Torrance’s Keaton Hance Captures
US Open Junior Boys Doubles Title

Redemption at Flushing Meadows

For Torrance’s Keaton Hance, Flushing Meadows brought both heartbreak and redemption. Days after bowing out of the US Open junior singles draw, the 17-year-old Southern Californian bounced back in the best way possible—hoisting a Grand Slam trophy.

On Saturday, September 6, Hance teamed with Jack Kennedy of Huntington, New York as the sixth seeds to capture the US Open junior boys doubles crown in an all-American final, defeating seventh seeds Noah Johnston and Benjamin Willwerth 6-3, 1-6, [10-8].

Nothing about the championship came easy. On Court 14 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the pair in matching Adidas Y3 kits saw their grip on the final slip away. At 3-3 in the decisive match tiebreak, they dropped four straight points and trailed 3-7. Just two points from defeat, something shifted. They steadied, locked in, and unleashed five fearless points, flipping the match and stunning the buzzing New York crowd.

When the final ball sailed long, time seemed to pause for a split second. Hance and Kennedy looked at each other, then sprinted forward, leaping into a chest bump and wrapping each other in a hug as the crowd cheered. Relief, joy, and disbelief blended together—the raw release of two friends who had trusted their bond and refused to back down.

“A lot was going through my head,” Hance admitted. “Being two points from losing, it’s hard not to have those thoughts creep in. But I just tried to think one point at a time with Jack. In tiebreakers, anything can happen—if we could just get it close, I knew the nerves would start shifting to the other team. That’s exactly what happened.”

Building a Championship Partnership

The victory was especially meaningful after Hance’s tough first-round singles loss to Japan’s Naoto Tomizawa, 7-6(4), 3-6, 2-6. Kennedy also exited early in the third round. Both agreed that winning the doubles title softened the sting. 

“Obviously it’s super tough leaving the singles early,” Hance said. “I was really excited to go as far as I possibly could, but it was a tough match and the guy played well. After that, all I had was doubles, so I went even harder than I probably would have. Winning the doubles feels really good. I was really glad I was able to bounce back fast and not dwell on it too much.”

Hance and Kennedy have partnered for nearly four years, playing four of the last five junior Grand Slams—US Open 2024, Roland Garros 2025, Wimbledon 2025, and now US Open 2025—steadily improving with a semifinal at Roland Garros their previous best.

“Our chemistry is amazing. We know each other super well,” Hance explained. “We are pretty much best friends, and that always helps. Traveling together over the past few years, we’ve built a strong bond and understanding, especially on court. We really trust each other on and off the court. That trust is huge, and I think it’s one of the main reasons we’ve been successful.”

The duo has grown through the unique challenges of the junior Grand Slam circuit—from lively home crowds in New York to partisan atmospheres in Paris.“Every tournament we play, we learn something new,” Hance explained. “Playing Grand Slams is a whole new challenge, being on bigger stages with bigger crowds. At the US Open, everyone cheers for us, which is amazing. But in France for Roland Garros, we played two French guys in the first round and the whole crowd was against us. It is a big difference from normal ITF tournaments, and every match taught us something. All of that built up to this moment, and we were prepared to go all the way.”

Southern California Tennis Roots and the Road Ahead

Tennis runs in Hance’s blood, with the sport surrounding him from day one. His parents, Courtney and Ken Hance, own and run the South Bay Tennis Center, and he grew up completely immersed in the sport. He has three older siblings—Kenadi, Connor, and Kimmi. Connor and Kimmi both played Division I tennis at UCLA, while Kenadi played Division I at the University of Washington. 

“I pretty much lived on the tennis court,” Hance said. “My whole family was already a tennis family, so I was just born into it. I was always at the courts watching my mom, dad, and siblings play, and I immediately fell in love with it. I played a lot of sports, including soccer, but tennis quickly became my passion. My mom actually wanted me to play soccer. She wanted me to mix it up but I was like ‘no chance.’ I ended up quitting soccer to focus completely on tennis. I devoted myself to it and I’m really glad I did because I’ve loved every minute of it.” 

