By Michael Lewis

Last year at this time, Thea Rabman had no idea if she could compete with the best junior tennis players in the world.

The Schreiber High School senior was about to try to qualify for the U.S. Open Juniors tournament, and attempt to make her first junior Grand Slam, where only the best players in her age group compete.

She surprised herself and many others by winning two tight matches to make it to Flushing Meadows and the famous Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Then, with her school teammates and friends watching, she advanced to the second round of the main draw before losing.

It was an enormous confidence boost for the 17-year-old, something she carried with her for the next 12 months.

“Last year I was overwhelmed at the Open, everything was new and I hadn’t experienced anything like that,” Rabman said recently. “I thought I was on their level but didn’t know for sure, so competing there and doing well has huge for my belief.”

That belief spurred Rabman into some major successes in the past year, including reaching the quarterfinals of the prestigious Easter Bowl tournament in Florida in March, and winning a J2 juniors tournament in Canada in April.

In San Diego in early August, at the USTA Girls Nationals, Rabman made it to the Round of 16 before falling.

“She’s been playing really well and had good results in almost every tournament she’s played,” said Greg Lumpkin, one of Rabman’s coaches. “She’s really established herself as one of the better American girls out there, and improving all the time.”

But Rabman, unfortunately, won’t get the chance to replicate her success at the U.S. Open Juniors, as on Sept. 2 she lost her first-round qualifying match to Denmark’s Natacha Schou, 6-7, 6-0, and then 9-11 in the final set tiebreaker.

“I was definitely very nervous, because I really wanted to get back (to the Open),” Rabman said. “I’m usually pretty good at third-set tiebreakers, but she was more aggressive and she played better, and deserved to win.”

Still, there are lots to look forward to Rabman, including college in the fall of 2023. She’s verbally committed to play for the powerhouse program at North Carolina. The Tar Heels reached the NCAA semifinals in team competition last spring, and have been interested in Rabman for years.

When asked why she chose them, Rabman laughed “Because they’re Carolina blue!”

“The coaches are absolutely amazing there; they really care about you,” Rabman said.  “The girls there seem to have a great culture, and everything seems amazing about the place. It’s beautiful, the academics are great, it’s all amazing and I’m so excited to go there.”