Courtesy of Shawn Moran, Sun Devil Athletics' Feature Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- In the early 2000's, the Ahwatukee Tennis Club gained a young, new member.
Nathan Ponwith was six years old when the Scottsdale native first picked up a racket. Gifted with an undeniable talent for the sport from the start, a brother two years his elder to push him, and a former ASU head coach to train him, Ponwith ascended to the No. 1-ranked national recruit in the 2016 recruiting class.
"A lot of schools were recruiting me but at the end of the day, to me, it gave me an opportunity to look everywhere I wanted to look," Ponwith said. "It gave me a lot of options."
With top programs such as Pac-12 powerhouses Stanford and UCLA, along with the University of Georgia, on his short list, the tennis phenom was never short on college offers.
Ponwith had always been a Sun Devil fan, attending the men's and women's matches with his family while growing up.
The connection ran deeper than that. At age 10, Ponwith and his family were fortunate to find a personal coach in the Valley who helped develop his skills from a very young age through college. That new coach was Lou Belken, former coach of the Sun Devils men's tennis program for 26 years.
"My parents had contacted him and we started working together from when I was 10 years old all the way until I went to college," Ponwith said. "I was really excited and just blessed that that happened because Lou taught me a tremendous amount of knowledge and really got me to where I am today."
But when it was time for Ponwith to graduate high school and choose his college destination, there was no Sun Devil men's tennis program. When he finally committed, the versatile, young tennis star chose to move to the south and attend Georgia.
"Competing with a team is a different feel and it was something that I enjoyed from the very beginning," said Ponwith. "You align your motivations and aspirations with the team and then everyone just works together to achieve those goals."
In Athens, Ponwith became the SEC Freshman of the Year while setting a record with five Freshman of the Week honors. He was the No. 1 singles and doubles player for the Bulldogs going into his sophomore season.
While not under the circumstances he intended, Ponwith's next stop in his journey would come full circle back to his hometown.
"It's really a dream come true," Ponwith said. "I feel like everything has led me here and I couldn't be happier or prouder to be a Sun Devil."
The Sun Devils and the staff echo that excitement to have Ponwith back home.
"We couldn't be happier to have Nathan on the team," said ASU assistant coach and former All-American Dominic Cotrone. "He has meshed perfectly with our current players, and he's an awesome player to coach on and off the court."
The game of professional men's tennis has been searching for the next great American star since Andy Roddick, who was the last U.S. male to win a major back in 2003. Being a top player in the nation, with the accolades Ponwith doesn't "get too caught up in", will force that attention onto him if he continues a successful college career as a Sun Devil.
What would being that top American mean to him?
"It would be unbelievable," Ponwith said. "I want to have a really solid collegiate career and then go onto the Tour as a pro eventually. I want to take tennis as far as tennis will take me."
From the Ahwatukee Tennis Club to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ponwith was always a Sun Devil at heart. With the ASU men's tennis program on the rise, Ponwith will make his mark as the only American on the roster. One of the top players in the nation when on the court, Ponwith will look to get his ranking as high as possible with a possible shot at a national championship in the next two years.
With a fresh start, Ponwith plans to take advantage of his new opportunity back home and help put his hometown team on the map.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- In the early 2000's, the Ahwatukee Tennis Club gained a young, new member.
Nathan Ponwith was six years old when the Scottsdale native first picked up a racket. Gifted with an undeniable talent for the sport from the start, a brother two years his elder to push him, and a former ASU head coach to train him, Ponwith ascended to the No. 1-ranked national recruit in the 2016 recruiting class.
"A lot of schools were recruiting me but at the end of the day, to me, it gave me an opportunity to look everywhere I wanted to look," Ponwith said. "It gave me a lot of options."
With top programs such as Pac-12 powerhouses Stanford and UCLA, along with the University of Georgia, on his short list, the tennis phenom was never short on college offers.
Ponwith had always been a Sun Devil fan, attending the men's and women's matches with his family while growing up.
The connection ran deeper than that. At age 10, Ponwith and his family were fortunate to find a personal coach in the Valley who helped develop his skills from a very young age through college. That new coach was Lou Belken, former coach of the Sun Devils men's tennis program for 26 years.
"My parents had contacted him and we started working together from when I was 10 years old all the way until I went to college," Ponwith said. "I was really excited and just blessed that that happened because Lou taught me a tremendous amount of knowledge and really got me to where I am today."
But when it was time for Ponwith to graduate high school and choose his college destination, there was no Sun Devil men's tennis program. When he finally committed, the versatile, young tennis star chose to move to the south and attend Georgia.
"Competing with a team is a different feel and it was something that I enjoyed from the very beginning," said Ponwith. "You align your motivations and aspirations with the team and then everyone just works together to achieve those goals."
In Athens, Ponwith became the SEC Freshman of the Year while setting a record with five Freshman of the Week honors. He was the No. 1 singles and doubles player for the Bulldogs going into his sophomore season.
While not under the circumstances he intended, Ponwith's next stop in his journey would come full circle back to his hometown.
"It's really a dream come true," Ponwith said. "I feel like everything has led me here and I couldn't be happier or prouder to be a Sun Devil."
The Sun Devils and the staff echo that excitement to have Ponwith back home.
"We couldn't be happier to have Nathan on the team," said ASU assistant coach and former All-American Dominic Cotrone. "He has meshed perfectly with our current players, and he's an awesome player to coach on and off the court."
The game of professional men's tennis has been searching for the next great American star since Andy Roddick, who was the last U.S. male to win a major back in 2003. Being a top player in the nation, with the accolades Ponwith doesn't "get too caught up in", will force that attention onto him if he continues a successful college career as a Sun Devil.
What would being that top American mean to him?
"It would be unbelievable," Ponwith said. "I want to have a really solid collegiate career and then go onto the Tour as a pro eventually. I want to take tennis as far as tennis will take me."
From the Ahwatukee Tennis Club to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ponwith was always a Sun Devil at heart. With the ASU men's tennis program on the rise, Ponwith will make his mark as the only American on the roster. One of the top players in the nation when on the court, Ponwith will look to get his ranking as high as possible with a possible shot at a national championship in the next two years.
With a fresh start, Ponwith plans to take advantage of his new opportunity back home and help put his hometown team on the map.