Cooper Brings USTA Experience to Sachem

Zach Cooper is a fiery tennis player. He's not at John McEnroe's level just yet, but his intensity has been seeping on the court at Sachem High School East by the bucket loads this season.

Undefeated as a singles player, Cooper, 17, is only playing varsity for the first time as a junior because he was focused on United States Tennis Association (USTA) events outside of school.

He attempted a stint on varsity as an eighth grader, but with the lack of transportation from middle school to the high school the journey to play with the big boys was more difficult than it seems.

He played in his first USTA event at 12-years old and has had a racquet in his hands since he was 2. His mother Amy and brother Josh both played, so by the time he was a teenager he was ready to compete and grab tennis by the horns.

He's won Level 1 USTA tournaments, placed in sectionals and played in the men's national tournament held at the United States Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. three weeks ago.

With this outside experience it was a no-brainer for East head coach Stefano Massimo to ask Cooper to come out for the school team this year.

"He has been a huge addition to our team not only as a player, but also in the way he is willing to help the other players improve; without me asking or saying anything," Massimo said. "Zach is always willing to work with the guys to help them in all aspects of their game, which really helps me out and also shows how much team unity and teamwork we have here at East despite tennis being an individual sport."

Already one of the top players in Suffolk County, Cooper has a strong serve and forehand and is not shy about displaying his emotion on the court.

"Never give up," said Cooper when asked about his approach to the game.

Luckier than hitting an ace or smacking a nasty backhand cross-court to beat an opponent for a match point, Cooper dodged a bullet by surviving being hit by a car last November in front of his house in Holbrook.

As he exited his brother's car after he played a tournament in Kings Park that day, Cooper was hit by a car going about 20 mph. He doesn't remember the make and model and the driver hasn't been found. He was out for a couple months with minor injuries. If a car can't stop Cooper, how will a meager inexperienced high school tennis player have a chance against him?

After the varsity season ends, he plans on playing in more USTA events, especially some men's national bouts in Florida and Texas.

The rest of Suffolk County's tennis scene should be worried next year. Cooper will have had one year of outside-element - wind and hard court - experience under his belt, which is more than enough for him to make his mark as a county champ at the very least.