17-year-old Kaitlin Quevedo set to compete in US Open Juniors

Author: Zach Oliveri Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
US Open Juniors
Kaitlin Quevedo competing in a tennis match. CREDIT: WINK News

One girl is looking to whoop the competition by serving them a little hometown Southwest Florida heat on the court.

Back in May, Kaitlin Quevedo played in a tournament hosted in Naples. But that is the distant past as far as Katlyn is concerned. That’s because she’s representing all of Southwest Florida in the bright lights of New York City in the U.S. Open Juniors.

Kaitlin told WINK News she just needs to focus on what she’s been practicing and compete as best she can. Competing in Grand Slams, like the U.S. Open Juniors, is something she’s been working toward since she was very young.

US Open Juniors
Young Kaitlin Quevedo playing tennis. CREDIT: Alberto Quevedo

Kaitlin’s tennis journey started in Naples when she was 12 years old and decided to pick up a tennis racket. Maybe, if she hadn’t picked that racket up years ago, she wouldn’t be heading to the Big Apple this weekend.

However, celebrating can wait because competing in the U.S. Open Juniors means she will be facing the best of the best young tennis players.

“You see them competing. You see them in the gym. You see them, like, you’re eating lunch with them,” said Kaitlin.

Those New York City lights are blinding for some but not Kaitlin.

“I know it’s like U.S. Open, and it’s like amazing,” said Kaitlin. “It’s a grand slam, but I mean, you just have to treat it like it’s another tournament.”

US Open Juniors
Kaitlin Quevedo serving. CREDIT: WINK News

Even though Kaitlin is young, she’s not a rookie. This will be her second appearance in the U.S. Open Juniors. To Kaitlin’s thinking, that experience will set her apart from the other athletes.

“I think being able to go there and like know that I’ve improved and I’ve been there before, I’m comfortable,” said Kaitlin.

She’s seen that improvement since her appearance in the Finemark Women’s Pro Championship at Bonita Bay Club in May. After that event, she competed at the French Open and Wimbledon, which are also Junior Grand Slam competitions.

Resolutely, Kaitlin kept climbing the tennis rankings. All that hard work paid off when she got ranked fifth in the International Tennis Federation Junior Rankings in June.

“It was really amazing. One of my goals this year was to reach top 5, which I accomplished,” said Kaitlin. “I hope that I can finish the year like that as well.”

These are valuable experiences for Kaitlin. They’re an opportunity to learn and prepare her to compete as a professional. The main draw of the U.S. Open Juniors begins on Sunday.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.