West Orange 7th Grader, Rising Tennis Star, Honored At USTA Gala

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Liberty Middle School seventh grade student Rohan Belday, ranked #1 in the USTA Eastern Boys 12 Year-Old-Division and #19 nationally, was honored at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Eastern Junior Awards Gala in late August.

According to administrators in the West Orange Public School District, Rohan received his award at the US Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. His second-place award represented the standings at the time the awards were announced, though he is now ranked #1.

The event celebrates the top three Eastern Junior players in each USTA age division (boys and girls ages 10-18). To receive an invite, players must be ranked in the top three as of the first standing list published in July, where Rohan was ranked #2 at that time. Since then he has moved up to the number #1 ranking, school administrators stated.

“It is great to see the results of my hard work,” Rohan.

“I was training and traveling for tournaments throughout the school year and I in all honors classes at Edison Middle School. It was tough to balance the school work and the tennis training. Thank you to my teachers and principals at EMS and Mount Pleasant Elementary School for their continued support with my journey.”

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Photo: West Orange Public School District