If there was nothing else he could be sure of on Tuesday afternoon, July 19, Jack Kennedy knew he’d finally have hometown support at a Grand Slam.
Because so far in 2025, he’s been on the opposite side of that twice.
The 17-year-old from Huntington who trains at Robbie Wagner Tennis Academy in Glen Cove is one of the best junior players in the world, and a threat to win the U.S. Open boys title in a few weeks.
But at the Australian Open juniors this year, Kennedy had to play an Aussie in the first round, in front of a very hostile crowd that turned quite rowdy in Melbourne.
Then, at Wimbledon, Kennedy had to face a Brit in the opening round, and again, the fans were heavily rooting for his opponent (though true to stereotype, the Brits were a lot more mannerly than the Aussies).
So here in New York at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the super-talented Kennedy knew he’d get some love.
And wow, did he get it. At a packed Court 12, Kennedy competed in the U.S. Open men’s qualifying tournament for the second straight year.
This time, the “just happy to be here” feeling was nowhere to be found. Kennedy found himself on very equal footing with an experienced pro in Thiago Agustin Tirante, ranked No. 117 in the world.
After dropping the first set 6-4, Kennedy led 4-2 in the second set and the crowd was roaring in anticipation of the local kid forcing a third and deciding set.
But Tirante steadied while Kennedy faltered a bit, admitting that the physicality of the match wore him down. Tirante advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
“He hit a heavy ball, and he was moving me around a lot, and the legs started feeling it a little bit,” Kennedy said moments after the loss. “For sure, this was a much more comfortable experience than last year, but it hurts because I had chances to win.”
Indeed, Kennedy, who lost to Max Marterer in the first round of qualifying last year, had plenty of opportunities Tuesday.
He was broken just once in the first set, with Tirante, an Argentinian, serving as fast as 137 miles per hour.
In the second, Kennedy started winning many more of the longer rallies, and when he broke serve to go up 2-1, the crowd began a “Let’s go, Jack!” chant that lasted the whole changeover.
Kennedy surged into a 4-2 lead and had three break points against Tirante’s serve to go up 5-2. But the 24-year-old Tirante hit two big serves to erase the first two, and Kennedy made an unforced error on the third. Tirante held his serve, then broke Kennedy to even the match at 4.
“That’s what happens in the pros, if you don’t convert your chances, they make you pay,” Kennedy said.
Despite the setback on Tuesday, it’s been another banner year for the Huntington native. He’s committed to play for the University of Virginia’s powerhouse program in 2026-27, and in what may be a good omen, in two of the last three seasons, UVA commits have won the boys title at the Open, as Joao Fonseca (2022) and current Cavalier Rafael Jodar (2024) were victorious.
“That’s a good trend, I like that,” Kennedy said this year at Wimbledon. “Honestly, my decision was not the easiest. I seriously considered TCU, Texas and Michigan, also. But I loved my visit with Virginia, great players and great coaches there, and such a beautiful campus. I’m excited to go there.”
On the court, Kennedy rose as high as No. 5 in the ITF World Junior rankings, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the third round at both the French Open and Wimbledon. He also reached the semifinals of the prestigious USTA Boys Nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Greg Lumpkin, Kennedy’s longtime coach at Robbie Wagner, said the biggest difference in his player this year is his improved strength.
“He’s made huge progress in the weight room; that’s taken him to the next level,” Lumpkin said. “His serve has really improved, too. Being able to move it around the box and win some points on his serve. That’s so important at the highest levels of juniors and in the pros, to be able to win some points easier on serve.”
With the loss to Tirante, Kennedy now has some time to prepare for the Junior U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 31st. Kennedy should be the No. 11 seed, with expectations that come with his success this year.
Following his loss to Tirante, Kennedy signed autographs for kids and posed for photos for 10 minutes, taking a moment to appreciate the support he received.
“Definitely a dream come true to have everyone behind me, seemed like the crowd was even bigger than it was last year,” Kennedy said with a smile. “Hearing them chant for me and encouraging me when I was down was just so special. So lucky to be able to have this experience.”
