Students from Bronx tennis program heading to U.S. Open

NEW YORK - We're just days away from the U.S. Open starting, and a tennis program in the Bronx is making strides to ensure accessibility for all student athletes across the city.

Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning offers training and more

"People like us, like from the Bronx, we're all like diamonds in the rough," said Jeremy Victoria.

Victoria has excelled in what he calls his safe space in Crotona Park for years.

"Everybody has something special about them, especially from the Bronx because we've gone through a struggle that not most people understand," he said.

The 18-year-old said his life could've gone on a different path if it weren't for his family and supporters, and his love for the game of tennis.

"The grind is like six to eight hours a day," he said.

That grind, work ethic and dedication landed him in a state-of-the-art facility on the edge of the park called the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.

"We provide them academic support, tennis training and life skills support, with the ultimate goal of a student getting a pathway to college," said scholar athlete program director Raiyan Nafee. "Our goal is to give everyone that option to succeed."

Victoria says his dream is to win the U.S. Open someday, but first he takes his talents to play Division 1 tennis at Fordham.

"This game has brought me something I can't give in any other material value, like money. It's brought me an opportunity to do something with my life," said Victoria.

Student lands position on U.S. Open ball crew

Patrycja Filonik is a student athlete that travels from Brooklyn several times a week. Her dedication landed her as part of the ball crew at the U.S. Open this year.

"It's just crazy. You're at one of the four Grand Slams out there, and I get to be part of that. It's just amazing," said Filonik.

"The fact that it happens for us in our own backyard is a great chance for our students to go to see these players, to see people who look like them and are so successful," said Nafee.

From the tennis courts to the classroom, the program says they're all about trying to enrich the lives of their student athletes in a variety of ways including providing access to students who might not have these opportunities otherwise.

"We look at income 'cause we want students who might not normally get a chance to afford the equipment, to afford the chance to play in tournaments," said Nafee.

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