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With the start of school upon us, many tennis players are taking advantage of their last free days to squeeze out a few more summer wins. We checked in with a few top performers in the August edition of the Prince Hot 100.

The Prince Hot 100 lists are published each month, and the August Hot 100 lists feature the one hundred boys and girls who most improved their ranking during the month of July. You can find out more about the Prince Hot 100 - and how the lists are calculated - by reading here.

The latest lists, published this past week, are now available:

• Boys' Hot 100
• Girls' Hot 100

Let's chat with a few players from the list...

Roundup

Nico Mostardi (Avon, Ohio)

When three-star sophomore Nico Mostardi was born into a family of tennis players, it was only a matter of time before he got into tennis. His sister played varsity high school tennis, and his father has played throughout his whole life, including club tennis in Europe.

The Avon, Ohio, native's father, Rich Mostardi, is the tennis director of the North Ridge Racquet Club. He also serves as Nico Mostardi's coach and is a key influence in the junior player's game.

Mostardi was involved in baseball and Taekwondo from a young age, but he quit baseball in middle school to focus on his other two hobbies. He pursued Taekwondo until he earned his first degree black belt, but he then retired to give tennis his full attention.

"Eventually, I gave up everything for tennis because it is what I loved best," Mostardi said.

This sacrifice paid off for the five-foot-seven sophomore, who recently catapulted nearly 100 spots up the Athletic DNA Class Rankings List. He competed in three tournaments in July, winning the title at the Latuchie Summer Junior Open, winning the playoffs of the USTA Midwest Open and reaching the consolation semifinals of the USTA Midwest Level 4 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mostardi believes his good play was the result of adjustments to his mental attitude. "I have had problems in the past with my mental game, but I feel I have made huge improvements recently because I know what I want for myself now," Mostardi said.

Having a goal in mind has helped him focus and be more positive. "I want a full ride scholarship to an academically reputable school," he said. "I know I need to change my attitude to be successful. My father has helped me realize this."

Rich Mostardi has seen his son grow tremendously, on and off the court, and praises his mental improvements. "Tennis gives Nico the reward of hard work but the humility to try harder in all aspects of his life, he said. "Loss only makes Nico want to get back on the court and try harder the next time. He knows that his wins and losses in tennis serve him to become a more successful person in life."