Elevating the Game: Celebrating Excellence at the
2025-2026 Junior Awards Banquet

On June 13th, 2026, the USTA Southern California tennis community gathered at The Grand in Long Beach to celebrate the standout young athletes honored at the 2025-2026 Junior Awards Banquet. These awards recognize junior players who excel not only on the court, but also through character, integrity, and dedication, while strengthening the values of tennis throughout the region.

From sportsmanship to competitive excellence, this year’s honorees embody the heart of Southern California tennis, competing with intensity, leading by example, and uplifting those around them.

Junior Sportsmanship Award Winners

The Junior Sportsmanship Awards honor respect and leadership across all age divisions. Honorees consistently demonstrate fairness, humility, and positivity under pressure, proving that sportsmanship defines a player long after trophies fade.

To begin the evening’s individual awards, USTA SoCal Coordinator of Sportsmanship, Officiating, and Fair Play Evan Sonny welcomed Avery Chan-Mott, the section’s youngest sitting committee member, to present the 12 & Under division.

Boys’ 12U Winner: Pavel Abadzhev

Montrose native Pavel Abadzhev has put together a phenomenal 12U season defined by steady leadership and consistent execution in recent tournaments. His on-court resume already features major junior milestones, notably a USTA Bronze Ball in doubles at the prestigious 2026 Easter Bowl, an undefeated run at the 2025 L2 Kats Kup Intersectional Team Pacific Cup, and a dominant undefeated doubles streak at the 2026 Brewer Team Cup. Pavel aspires to join a great college program in the coming years with the ultimate goal of turning professional. Pavel has set a standard for youth tennis, navigating intense team environments with an admirable level of calmness, respect, and fair play.

Girls’ 12U Winner: Kira Elliott

Hailing from Los Angeles, Kira Elliott has earned the deep admiration of peers and coaches alike for her fair play and radiant energy. On the court, she has been dominating the junior circuit with several championship titles, including the 2025 “Little Mo” Internationals, 2026 L4 Great Park Irvine Tennis Academy, 2026 L4 68th Long Beach Junior Tournament, and 2026 L2 Long Beach in doubles. 

Kira shared her gratitude with the room while accepting her award.

“I’m honored to be here with you all,” she said warmly. “I would first like to congratulate all of the award recipients for the integrity and fairness they have shown through their actions on court.”

Kira’s genuine humility and supportive energy shine through every match, constantly lifting up her competitors and earning the deep respect of officials.

Following the 12U presentations, Dr. Deborah Foster, USTA SoCal Sportsmanship Committee member, presented the 14 & Under honors.

Boys’ 14U Winner: Emry Lin

Anaheim’s Emry Lin balances high-level national junior tennis with a clinical, focused mindset. He considers the L1 National Hardcourts and the SoCal Sectionals his favorite stages to compete on, having already delivered impressive doubles results as the 2024 L3 Anaheim Tennis Center 12U doubles champion and the 2024 L4 Jack Kramer Club 12U doubles champion, alongside a recent standout finalist finish at the 2026 L4 Long Beach Doubles Championships. He sets his long-term sights on a highly competitive college tennis career.

Win or lose, Emry values the integrity of the game above all else, maintaining a quiet maturity and showing flawless respect toward his opponents.

Girls’ 14U Winner: Nicole Handjono

Representing Cerritos, Nicole Handjono exemplifies on court poise and baseline brilliance. Nicole dreams of playing Division I college tennis on a full scholarship and has already built an impressive junior resume. Her accomplishments include finishing as an L2 singles finalist, a finalist at the 2025 Junior Sectionals Championship, a three-time Junior Doubles Sectionals champion, and a doubles finalist. Among her favorite junior events is the L2 Kats Kup Intersectional Team Pacific Cup, where she enjoys the opportunity to compete alongside and against some of the region’s top players.

Nicole has beautiful court etiquette, pairing her fierce baseline play with consistent grace and a positive attitude under pressure.

To close out the sportsmanship division, Marina High School Head Coach and Sportsmanship Committee Chair Chuck Kingman took the stage to announce the 16 & Under recipients.

