Tennis players from all across the province gathered in Red Deer over the weekend to take part in the 3 Stars Junior Provincial Tournament hosted by the Red Deer Tennis Club.
The tournament features players in the under 14 and under 18 age categories, with seven players from Red Deer competing.
All seven players from Red Deer made either a semi-final or a final at the event, with 11-year-old Nicolas Garcia, who was playing an age group up, winning the finals of the main draw of the boys U14 age group.
Garica said his goal in 2025 was to win a tournament, and the talented up-and-comer has high hopes in the sport.
"Tennis has inspired me to push myself further," he said.
"I like competing and going to tournaments to see my friends and play matches. I also like to push myself to get to the finals. My goal in tennis is to become a professional tennis player and be the number one player in the world."
Polina Babkina also won in the U14 girls main draw in two sets (both sets went into a tiebreak).
Babkina said she loves winning and was proud of the way she was able to put what she's learned into practice.
"What I enjoy about competing, is proving my skills and using all the new, different techniques that I have trained for, to proudly use them for victories in my matches," she said.
"I enjoy playing with many different people, others that I may have not played before. I also really enjoy winning, a good victory is such an amazing feeling. Being proud of yourself, knowing you pushed yourself really hard to reach your goal: to win."
Hudson Lehman earned silver after a tough loss in a super tie break in the boys U18 final main draw.
Ava Robinson lost in a super tie break in the U14 semis, while Avril Lin lost in the consolation semis. Blake Lin was defeated in the semifinal of the U14 boys consolation round. Sofia Fedotova lost in the semifinal of the main draw.
“I always tell them hard work will always show. I am super proud of them. They are the reason why we coaches do what we do and why we love it so much," said Rene Simon, Head Coach of Simon Tennis School, who helps coach the Red Deer players.
The club will host a 4 Star U12 and U16 tournament from Feb. 6-9, featuring both doubles and singles play.