A cellphone is an essential tool in the life of any teenager, especially one who’s also a globe-trtting tennis player. Eighteen-year-old Sam Querrey, who reached the Top 10 in the ITF world rankings in 2005, wouldn’t make it a day without his phone as he jets around the hemisphere playing tournaments on the junior and pro circuits. The native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., logged some of the action his Motorola got during the summer and fall of 2005.
KALAMAZOO, MI
USTA National Championships
Sam arrived at nationals seeded second in the 18s division, hoping to win rare back-to-back titles. He was ranked 14th in the world among juniors by the ITF.
Thursday, August 11
INCOMING: Blake Muller, friend
Blake called me to ask if I can warm him up for his consolation match today. Since I have a day off before my quarterfinal match Friday, it’s no problem. Blake’s my best tennis friend. It was tough facing him in the fourth round Tuesday. I really wanted to win but I also wanted him to win. I was a little nervous because he’d beaten me the last time we played. But I played great, and after the match he bought me some ice cream and blueberries. He grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., and because Thousand Oaks is also outside the Orange County–centered junior tennis hub, we started to play weekly. We just kind of grew into really good friends. He’s headed off to Stanford in a few weeks.
OUTGOING: Mom
I called my mom to double-check what time she and dad arrive in Kalamazoo on Friday. I also asked her to say hi to Ellen, my younger sister, who won’t be making the trip this year.
OUTGOING: Grant Doyle, personal coach and roommate for the week
I checked with Grant on what time I was scheduled to practice with Dylan Arnould in the afternoon.
Saturday, August 13
INCOMING: Shana Hildebrand, co-producer, The Zoo documentary
After I won my semifinal match against Jesse Levine, Shana called to ask if she could film me and my family when I wake up in the morning—eating breakfast, getting my clothes ready—to see what I do to prepare for the final. I agreed.
The whole crew has been very nice during the filming. When they first came to my house in the spring, my initial reaction was, “This is going to be really cool—I’m going to be in a movie.” They filmed me around Thousand Oaks and in a couple of classes at my high school. That was it; it wasn’t too bad. Anytime I needed some space, I could tell them to back off or leave. I didn’t find it annoying or intrusive. It was fun and I look forward to the movie coming out.
After a tense three-set semifinal victory over fifth seed Jesse Levine, Sam faced top seed and ITF No. 1 junior Donald Young for the junior national championship title and the U.S. Open main-draw wild card that goes with it.
Sunday, August 14
OUTGOING: None
I usually don’t call people after I lose and I was pretty mad about losing to Donald. I wanted to win so badly but came up short. I definitely had some chances in the match, but he came out on top. Hopefully I can win it next year.
Although Sam lost to Young 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-2 in the Kalamazoo final, he was one of four juniors who received wild cards into the men’s qualifying tournament at the U.S. Open. He lost his first-round match to No. 14 seed Antony Dupuis of France, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
THOUSAND OAKS, CA
The Querrey Residence
Friday, August 26
INCOMING: Grant Doyle
Grant called to tell me that the USTA has offered me a wild card to play doubles in the U.S. Open main draw with Donald Young. I’m not jumping up and down at the idea. I just got back home from New York and U.S. Open qualifying, where I lost in the first round. Now I have to fly right back tomorrow. I don’t have the greatest results in doubles and I really thought Jesse Levine and Michael Shabaz, the junior Wimbledon doubles champions and runners-up in Kalamazoo, should have gotten the wild card. But Grant and my parents convinced me that I should accept it.
Sam and Donald Young fell in the first round of the men’s doubles main draw.
At the junior U.S. Open tournament Donald, the top seed in singles, and Sam, the 13th seed, didn’t play doubles together.
FLUSHING, NY
U.S. Open
Thursday, September 1
OUTGOING: Ed and Jackie Querrey, Sam’s grandparents
I called grandma and grandpa in Southern California to let them know that I lost in the first round of the men’s doubles. Grandpa and a whole bunch of other family members are coming to New York for the U.S. Open junior event.
Sam spent the next few days practicing—and waiting. U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe was expected to name the hitting partners for the tie in Belgium.
Saturday, September 3
Patrick McEnroe, U.S. Davis Cup captain
I kind of heard rumors that I was going to be picked. When McEnroe finally approached me to ask, I was ecstatic. James Blake, Andy Roddick, and the Bryan brothers—the best players and really fun guys. It’s a dream come true to go to Belgium for ten days and hit with those guys.
OUTGOING: Alex Clayton
I’d heard that Alex was also selected, so I called him to talk about it. I didn’t know Alex really well, but later in the week, my cousin Colby and Alex and I got to go to a Yankees game together and we had a great time. Alex had never been to a baseball game before, and Colby, who played at Chico State in California, was explaining it all to him. We had box seats on the third-base side and were close to Derek Jeter—although it doesn’t look like it from the pictures I took with my cellphone.
At the U.S. Open juniors, Sam lost to third seed Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) in the round of 16.
In doubles, he and partner Michael McClune reached the second round.
THOUSAND OAKS, CA
The Querrey Residence
Late September
INCOMING: College men’s tennis coaches
Peter Smith, University of Southern California; Brian Boland, University of Virginia; John Whitlinger, Stanford University; Jay Lapidus,
Duke University
I was getting a lot of calls from college coaches. It’s a really neat feeling to have so many teams want you to play for them. I made arrangements for four
official recruiting visits.
WAIKOLOA AND HONOLULU, HI
Pro Circuit events
Sam’s two Futures tournaments in Hawaii produced his best Pro Circuit results of the year. He reached the quarterfinals in Waikoloa and advanced to the final at Honolulu. He ended the year No. 615 on the ATP tour. While there, he made some calls to college coaches.
Tuesday, November 8
OUTGOING: Brian Boland, Virginia, and Jay Lapidus, Duke
I called to let them know that I won’t be going to their colleges. That was really tough. All the coaches are really great guys, but I guess everyone’s got to do it.
OUTGOING: Peter Smith, USC
I told Peter that I wasn’t going to sign early, but that if I go to college, it’ll be at USC. It’s close to home, and I can still work with Grant and go to the Carson USTA High Performance Training Center if I need to. I really like Peter. He’s a great person and a good coach, and he is willing to put professional tournaments on the team schedule for me, so I can travel with a coach and a tutor can come along. That was a big selling point for me.
When I visited USC, I was on the track field and the conductor announced my name to the band. They started playing the USC fight song, and began moving in closer and closer, surrounding me. It was neat.
Sam did not sign a National Letter of Intent to play college ball, although he decided that if he attends college, it will be at USC.
Saturday, November 19
INCOMING: Mark Gorski, IMG
This may be the most exciting call ever. Mark phoned to say that IMG’s client James Blake needs a hitting partner in Chicago in December, and Blake suggested me since we were in Belgium together.
So the week before Christmas, I practiced with James out in Wheaton, Ill. It was a great experience, because I’ve always admired James. He’s a really laid-back guy, and that’s kind of how I am. I like his game, his big forehand. And with all that’s happened in his life, it’s great that he’s made a comeback.
After I played with James, my cousin Colby and I took the train into the city to have dinner and shop on Michigan Avenue. We went to a Bears game, and I was the coldest I’ve ever been in my life—I was almost in tears the entire game.
THOUSAND OAKS, CA
The Querrey Residence
Late December
OUTGOING: Date for the Senior Ball
I asked a girl to the senior ball, not really a girlfriend, just a friend. I’m going to that in a few weeks. I’m not a good dancer, but good enough to get by.