Making it to the big circuit. Qualifying for one of the Grand Slams. They are the goals of almost all young professional tennis players.
One of those players is American Sekou Bangoura. The 24-year-old competed at the Nielsen USTA Pro Tennis Championship in doubles, where, along with his first-time partner, David O’Hare, he advanced to the finals. Bangoura and O’Hare, who is from Ireland, lost to Stefan Kozlov and John Patrick Smith 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match on Saturday, July 9, in Winnetka.
“My only goal right now is to make the U.S. Open. Play in my first Grand Slam (in singles),” said Bangoura, who grew up in Bradenton, Fla. “I’ve been playing well, so I’m not too disappointed (finishing runner-up at Nielsen). Definitely a successful week.”
Bangoura played in the 2010 U.S. Open in doubles after receiving a wild card, but he and partner Nathan Pasha lost their first match.
Bangoura has moved all the way up from a singles ranking of 577 in January 2013 to 251 on Monday, July 11. He’s also currently ranked No. 180 in doubles.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for the players that could make a difference as to whether they get into the U.S. Open, which we’ve had happen before,” tournament director Linda Goodman said. “We’re really fortunate because we’ve given wildcards to players such as Pete Sampras and started them on their journey.”
Bangoura was a doubles all-American at Florida.
“Sekou is super athletic,” O’Hare said. “He can cover a lot of ground and has a big serve. His return of serve this week was really good. Kept us in a lot of matches.”
As part of Kids Day at the tournament, about 200 children from Chicago came to the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Center in Winnetka on Thursday, July 7. Bangoura spoke to the children about what it’s like to be a professional tennis player on tour.
“Sekou is just a delightful person. He is very instrumental in helping kids when they’re here,” Goodman said.
“I love kids. That came from my dad and was passed down to me,” Bangoura said. “They look up with so much awe when they watch us play or come talk to us. It’s always nice to give back.”
Bangoura said that his father, also named Sekou, coaches top-ranked juniors at his international tennis academy in Sarasota, Fla. His father taught him tennis, something that the younger Sekou began as a 3-year-old. He won his first tournament at the age of 6.
“By the time I was 6, I was watching (Pete) Sampras and (Andre) Agassi go at it in the grand slams,” Bangoura said.
“I was born with a racquet in my hand,” Bangoura added. “We had this red plastic racquet and a beach ball, so I just walked around and hit it all day.”
Notes
* In the singles final, top-seeded Yoshihito Nishioka defeated eighth-seeded Francis Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2.
With the win, Nishioka’s ranking improved from 122 to 100 in the world.
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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