Zach Bost continues to prove that one of the state’s rising tennis talents resides in Jefferson.
The 16-year-old Jefferson High School junior enjoyed a successful summer stint in singles and doubles play at the state and regional levels and even competed in a prestigious national tournament.
Riding a hot streak that started before last school year ended, Bost is ranked no. 3 in the state in the 16-year-old division.
“It’s possibly one of the hardest things to do, to crack the top 10 because that’s the best players in the state …. I was excited to see my hard work payoff,” said Bost, who went 14-0 as a sophomore in his high school matches last year.
In singles, Bost finished third over the summer in the Georgia qualifier in Macon and enjoyed a highly-successful doubles run alongside playing partner Kyle Childree of Smyrna. The pair won the doubles championship at the Georgia qualifier and managed a second-place finish against some of the best players in the South at the USTA Southern closed tournament in Rome.
Bost, who carries a no. 19 ranking in the southeast, also earned a slot on the USTA Southern team, which finished first at the USTA Team Zonal Championship in Winston Salem, N.C.
But the highlight of the summer came when he learned that he’d qualified for a spot in the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. This is considered the most elite junior tournament in the U.S.
Bost competed in this event earlier this month, and though he didn’t bring home any hardware, facing the best players in the nation was worth the 715-mile trip north.
“I didn’t do too well, but it was a great experience … It was very inspiring to me,” Bost said.
Meanwhile, Bost’s tennis schedule continues.
He will again team with Childree in a doubles tournament this weekend. The duo will compete in the 18s division instead this time to see how they stack up against players two years their senior.
Younger players are allowed to do so as long as they carry a high enough ranking.
“We wanted to see how we could do in the 18s,” Bost said.
He’ll also continue to train daily Hobson High Performance Tennis Academy in Snellville. There’s an added twist to that this school year, however. As a member of the youth apprenticeship program, Bost is allowed to leave school early for on-the-job training at Hobson High Performance, where he’ll learn how to run a tennis academy and teach kids. Bost said he’d eventually like to make that his career.
In the meantime, he has his own tennis game to hone.
Bost continues to push himself, saying his stroke needs to get stronger and that he needs to increase his quickness on the court. After all, it’s that kind of dedication that’s made him one of the best players in the state. But at the same time, he’s confident in how he’s playing.
“There’s always something that I’m going to be working on,” Bost said, “but right now, I’m feeling pretty good about it.”
