MBHS student wins state tennis tournament

Pippa Roy, a 16-year-old rising junior at Mountain Brook High School, recently won the Girls 18s Alabama state closed tennis tournament in Montgomery, beating Tuscaloosa's Ava Rath 6-2 and 6-3 in the final.

For the past two years, Roy has won the high school state championship at No. 1 singles and doubles for the Spartans and was recently honored by the Alabama Tennis Association as the Female Junior Player of the Year.

When asked how she felt about the ATA Award, Roy said she was thrilled to receive it.

“It’s a big honor, and it’s motivated me to keep working hard and doing my best,” she said. “Tennis can be a lonely sport, and I’m lucky to have a great group of family and friends who support my tennis journey. They have helped me get this far.”

While Roy has focused on tennis the past several years, she tried a lot of other things when she was younger, including dance, soccer, gymnastics, karate and swimming. She said she chose tennis because it made her happy, and she had the most fun playing it.

“I never get bored. There is always something different to work on, and it’s a year-round sport,” she said. “I enjoy all different types of tennis competition – singles, doubles, individual and team events. I’m always meeting new friends and playing on different surfaces.”

Roy is coached by her mother, a retired kinesiology professor, and the coach she has spent the most time with on the court.

“She applies her knowledge of sport and exercise science into my training and has a lot of patience. She brings out the best in me,” Roy said. “She played tennis on scholarship at the University of Alabama, so she understands the challenges of balancing school, tennis and social life, and changes up my workouts when needed.”

Roy said her tennis highlight of the summer was being selected to play in the National Junior 18s Hard Court Championships in San Diego.

“It’s the first time that I have qualified for this event,” she said. “It’s special because the winner gets a wild card into the main draw of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows. I’m excited to compete for a spot to play in a Grand Slam against the top players in the world!”