Fernando Gallego Tests His Strokes
with One of the Nation’s Best

You ask 15-year-old wheelchair tennis player Fernando Gallego to name his top moment or memory on the court, and there’s no pause or hesitation. Any time you get to rally with someone considered the best at his age in a sport you love, the answer is easy.

It was last November where Chula Vista’s Fernando Gallego had the chance to meet Charlie Cooper, originally from La Quinta but now based in Florida to focus on his training and development, at the Cajun Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cooper, the 2024 Junior US Open champion, is considered one of the nation’s top wheelchair tennis juniors. “It was so fun being able to rally with someone who plays at such a high level,” said Fernando, who hit with Cooper at Indian Wells Tennis Garden a few months after they first met in a meetup arranged by his coach, Greg Hasterok.

“Fernando has developed so much over the last two years I’ve known him and he’s got a very powerful forehand which puts him at an advantage over many juniors in the sport already,” Cooper stated. “What makes him great is how open he is to learning not only on the physical side, but managing nerves and confidence in matches which is something not many players focus on at his age.”

Born with Spina Bifida, Fernando can walk short distances and participate in some able-body activities, but it is the intensity and competitiveness of the adaptive sports space that excites him. Besides tennis, he practices archery and enjoys hitting the slopes in winter with adapted skiing alongside his father.

The first sport Fernando tried was basketball, but his athletic curiosity didn’t stop there—he also competed in rugby, swimming, and badminton at an all-sports wheelchair camp two years ago at the University of Arizona. “After I got home from the camp, my friend invited me to one of his tennis practices and I just fell in love with it,” said Fernando, who will play an upcoming tournament in Indian Wells. “I did like basketball because it was fast-paced, but I didn’t like all the screaming. I like the quiet of tennis as it helps you focus more.”

Fernando has participated in USTA SoCal Community events under Keith Orahood’s T3Tennis program. He trains primarily with San Diego State coach Hasterok, a former world top-5 wheelchair tennis player and two-time World Team Cup gold medalist. Hasterok turned to wheelchair tennis and rugby after a motorcycle accident left him without grip in his right hand. Since 2005, Hasterok has coached juniors in adaptive sports, helping athletes like Fernando reach their full potential. He also participates in high school clinics at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego under the direction of Manuel Gomez.

Inspired by peers like Charlie Cooper and fellow junior Tomas Majetic from Boulder, Colorado—a top 18-year-old U.S. player and close friend—Fernando now hits the gym several days a week to stay in peak condition. “It’s just nice to have someone like them to look to for advice. They have been so great,” Fernando said.

Along with working on his serve, Gallego said he has focused on the mental game of tennis and has even worked with a sports psychologist. “I have trouble keeping my cool when something doesn’t go my way,” he explained. “It’s been good to have someone to talk to about what’s going on. I would say my mental capacity in the sport has gotten better.”

Fernando has competed twice at the Cajun Classic, reaching the junior doubles final earlier this year. “That was a pretty big deal and the first time he got to see some of the top pros play,” said his father, Nando Gallego, a former college tennis and football player. He’ll soon compete in a tournament in Indian Wells and continues to develop his serve and court strategy.

Family and Hispanic heritage play a central role in Fernando’s journey. The older brother of 9-year-old twin sisters Andrea and Elena, Fernando spends weekends hitting with his dad. “Tennis has been a way to bond with my family,” Fernando said. “I come from a very athletic family. Sports are in my blood.”

Fernando recently attended a Carlos Alcaraz Academy Camp in Long Beach and called the 22-year-old Spaniard and world No. 1 his favorite player, although he admits he “doesn’t watch too much pro tennis” as he prefers playing the sport himself. He added being bilingual also gave him an edge at the camp. “I was able to meet more people because I speak two languages. It helped me build connections that I normally wouldn’t have been able to make,” he said.

Looking ahead, Fernando’s next goal is college. There are around 20 universities that compete in wheelchair tennis, including schools like Michigan, Alabama, Houston, Auburn, Clemson, and his top choice, San Diego State. Fernando has big aspirations and knows he can achieve his dreams if he continues to work hard. “The main goal is to obviously go pro, but I want to get into college and play for one of the top schools,” he explained. “SDSU would be my No. 1 choice.” 

He often texts with Cooper on what it’s like living and training at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. Asked if he would ever move there to train if extended the invitation, once again, there was no hesitation on his answer: “In a second. I mean, of course I would. That would be dumb not to take that offer.”

Copper added that it’s important for younger teens like Fernando to have someone they can look up to or ask for advice, especially someone who’s also from Southern California. “That’s something I wish I had when I was younger,” Copper said. “I believe that when players like Fernando see someone they relate to achieving success, like winning the US Open, it empowers and inspires them to believe they can do the same.

“I know Fernando is going to do great things in this sport and the only advice I can give to him is to keep trying to find growth and ways to improve yourself by going out and observing or talking to other professionals, which I know he is already great at.” 

The recent 2025 US Open celebrated 20 years of wheelchair tennis events played at the year’s final major in New York City, and the sport itself next year will recognize 50 years since it was co-invented by Orange County’s Brad Parks and with Jeff Minnebraker in 1976. These milestones underscore how players like Fernando are carrying the legacy of wheelchair tennis forward in Southern California and beyond. During Hispanic Heritage Month, his story also highlights the importance of family, culture, and perseverance—showing how heritage and dedication continue to shape a young athlete’s journey.