The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is an entry-level professional tennis tournament. And with that, comes the excitement when some players earn their first career ATP ranking point. It is a common occurrence in Vero Beach over the 30-years of the tournament’s existence, most notably where top American Tommy Paul first entered the ATP rankings in 2014.
Wednesday at the 2025 edition of the tournament was no exception.
Two 17-year-old Americans, Keaton Hance and Ilija Palavestra both earned their first ATP ranking points with singles victories. Palavestra, from Lake Worth, Florda, defeated all-time leading Venezuelan Davis Cupper and 2021 Mardy Fish runner-up Ricardo Rodriguez 75 75 in two hours, 59 minutes to earn his point.
Hance defeated former Cornell standout Evan Bynoe 6-2, 6-3
Palavestra is only in the tournament because he earned a qualifying wild card into the tournament by virtue of his runner-up showing at the Mardy Fish “Wild Card” tournament at Sea Oaks in February. He won two matches in the qualifying tournament to earn a spot in a main draw where his win over Rodriguez earned him his first ATP ranking point.
Watch Palavestra talk about getting his first ATP point here: https://youtu.be/kinZVO8T7rg?si=UzMaqXix_R6hV5p4
And watch him clinch his victory here: https://youtu.be/8PN1xzbEIJ8?si=CMLlkG5NRDjzAFRL
Learn more about his competitive pathway prior to the Mardy Fish wild card tournament here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4sTcf_kOOU
Watch Hance speak of gaining his first ATP point here: https://youtu.be/yN-QTwoA8CE?si=ktk6THjVKXoa9gQZ
In a match between American teenagers, Jack Kennedy, 16, defeated Noah Johnston, 17, by a 6-4, 6-3 scoreline. Watch Kennedy’s post-match interview where he discusses his famous name and this current wave of American junior players here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVYuZCrP6Ow
Andrew Fenty, the former All-Americans from Michigan, defeated No. 4 seed and fellow American Strong Kirchheimer 6-2 6-1. Fenty talked about his transition to pro tennis and how former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh likes tennis here: https://youtu.be/IuRFMwHM1lI?si=RmBwpJ-pGAKjTSr-
Ryan Haviland, at 44 the oldest player ranked in the ATP singles rankings, lost to fellow American Preston Brown, 21 years his junior, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), despite climbing back from a 1-5 third-set deficit.
In the last match of the day, No. 3 seed Peter Bertran ended the challenge of unranked Adam Lynch, a Division II NCAA player for Barry University, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-4 in two hours, 46 minutes.
Go to MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org for ticket info and click here for draw and schedule of play: https://www.usta.com/en/home/pro/pro-tennis-events/usta-mens-competitive-pathway.html
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