Being in Southern California, one of the most competitive regions in the country, gave Hance constant access to elite competition, top-level coaches, and supportive training partners. “There are always so many talented juniors to train with, and I was lucky to have friends like Iva Jovic, who I practiced with all the time,” he said. “Having my siblings nearby and so many skilled juniors around made it easy to get great high-level practice close to home without traveling far. I had an incredible group of players to train with, compete alongside, and have fun with at local tournaments. Practicing and playing alongside people like Iva pushed me to improve every day, and I’m truly grateful for the environment I was part of. It shaped both my game and my mindset. Being surrounded by such a strong tennis community made all the difference.”

Hance is the first Southern Californian to win a junior Grand Slam boys’ doubles title since Learner Tien at the 2023 Australian Open, and the first to capture the US Open junior doubles crown since the Bryan Brothers, Bob and Mike Bryan, in 1996.

Looking ahead, Hance is eager to build on his US Open success and pursue professional opportunities. “Jack and I want to play more doubles and some pro tournaments soon,” he said. “I’m going to play more Futures. My small goal right now is to do well in Futures, hopefully win a 15K or 25K in singles. Doubles is whatever comes, but I hope we can use the momentum from the US Open to propel ourselves into the pros and start winning matches there.”

Gearing Up for College Tennis

Next up: Austin, Texas. Hance has committed to the University of Texas, where he’ll follow in his siblings’ footsteps by balancing college tennis with academic life. For him, it’s both a family tradition and a strategic stepping stone.

“For sure, Learner and Ben Shelton really influenced my decision,” Hance said. “In the past, not as many players were able to make that jump from college to the pros. Now, more and more guys are doing it and really succeeding, and that gives me confidence. I want to be a pro, and I hope I can do the same thing and follow in their footsteps.”

Austin itself was part of the draw. “It’s a really nice city, and I love it a lot there,” he added. “The coaching staff—Bruce [Berque] and Benni [Becker]—are really good. College tennis is a whole different experience: the crowds, the energy, the pressure moments. I think it’s going to help me improve my game and also prepare me for handling those big situations. I’m really looking forward to playing those tight matches where I can clutch up for my team.”

His siblings have all shared advice on how to balance tennis with everything else that comes with college life. But Hance says it’s his brother Connor, who lends him coaching support from time to time, that has been the most influential in guiding him through the transition from junior tennis to the next level.

Southern California’s Pro Pathway

Part of that next step includes the SoCal Pro Series, a circuit of ITF World Tennis Tour events launched in 2022 to provide rising players a direct pathway to the pros. Kimmi has competed across the Series, and Keaton is eager to follow suit.

“I’m definitely going to end up playing them next year,” he said. “They’re super nice because they’re so close to home—really easy and convenient. I watched Kimmi play one, and I’m excited to play them myself. It’s a perfect step while I’m at Texas and starting to play more Futures.”

Inspired by the Next Generation

Looking beyond college and the SoCal Pro Series, Hance is eager to test himself against the next wave of American talent. “There are so many talented young Americans right now—Taylor Fritz, Ben, Frances Tiafoe. They’re not much older than us, which makes it really inspiring to watch them succeed. We’ve also got guys like Learner and Nishesh [Basavareddy] on the rise—so many players doing exactly what I dream of doing. It’s great to have them as role models and see how they approach their game and training.”

“I’ve been able to watch Ben train at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, and seeing how he goes about everything is incredible. It’s a whole new generation of athletes, almost on another level, and I just want to keep working hard and follow in their footsteps. The opportunity to watch them, learn from them, and measure myself against their standards is really motivating. I look up to all the American guys, and of course, the international players like Carlos [Alcaraz] and Jannik [Sinner] are unbelievable. But being able to see these role models up close pushes me to keep improving every day.”

Back to Work

As for celebrating his Grand Slam breakthrough? Hance kept it short and sweet. “We definitely celebrated a lot right after—you can see our excitement if you watched the match,” he said with a grin. “But I actually flew out that night, so I didn’t really get to do anything. Jack got to celebrate with his family in New York, but I went straight back home and into training.”

For now, Hance can enjoy the memory of leaping into his partner’s arms and holding a US Open trophy, proof of his resilience, his roots, and a reminder that Southern California continues to produce some of the brightest rising stars in tennis.