By Liz Leamy
Eliot Spizzirri, the talented University of Texas tennis star who was born and lives in Greenwich, has been making an unforgettable mark at the 2023 U.S. Open Grand Slam Tournament these past few weeks, having advanced through the first two Qualifying Tournament rounds of the Men’s Singles event and competing in the Men’s Double showdown in grand style.
In the Men’s Singles Qualifying Tournament (QT) at this celebrated global event, Spizzirri defeated Matteo Gigante of Italy (who has an ATP men’s singles ranking of 169) 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 in the first round, edged out Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States (who has an ATP men’s singles ranking of 120) 6-4, 6-4 in the second round and came up just short against Emilio Nava of the United States (who has an ATP men’s singles ranking of 154) in the third round in which the score was 6-3, 3-6, 3-1.
Spizzirri and Tyler Zink, his partner from Bradenton, Florida with whom he had claimed the 2019 U.S. Open Junior Doubles Championship title, also fared well in the Men’s Doubles showdown at this event.
Known for his incredible consistency and lightning-like shots, Spizzirri, 21, who was listed as a Wild Card entry at this year’s U.S. Open, continued to establish himself as one of the sport’s most promising and formidable up-and-coming stars with his impressive run there along with so many of his performances at other tournaments results over the years leading up to this one.
Just this past year, Spizzirri, a University of Texas senior who is a business major with a 3.8 grade point average, was named the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Player of the Year and is listed as the number one player in the 2022/2023 ITA singles rankings, among other notable things.
In citing Spizzirri’s astonishing journey leading up to this juncture, it seems as though he was always destined to become a premier international U.S. tennis player.
When he was five, Spizzirri and his twin brother, Nicholas, a top-ten ranked All-American U.S. squash player attending the University of Pennsylvania, began taking tennis lessons at the Round Hill Club, a pursuit of which they both instantly loved doing.
“Eliot and Nick loved playing from the moment they started. They would play at the club and then come home and hit the ball back and forth with each other outside for hours,” said Peter Spizzirri, Eliot’s father, a lifelong Greenwich resident who, like his sons, grew up playing tennis at the Round Hill Club. “Our family is a racquet family and we’ve all always loved the sport of tennis. It’s been so exciting to see Eliot and his brother work so hard and each reach this stage with their playing.”
At this stage, meanwhile, Spizzirri also knew tennis was something he wanted to pursue on a serious level.
By the time he was eight, he began training on an intensive basis with Patrick Hirscht, the renowned tennis professional at the Round Hill Club who manages and coaches at the Hirscht Defilippo Tennis Academy at the Solaris Racquet Club in Stamford.
Over the next several years, Spizzirri, who was then attending Greenwich Country Day School, started to make a name for himself on the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) youth tennis circuit as an up-and-coming contender upon racking up dozens of top finishes at tournaments throughout the East Coast and around the U.S.
“He loved competing and training and clicked right away with Patrick,” said Peter Spizzirri. “This was what he wanted to do.”
From that point on and into his early teens, Spizzirri continued to progress at meteoric speed, having started to compete in tournaments all over Europe, a pursuit in which he garnered invaluable experience while continuing to develop, strengthen and hone his technique, skills and aptitude.
“Patrick has been so committed to his work with Eliot and he is great,” said Peter Spizzirri. “He is more than just a coach.”
During this time, Spizzirri also continued to establish himself as a formidable contender on the USTA youth circuit, earning top placements and titles under the guidance and tutelage of Hirscht, with whom he still works with as closely as ever today.
By 2019, Spizzirri had earned a top 20 ranking as an ITF junior player and had claimed the 2019 U.S. Open Boys Doubles Championship crown with Zink, among other impressive things.
Notably, at the 2019 U.S. Open, Spizzirri had the fortuitous opportunity to play and spend time with Roger Federer, the legendary Swiss champion who scored five U.S. Open titles and countless other victories throughout his extraordinary career who has been his longtime role model since he was a child, a memory that left an indelible imprint, for certain.
Meanwhile, cut to this year’s U.S. Open in which Spizzirri, once again, has proven himself to be one of the sport’s most promising rising stars, something that is also endearing considering he grew up just 26 miles from Flushing Meadows and had attended the U.S. Open with his dad and whole family, including his brother, Nick, and sister, Alex, over the years when he was growing up.
“We always came to the U.S. Open and to see Eliot playing out there now is incredible. We’re all so proud and excited for him,” said Peter Spizzirri. “Everyone’s rooting for him and this year, there were about 30 or so of our friends from the Round Hill Club there cheering him on, which was really very exciting.”
Certainly, the future seems to be as golden as ever for Spizzirri, who is looking to compete on the professional circuit full time upon graduating from the University of Texas in the spring of 2024.
In the meantime, Spizzirri is just taking things day by day, continuing to work as hard as ever while just enjoying the whole experience of being out on the court.
As Spizzirri continues on with this incredible journey, many in Greenwich and beyond will certainly be following and cheering him on in full-throttle fashion as this story is one of inspiration and hope, characteristics that ultimately express so much of what the community itself has been built upon, making this story profound in all regards, that is for certain.
