Freshman girls tennis player Orly Mansbach offers this description of freshmen Griffin Ricker and Sam Lombardo’s tennis abilities: “Confident. Good, but a tad arrogant.”
The two, however, have good reason for their pride. As freshmen, are seeded as the No. 1 and 2 singles players on the Grady boys tennis team.
In a game against North Atlanta High School on Feb. 27, Ricker and Lombardo played against the top seeds of North Atlanta. Lombardo won his game 8-2 against a sophomore from North Atlanta.
“The kid I played wasn’t that good,” Lombardo said. “Well, he was decent.”
Ricker lost his match to a senior at North Atlanta with a tennis scholarship to George Washington University. He lost with a final score of 8-4. Ricker believed he fought hard for the win by keeping up long rallies and serving well.
In a match against Chamblee High School on March 4, the two were the only players on the boys team to win their matches.
Before joining the varsity team, the duo played singles on Inman’s team.
“The team is better at Grady, obviously,” Lombardo said. “Because we’re older, but it was not at all serious [at Inman].”
Ricker agrees.
“Grady’s team’s better,” Ricker said. “By a lot.”
Even before Inman, the two played against each other in outside leagues. Ricker, who began playing casually around the age of 5, remembered that Lombardo was as a big competitor in elementary school.
“I played on his ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association) team from third grade to fourth grade,” Ricker said. “[Lombardo] was the best there, and I couldn’t hit the ball twice in a row.”
Lombardo began playing around age 8, but didn’t take it seriously until around 10 or 11. Outside of the Grady and Inman teams, he’s played with ALTA and T2—two Atlanta tennis organizations. Lombardo has also played a number of United States Tennis Association junior tournaments.
When asked if he would ever consider playing doubles with Lombardo, Ricker laughed.
“Doubles isn’t our thing,” Ricker said.
“I would consider [playing doubles],” Lombardo said. “It would be fun actually.”
Ricker then laughed, causing Lombardo to backtrack.
“We both play singles, so we’ll probably never be able to play for Grady doubles,” Lombardo said as he turned to Ricker. “But, in a tournament we should play doubles.”
Ricker nodded.
When asked about their future plans in tennis, the pair had varying opinions.
“I plan to go pro,” Ricker said. “And definitely at least get a college scholarship out of it.”
Lombardo is more focused on good grades.
“If it comes down to it,” Lombardo said, “I would rather go to an academic school that’s a better school than get a full ride to a worse school for tennis. But a [tennis] scholarship to a good school would be optimal.”
Lombardo also mentioned what he would be doing if he was preparing to become a professional tennis player.
“If I wanted to play professionally,” Lombardo said, “I would be in Florida right now in an academy playing like 10 hours a day.”
Ricker chuckled in response.
Unlike many high schools in the Atlanta area, where there is a vast difference between the abilities of the top two players, Ricker and Lombardo are constantly competing for the No. 1 spot, as was made apparent by an interaction they had at the beginning of the Grady tennis season. In a practice match, Ricker beat Lombardo 8-6, therefore earning the No. 1 spot on the team. Although Ricker’s triumph over Lombardo was recent, the two have been consistently one-upping one another since they began hitting and practicing together.
“For the past three years, Sam and I have been competing against each other,” Ricker said.
Before speaking, Lombardo sat up a little straighter.
“We’re highly competitive,” Lombardo said.
“Who are you highly competitive with?” Ricker asked, teasing.
Lombardo shifted back to face Ricker again.
“You,” Lombardo said.
“What?” Ricker replied, disbelief in his tone.
Lombardo, smiling, turned back around.
“Yeah, we’re highly competitive,” he repeated.
Even with the pair’s competitive nature, they remain close friends.
“We walk to school together with a few other friends most days,” Ricker said. “We play video games, hang out with friends, and a lot of our friendship centers around tennis and playing each other. It’s just a normal friendship I guess.”
