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Scott Douglas spotted Tomas Majetic hitting on the courts at the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center and immediately saw the potential in him.

Majetic had only been playing tennis for a few weeks. During the Covid pandemic when wheelchair basketball was no longer a viable option, Majetic began searching for a new sport. A family friend suggested tennis, and Majetic made his way to RMTC for weekly clinics.

"Tomas really came out of the woodwork,” Douglas said. “I just saw this kid who was fast and hungry and looked like he wanted to learn how to play tennis and be coached.”

Douglas knows talent when he sees it. He is a three-time Team USA Paralympian and earned a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.

No U.S. male has medaled at the Paralympics in tennis since Douglas. Majetic, 16, is hoping to change that. Since first picking up a racket less than three years ago, Majetic has made major improvements on the court.

The Boulder, Colorado native is ranked No. 17 in the world in the ITF junior boys wheelchair rankings. He will be making his debut in the U.S. Open Junior Wheelchair Championship this week in Flushing Meadows, New York.

"I feel really proud of where I am and how far I have taken it. But I still want to take it further and keep improving,” Majetic said. “I want to be the best in the world."

Majetic was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. He can walk with a limp, but uses a wheelchair for sports.

Majetic has always been extremely active. He has participated in swimming, basketball, mountain biking and set a national record for bench press in his category.

"Growing up, I would play with all the other kids out in the backyard,” Majetic said. “I always tried not to make myself different."

Majetic’s mother, Irena, realized how much her son loved tennis once he began riding his scooter to practice before he was old enough to drive and wouldn’t arrive back home until late at night after spending hours in the bubble hitting.

"He is a very motivated and driven kid with a lot of energy,” she said. “He always stays longer and longer and practices harder and harder. That is his personality."

Majetic works with Douglas and Kendall Chitambar, the director of tennis at RMTC in Boulder who started a junior wheelchair tennis program in 2019. What started out as a two-hour clinic once a week for Majetic has developed into two-a-day sessions that can last more than six hours.

“I fell in love with tennis from Day 1 and have been trying to get better,” Majetic said. “My coaches have been great. I am super grateful to be in the place I am right now. So many people have supported me and it's a true privilege."

Majetic has taken part in the round-robin wheelchair exhibition at Kalamazoo for the last two years during the USTA Boys 18 & 16 National Hard Court Championships. He loves the camaraderie that has developed between players and the interest from spectators.

"Just being able to showcase our sport in front of all those people and players is really great. It makes people aware of wheelchair tennis who may not have been aware before,” Majetic said. “It's super nice to be able to integrate at the same tournament with able-bodied players. We watch each other's matches and we talk before and after matches."

Majetic was chosen to represent the US at the BNP World Team Cup event in Portugal last year. He was used mostly as a backup and the team finished seventh. He returned this year in a more prominent role and the team placed second.

"The amount of opportunities I have already received through tennis is crazy,” Majetic said. “I have been to places because of tennis that I would have never imagined I would go. It has impacted my life in so many ways."

His mother agrees.

"The sport is absolutely a life-changer for him. He doesn't feel pity for himself. He is not hiding in a corner,” she said. “He is even motivating others at high school. They are asking him, 'How did you get that muscle? How come you are so happy all the time?' He has goals and achievements and a vision that keeps him focused. The sport has just completely changed his life in a beautiful way."

Majetic plans to play tennis in college at a university with a strong adaptive sports program. The long-term goal is to be ready to compete for a medal in the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

"He is still really raw, but he is really good for being raw,” said Douglas, an associate professor at the University of Northern Colorado focusing on coaching expertise and coaching education. “We have worked on a plan that can develop him into an elite player without burning him out or stressing him out."

Majetic won his first tournament last October at an ITF Wheelchair Junior Championship event in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The U.S. Open Junior Wheelchair Championship is only in its second year of existence. Britain’s Ben Bartram and Brazil’s Jade Moreira Lanai were the inaugural winners when the junior wheelchair event debuted last year.

Although Majetic is entering as a wild card, Douglas believes he can open some eyes in New York.

"I have a little higher hopes for Tomas. I think if he can get through the first round, I think he could win the tournament,” Douglas said. “I just don't think he knows he can do it yet. Confidence is a big thing in tennis."

No matter what transpires over the next few days, Majetic’s family has been amazed by how far he’s come in such a short time. Discovering tennis has sparked a passion in him they hope can lead to major milestones and inspire others.

"It was not our dream,” his mother said. “I remember in the beginning just being so happy he was outside playing and away from the computer. He was making good friends and had a good routine in his life. Now, oh my gosh, he is in the US Open."

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About Rhiannon Potkey

Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories. Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches. Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You can reach Rhiannon by email at [email protected].