Jack Kennedy to focus on professional tennis after US Open debut

Jack Kennedy, an 18-year-old tennis player from Long Island, competed in the men’s singles main draw at the US Open, where he lost in the first round to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris. Despite the loss, Kennedy described the experience as a “dream come true” and noted the strong support from the crowd.

Following his performance, Kennedy announced his decision to skip the upcoming fall college season at the University of Virginia. He intends to focus on playing professional events to capitalize on wild card opportunities from the ATP NextGen Accelerator program. By pursuing professional play this fall, Kennedy aims to defend and increase his ATP ranking, which currently sits at No. 389, rather than risking a decline by participating in the college team season.

Kennedy expressed a long-term goal of qualifying for the ATP Tour NextGen Finals in Saudi Arabia, citing the influence of former University of Virginia player Rafael Jodar.