‘Really, really happy.’ See how longtime friends won Kentucky’s boys, girls tennis titles.

Sacred Heart senior Ellie Hammond and Louisville Collegiate junior Colby Berson have been friends since before they turned 10. On Thursday, they competed for the KHSAA’s highest honor on adjacent courts at UK, and each earned singles titles in the 2024 KHSAA Tennis State Championships presented by UK HealthCare.

Hammond successfully achieved a third straight girls’ singles title with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat of North Oldham’s Willow Renton. Berson bested Covington Catholic senior Brady Hussey 6-2, 6-4 for the boys’ singles championship. Hammond and Berson, who practice together each week in Louisville, celebrated together with high fives and several photos.

“She just never gives up,” Berson said of Hammond. “She always fights for every single point. And it’s just so hard to beat her mentally.”

The Davidson commit’s third-consecutive state championship is an accomplishment of which most would only dream, but something that she had been determined to achieve during her high school career.

“I’m just really, really happy,” Hammond said. “I obviously thought about doing this for a very long time, and I’ve been working really hard to get it done. But to be able to do it, and to play well in the moment, again, it just feels amazing.”

The first set, a hard-fought edge over Renton, was the product of Hammond’s focus on placement and consistency, or “doing the things I needed to do,” as she put it. It was deeply competitive, and easily held the quiet attention of spectators — a stark contrast to the loud cheers of those following the battle between Berson and Hussey.

But something happened after Hammond took the first set; somehow, she was even more consistent, and played with an ease that didn’t show itself quite as obviously earlier in the match. Hammond said she was “mainly just trying not to think about the end goal,” and attempting to stay present.

“I was trying to stay focused,” Hammond said. “But I was playing more loose and relaxed, I felt kind of the pressure off because I had already got the first set.”

Sacred Heart head coach Whitney Thomas said Hammond’s passion for the sport has allowed for her to consistently achieve at the highest level, and to accomplish what some may have thought impossible.

“I think a lot of people didn’t think she was capable of it, or expect her to do that,” Thompson said. “And she quietly just works hard.”

Hammond defeated Scott County junior Sydney Zakic 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and Henry Clay sophomore Anna Du 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-3) in the semifinals.

The boys’ singles championship, Berson’s first, has long been on his bucket list.

“It’s just been one of my dreams, I guess,” Berson said. “I do a lot of USTA tournaments, but this has been one of my main goals my whole life. And I’m really happy to win and maybe I can two-peat next year.”

Hammond noted Berson’s intelligence when asked about his strengths as a tennis player.

“He’s really interesting,” Hammond said. “He isn’t like some boys (who) pound the ball super hard, he’s so crafty. He hits, slices, drop shots, amazing volleys, he can hit any serve he wants. He’s just really smart.”

Berson, who narrowly defeated Christian Academy-Louisville’s Landon Ecarma 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) in Thursday morning’s semifinals match, said the close call gave him the confidence he needed to know that he was capable of coming out on top. But Berson credited his conditioning as what ultimately made the difference between a state championship and a runner-up placement on Thursday, with the sun beating down in full force.

Even so, Berson hopes to continue to add physicality to his game while still in the junior ranks.

“I just need to make my game more physical,” Berson said. “In the juniors it’s OK to do certain stuff, but at the next level, you can’t really do that. You just have to be more physical and be mentally in every point.”

Berson defeated Greenwood High School junior Gary Zheng 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

Doubles champions

The party continued for the Valkyries in the girls’ doubles championship, when seniors Lilah Shallcross, a Stonehill College commit, and Avery Voss, a Miami (Ohio) commit, defeated sophomore teammates Claire Rueff and Sanam Krishnani 6-2, 6-3. This is the first Sacred Heart doubles title since 2013; Voss was the 2023 state girls’ doubles runner-up alongside the now-graduated Gracie Koch.

Thompson said she was most proud of both duos’ hard work and dedication, and how they never “let the emotions in the moment get to them.”

“It’s always nice when they play each other in the finals because then you can just kind of relax and let them do their thing,” Thompson said. “That’s four very unique, very special, hardworking young women. To see the two seniors get there and make a run and get the title is really special, and to see the two sophomores basically continue to progress. From making the semis last year and making the finals this year, and knowing that they have two more years.”

Covington Catholic juniors Kalei Christensen and Alex Yeager successfully defended their boys’ doubles championship with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Walker Bush and Aditya Shah of St. Xavier.

After a successful showing at state last year — which resulted in the Colonels’ upset of longtime stalwart St. Xavier, dropping its first state championship in more than 20 years — Christensen and Yeager had been competing individually. The decision to pair up for this year’s state tournament proved to be the right choice, as the duo cruised to their repeat title; Christensen and Yeager swept three of their six matches during the state tournament, including a particularly impressive quarterfinals win over Central Hardin’s Gabriel Brangers and Josiah Castenir. Christensen and Yeager defeated Lafayette’s Zachary Thompson and Charlie Mooney 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals on Thursday morning.

The KHSAA’s inaugural official team championship — a new statewide format similar to that of the collegiate level, where the team tournament is separate from the singles and doubles competitions — will take place on Monday and Tuesday at UK.

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