Jake Smith earns wild card to LTP Challenger

Jake Smith sounded more like victor than victim although he was on the wrong end of the score of a doubles match during a recent ATP Challenger Tour Event that was contested in Mount Pleasant.

 

The LTP Challenger tourney featured some of the top tennis players – and future stars ­– in the world, and that included Smith, a talented player who is a Daniel Island resident and a future member of the College of Charleston tennis team.

 

The 18-year-old Smith played in the biggest event in his young life, teaming up with Carter Pate in a doubles match against the No. 1 seeded team of Americans Evan King and Reese Stadler, a duo who ended up reaching the semifinals.

 

King and Stadler were too much for Smith and Pate as they posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Still, it was a memory that will linger in Smith’s tennis soul for a long, long time.  

 

“It was very, very cool,” Smith said. “It was something that I will remember for a long time. It will be part of me. These are the guys you will see on TV, in the big tournaments.”

 

Patrick Hieber, the tournament director and general manager of the LTP Academy in Mount Pleasant, said Smith earned a wildcard draw into the doubles competition because he works hard on and off the court as a senior at the LTP Scholars Program on Daniel Island.

 

“Jake has grown into a leadership role within LTP Academy and LTP Scholars, and he deserves a chance to compete against the very best in our sport,” Hieber said at the start of the tourney. “In addition, his exceptional volleys and overall great hands make him a naturally gifted doubles player.”

 

Smith has been playing tennis since he was 5 years old. He grew up in a household where it wasn’t a case of “Tennis anyone?” It was more like “Tennis everybody.”

 

OK, his father, Michael, doesn’t play tennis, but he has a good reason. He is a golf pro on Daniel Island. The family is so invested in tennis that the Smiths, in 2016, were named the USTA Tennis Family of the Year for South Carolina.

 

His mother, Cori, played tennis at Penn and his brothers are also building successful tennis resumes. His oldest brother, Max, is a junior at Clemson and is a member of the Tigers’ Tennis team. His younger brother, Luke, is ranked in the top 20 nationally for his age group.

 

College of Charleston men’s tennis coach, Jay Brunner, landed one of the best players in the country when Smith, a 5-star recruit, selected the Cougars. He’s ranked No. 45 nationally, 19th in the Southeast and second in the Palmetto State.

 

“I grew up in Charleston and I’ve always had an interest in the College of Charleston,” Smith said. “I had some great conversations with the coach, and it’s a good fit.”

 

While Smith has an impressive resume – and future – he says a professional tennis career is not his main goal. His biggest focus will be academics. He plans a career in the business/financial world.