Serving up success

Andrew Salu swelled with pride, as he stood beaming up at the 6-foot tennis trophy. 

The tallest trophy awarded in junior tennis, the tiny 8-year-old couldn’t wait to proudly display the trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the “Little Mo” grand slam, in his room. 

Andrew Salu smiled while his father, Eran Salu, snapped the then-8-year-old's picture alongside the tennis trophy. At 6 feet, it's the tallest in junior tennis, awarded to the winner of the "Little Mo" grand slam. 

Then, he turned to his father and said, “Dad, I’m going to win this next year.” 

Eran Salu simply nodded his head as if to say, “OK.” 

It was a lofty goal coming from a player with less than a year of experience who had just lost four of his five matches in his first “Little Mo” tournament. 

But soon, Eran Salu realized those four losses were the best thing that could’ve happened to his son. 

Andrew Salu returned to the court with a newfound determination. He began working harder, running faster and chasing every ball that bounced his way; and a year later, in December 2014, Salu fulfilled his promise.

Salu won the “Little Mo” Grand Slam, having won all three “Little Mo” Internationals tournaments, as well as the “Little Mo” Nationals. His trophy now stands in the lobby of the Sarasota Sports Club, formerly Serendipity Racquet Club, which Salu’s parents own and manage. 

“Losing inspires me to play harder,” Salu said. “I really want to win every match. I didn’t like losing that much. It’s more fun to win.” 

Now 10 years old, the homeschool fourth-grader is the No. 1 ranked player in the nation for the Class of 2024. 

Although he isn’t about to stop there. Salu, who competes in both the boys 12s and boys 14s divisions when he plays tournaments, has his sights set on winning a national designated tournament such as the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships, the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships or the Easter Bowl Championship. 

Salu, who is ranked 43rd in the nation for singles and ninth for doubles for 12-and-under, already appears to be well on his way. 

In December, he teamed up with Hudson Rivera to win a silver ball at the Winter National Championships. 

“They came out of nowhere,” Eran Salu said. “It was an incredible surprise.” 

Most recently, Salu reached the finals of the Colonial Level 6 Challenge April 30 through May 2, in Fort Myers. 

Salu plays in tournaments practically every weekend across the state, using each tournament as preparation for the National Clay Court Championships, in July, and the National Hard Court Championships, in August. 

As a two-time “Little Mo” Nationals champion, Salu is favored to win. However, Salu tends to be at the top of his game when the match isn’t necessarily in his favor.

“I like being the underdog because I have no pressure,” Salu said. “I don’t play nervous, and I go for more shots.” 

Tennis was the fourth sport Salu picked up, but it was the one that afforded him the opportunity to compete for himself. 

Four months he first picked up a tennis racket, Salu played in his first USTA tournament. Salu lost two of his three matches, including one in a tiebreaker, against players of all ages. 

A week later, Salu, who had just turned 8, returned to the court to beat a ninth-grader 6-0, 6-0 and become the youngest player in California to win a USTA tournament. 

“As a parent, if you can get your kids passionate about something, then everything works better,” Eran Salu said. “Once they find something they’re passionate about, they develop a purpose, and every day is spent working toward getting better.” 

Salu trains 15 hours a week, which includes 12 hours of on-court training and three hours with a personal trainer. 

More than half of Salu’s on-court training is spent working with hitting partner Michael Moore, who was Riverview High’s No. 1 tennis player before graduating in 2015. 

With Moore’s help, Salu has been able to learn how to sustain a rally while also working to improve his one-handed forehand. 

 “He works hard every day," Moore said. "His work ethic, for how young he is, is phenomenal.”