Boys’ 16U Winner: JiHyuk Im

Irvine’s JiHyuk Im has put together a spectacular season defined by on-court maturity. JiHyuk considers the Jim Hillman Junior Doubles Sectionals his favorite tournament, having established himself on court as a dominant eight-time CIF Champion, a 16s Junior Doubles Sectionals Champion, and recipient of the Easter Bowl 16s Sportsmanship Award. 

He accepted his trophy with appreciation for the room, stating:

“I would like to specifically thank USTA Southern California for choosing and honoring me with this prestigious award. I am deeply grateful, and I will try my best to always be a sportsman on and off the court.”

JiHyuk treats every official, coach, and competitor with absolute professionalism and a warm smile, making him especially deserving of this award.

Girls’ 16U Winner: Yilin Chen

San Diego’s Yilin Chen has built a stellar junior career marked by quiet determination and tactical focus. On the court, her favorite tournament is the SoCal Junior Sectionals. Her recent standout results speak for themselves, highlighted by a singles victory at the 2026 ITF J60 in San Diego and a hard-fought run to the finals at the 2026 Girls’ 18s Easter Bowl.

Most Improved Player of the Year Awards

The Most Improved Player Awards recognize athletes whose dedication and work ethic have achieved significant growth over the past season. Former 1989 award winner Neel Grover shared his reflections before presenting these awards. He shared a great story about the impact of winning the Evelyn Houseman award and how he received a job offer because of it as well. He finished off his speech by simply stating, “It’s great that you’re good at sportsmanship on the tennis court, but that also means you’re just really good people. And people love to be with good people.”

Boys’ Most Improved Winner: Nile Ung

Del Mar’s Nile Ung has proven himself to be an explosive force on the national stage this season. Nile names the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Championships in Kalamazoo as his undisputed favorite junior tournament as a prestigious place to compete against the nation’s best. His improvement has yielded incredible milestones, highlighted by winning a coveted USTA Gold Ball at the 2025 L1 National Winter Championships, capturing the Boys’ 16s 2025 Junior Sectionals Championship, and making a spectacular run into the round of 16 at Kalamazoo last summer. 

Standing at the podium, Nile brought plenty of humor to his speech, thanking USTA SoCal, his parents, and his coaches. Nile is officially committed to play college tennis at Yale University and hopes to help the team win an Ivy League Championship.

Girls’ Most Improved Winner: Lucy Jiang

Rancho Palos Verdes’ Lucy Jiang has consistently proven herself to be a rising, relentless competitor. With her sights set firmly on the big stage, her ultimate dream is to take her game to the professional tour. Lucy names the Easter Bowl as her favorite stop on the junior circuit, a setting that has encapsulated her rapid rise. Her relentless dedication has paid off in massive dividends this season, highlighted by capturing titles as an L2 Girls’ 12s singles champion alongside a dominant championship run as an L1 Girls’ 12s doubles champion. 

Stepping up to accept her award, Lucy gave a sweet speech, stating, “I’m so happy to grow up playing tennis in Southern California where I’ve met many great coaches that have helped me in improving my game.”

Player of the Year Awards

The Player of the Year Awards celebrate the absolute pinnacle of competitive excellence, recognizing extraordinary athletes who have achieved outstanding dominance at the highest level of junior tennis.

USTA SoCal Director of Junior Tennis Dianne Matias—a former recipient of the honor in 2000—introduced the Player of the Year selections.

Boys’ Player of the Year: Andrew Johnson

Rancho Palos Verdes’ Andrew ‘Andy’ Johnson has put together an exceptional 12 months highlighted by success on both the junior and professional stages. His recent accomplishments include representing the United States at the 2025 Junior Davis Cup, reaching both the singles and doubles finals at Kalamazoo, and blasting into the quarterfinals of the US Open Juniors. He also reached a career high ITF World Junior Ranking of No. 12 and turned heads on the professional circuit by winning the 2026 ITF World Tennis Tour M15 Sunrise title in Florida, becoming the youngest men’s ITF singles champion since Carlos Alcaraz achieved the feat in 2019. His favorite junior tournament is the US Open, and he hopes to bring that Grand Slam experience to his upcoming college career. Andrew also capped off the weekend by finishing second in singles at the 2026 SoCal Pro Series held at his home club, the Jack Kramer Club.

