OKC Tennis Center nurtured kids' tennis dreams. Now, they're competing at state there.

Ian Wu donned a powder-blue polo shirt featuring the logo of his high school, Classen SAS, as he stepped onto the tennis court.

His cap represented a different entity.

Printed above the bill, the words “First Serve OKC” paid homage to the sophomore's tennis beginnings.

“I had quite a knack for it,” Wu said. “I just had so much fun at first and really fell in love with tennis.”

Since 2013, First Serve OKC has provided Oklahoma City-area youth with tennis opportunities and educational support. Many of the organization’s programs take place at OKC Tennis Center, the site where Wu is competing in the Oklahoma high school boys tennis state tournaments Friday and Saturday.

For Wu and several other contenders, OKC Tennis Center is more than a venue they aspire to reach once a year for state. It’s an environment that nourishes their love of the sport year-round.

Some participate in the First Serve program. Others work at the tennis center.

Douglass sophomore William Berry does both.

When Berry turned 10, he didn’t want a birthday party. Instead, he went to First Serve’s summer camp at OKC Tennis Center, where he met Wu and London Koehn, who both qualified for state this year with Classen SAS.

“It’s amazing because I just remember, I get flashbacks (from) when we were little kids,” Berry said. “We would go out on the little bitty kid courts, and we would be arguing and competing. Now, we’re at the high school level and we’re more mature, hitting the ball harder at each other.”

More: Oklahoma high school tennis storylines, players to watch at 2024 boys state tournament

Each of the trio has won at least one match at state this year. Although Berry dropped his first-round contest to Thomas Rudnicki of Casady in three sets, the Douglass star has a chance to place as high as fifth in Class 4A No. 1 singles through the consolation bracket. Berry bounced back with a 6-2, 6-0 victory Friday afternoon against Dawson Garber of Christian Heritage Academy.

Koehn advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals in No. 2 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Isaiah Munoz of Durant before dropping a three-set match to Gavin Cobble of Duncan.

Wu has a chance at a state title in No. 1 singles.

He rolled past Rueben Platvoet of Tulsa Booker T. Washington, 7-5, 6-0, to reach the Class 5A quarterfinals. Then second-seeded Wu secured his spot in the Saturday semifinals, winning every game against Carter Reese of Carl Albert.

After finishing his Friday matches, Wu settled into the bleachers to watch Koehn compete.

“I think it’s so cool to see all of us grow,” Wu said.

They’re always bonded through First Serve, which belongs to the United States Tennis Association’s National Junior Tennis and Learning network. Arthur Ashe, the first Black winner of men’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles, created the national network in 1969. On a local level, First Serve makes tennis more accessible for kids, removing financial barriers while providing nutritional and educational programs for support beyond the court.

After spending so much time at the tennis center through First Serve, Berry said he had a smooth transition into the job he has held for about a year. He’s one of a few student employees at OKC Tennis Center.

Last weekend, his schedule was busier than usual because the venue hosted the Oklahoma high school girls state tennis tournaments. Berry and Yukon junior Isaac Coats worked behind the scenes to keep the event running smoothly, from assembling podiums to riding golf carts around the premises and taking out trash.

Coats, who has worked at the tennis center for only a couple of weeks, is a three-time state qualifier. As he competes this year in Class 6A No. 1 singles, he has a new appreciation for the preparation that goes into the event.

“It takes a lot of people to run a tournament like this,” Coats said.

That group includes a three-time state champion. Sofia Acuña, the Classen SAS senior who capped her high school career a week ago with her third straight undefeated season, is involved with running the boys tournament this week as a tennis center employee. Heritage Hall No. 1 singles competitor Owen Fellrath also works part-time at the center.

The connections to OKC Tennis Center run throughout the community. It’s a workplace. It’s the home of youth programs. It’s the site of state tournaments, and many of these opportunities are possible because of Steve Henry, the beloved director who died of a neurological disease in March 2023.

Whether Berry is showing up for work or competing at state, he never forgets Henry’s impact.

“Before he died, he said I could work here,” Berry said. “They still granted me with that gift to work here (after Henry’s death), and I’m just happy for that. We’re figuring things out, but he was really a blessing.

“I do this for him as well.”

More takeaways from Oklahoma high school tennis tournament

⚈ Edmond Memorial finished the first day with a good shot at a Class 6A state title. The Bulldogs are the sole 6A team with semifinalists in No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles, No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles.

Top-seeded Luke Bishop is striving for a No. 1 singles championship after placing sixth as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore. The Edmond Memorial junior will meet Krishna Bhadrina of Jenks in the semifinals at 10:45 a.m. Saturday.

⚈ Westmoore has semifinalists in No. 1 singles and No. 2 singles. Second-seeded Trenton Kanachanakomtorn surged past Benjamin Kendrick of Tulsa Cascia Hall, 6-1, 6-0, to advance in No. 1 singles. Jonathan Eichman fought through a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Landon Wong of Tulsa Bishop Kelley to reach the No. 2 singles semis.

⚈ Gray Ferguson and Emerson Ritenour are striving for their second straight No. 1 doubles championship in a higher classification. After winning the Class 5A title last year, the Heritage Hall duo had a strong 6A state tournament debut, never giving up a set on the way to the semifinals.

⚈ After capping his freshman season with a runner-up finish, Bishop McGuinness sophomore TJ Shanahan had a dominant first day at state this year. Shanahan proved why he’s the No. 1 seed, winning all but one game through two matches as he reached the Class 5A semifinals in No. 1 singles.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How OKC Tennis Center has fueled careers of HS state competitors