It’s not so common to have clay courts at your home facility; many of my friends have to travel to Florida or other such places to access them but we’re really lucky here. Not every academy can have such nice clay courts and that’s the reason so many kids across Texas come to ATA for better preparation.”

Newman also credits the courts for the overall success of ATA players on the surface recently.

“We had our best clay court performance this year of any years previously,” Newman said. “Having our players start practicing on clay during the year on a regular basis and exclusively after the summer grand slam for sure helped our performance.”

Beyond the coaching, preparation, and court access, Chiu also credits her partner in this event.

“Elysia is also probably the best partner I’ve ever played with. She is an incredible player and I felt that our games really complemented each other well. The last match was actually our most dominating and confident performance and that’s another reason why winning this has never felt better. It was relieving to finish my last clay court nationals with a title and with a match that I will never forget.”

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After spending the week with Abigail and coaching her to a Gold Ball, Newman was clear on how she stacks up against her peers on the doubles court.

“Abigail is the best doubles player of her age in the country (IMHO), for the following reasons–very good serve locations, solid returning from both sides, ability to move forward and control volley height and pace, ability to perform formations effectively without fear.”

The natural step after reaching a goal for Chiu and all ATA student-athletes is simple: set another one. Now, she will focus forward on the next steps in her tennis career.

“The next step for me is getting ready for college tennis. I am planning on tweaking my schedule a little bit so that I can experience some higher level tournaments whether it’s lower lever pro tournaments or more collegiate events. I’ve played junior Texas tennis my entire life and I’m ready to see what it’s like against the girls at the next level!”