Girls’ Player of the Year: Thea Frodin

Woodland Hills’ Thea Frodin has established a junior career marked by international dominance and extraordinary resilience. The River Oaks Academy student has maintained a flawless 4.0 GPA despite a grueling, full-time training and travel schedule. On rare breaks, she enjoys singing, going to the beach, and spending quality time with her family. Looking toward the future, her goal is simple: to be the absolute best she can be, both on and off the court, and taking her lifelong passion for tennis as far as it can go. Her favorite tournament is Wimbledon, and her ultimate tennis hero is Serena Williams. 

Thea’s monumental year includes reaching the finals of the 2026 35K Arcadia pro tournament, the semifinals of the 2026 Junior Australian Open, and the doubles finals at the 2025 Junior Wimbledon. She also captured titles at the prestigious 2025 J500 Banana Bowl in Brazil, and won the 2025 USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships in doubles, earning a main draw spot at the US Open. Thea is committed to taking her elite game to Columbia University this Fall. 

Currently competing in Europe, Thea shared her deep appreciation via a video message: “Hi everyone, thank you so much for the USTA Southern California Player of the Year Award. It is such an honor to be representing such an incredible community. It truly all started with all of the local tournaments, like Sectionals, camps, as well as the USTA training in Carson. I am currently in Europe for some tournaments, so I apologize that I wasn’t able to make it to share such a special moment. But again, thank you for all of the support.”

Evelyn Houseman Lifetime Junior Sportsmanship Award

The Evelyn Houseman Lifetime Junior Sportsmanship Award is the highest individual honor in Southern California junior tennis, recognizing marquee players who consistently demonstrate elite performance paired with exceptional character, humility, and steady leadership throughout their entire junior careers. Winners receive a lifetime USTA membership, reflecting the award’s prestige and lasting significance.

To close out the individual honors, USTA SoCal President Cynthia Neiman took the podium to present the final marquee award of the evening.

Boys’ Evelyn Houseman Winner: Adrien Abarca

Chula Vista’s Adrien “AJ” Abarca is a phenomenal competitor who embodies the very heart and spirit of the SoCal tennis community. Adrien’s trophy cabinet is overflowing, featuring achievements like a CIF Doubles champion and singles finalist finish, a 2022 Final 8 Junior Masters Champion, an Indoor and Winter Doubles Champion, an ITF J60 Champion, and an 2026 L2 Las Vegas Champion. He is also a Kalamazoo doubles Silver medalist, a 2025 Easter Bowl USTA Silver and Bronze medalist, and a past Youth Tennis San Diego (YTSD) Sportsmanship Winner. This July, AJ will take his talents to the University of Tennessee, with long-term goals of becoming an All-American and playing on the ATP pro tour. AJ was away on a graduation trip in Japan, so Cynthia accepted the award on his behalf.

Girls’ Evelyn Houseman Winner: Kenzie Nguyen

Irvine’s Kenzie Nguyen has built a legendary junior career defined by national and international dominance. Kenzie’s accolades speak volumes: she is a high school CIF Southern Section Individual champion, a National High School All-American, a Winter Nationals 2026 singles champion and 2024 Doubles champion, and a 2025 Easter Bowl doubles champion. Her stellar record is rounded out by international ITF singles titles in San Diego and Tay Ninh, Vietnam, as well as an ITF Doubles title in Morelos, Mexico. Kenzie is officially committed to play college tennis at Columbia University this Fall. 

Taking the podium as the final speaker of the evening, Kenzie delivered a deeply emotional speech that brought a beautiful closure to the night: “Firstly I’d like to say thank you to the USTA organization for nominating me for this award,” she said, her voice catching with emotion. “This award is very special to me because not only does it recognize the achievements you make on court, but also the character, integrity, honesty, and sportsmanship displayed throughout a junior tennis career. To receive this award is such an incredible honor.”

A Bright Future for SoCal Tennis

Closing out the celebratory night at The Grand, Cynthia Niemann delivered an inspiring closing message, reflecting on how tennis grants junior athletes camaraderie, competition, and identity, while acting as an ultimate mirror for who they are as individuals.

“Who you are on the court is very much who you are off the court,” she noted. “Winning feels good for a day, but being kind to your competitors is a feeling that lasts for a lifetime.”

Congratulations to all 2025-2026 award winners. Your achievements, growth, and sportsmanship make the Southern California tennis community proud.