San Diego Junior wins prestigious USTA sportsmanship award


NEW YORK, NY – September 4: Timothy Sah (l) with USTA President Katrina Adams, USTA Awards Breakfast at Grand Hyatt Ballroom, New York, NY. (Photo by Michael Le Brecht II)

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced Timothy Sah of San Diego as a recipient of this year’s Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award. The highly prestigious national honor was presented at a ceremony during this year’s U.S. Open in New York.

Sah, 17, is a senior at Torrey Pines High School with a commitment to Stanford University. He has compiled an impressive array of Sportsmanship Awards throughout his junior career, most recently at the 2017 Maze Cup competition between USTA’s Northern and Southern California sections, where Sah was voted the unanimous winner by the opposing NorCal team. He earned similar accolades at the 2014 Boys’ 16s National Clay Court Championships in Florida, the the Youth Tennis San Diego Outstanding Role Model Award in 2016, and the 2016 USTA Southern California Junior Sectionals Sportsmanship Award.

Timothy Sah is described as “a talented player who has been at the top of the junior tennis field for years. While excelling competitively, he is equally notable for his display of sportsmanship… It is exceedingly rare when a player of this caliber reflects this level of humility and respect for his peers, coaches, and those he meets both on and off the court.”

The Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award, named in honor of the highly regarded former Top 10 player and United States Davis Cup captain, is presented to two junior athletes by the USTA at a ceremony in New York City during the U.S Open Grand Slam event in September. Nominations were submitted from USTA sections nationwide.

We congratulate Timmy on his achievement and thank him for his outstanding representation of Southern California tennis!

Timothy Sah Sportsmanship Awards:

2017 USTA Multicultural Diversity and Inclusion Individual Player Grant for Sectional/National Competition & Training; 2016 Boys’18s National Hard Court Championships (Kalamazoo, MI) Player of the Day Award (Days 5&6); 2014 Boys’ 16s National Clay Court Championships (Delray Beach, FL) Player of the Day Award; 2014 Boys’ 16s National Clay Court Championships (Delray Beach, FL) Sportsmanship Award; 2014 USTA Multicultural Diversity and Inclusion Individual Player Grant for National Competition; 2013 USTA Zonal Championships 14s Sportsmanship Award; 2012 Boys’ 12s National Spring Championships (Delray Beach, FL) Player of the Day Award.

Section Tournament Sportsmanship Awards:

2017 Maze Cup Team Competition, So Cal vs Nor Cal, Sportsmanship winner; 2016 USTA Southern California Junior Sectionals Sportsmanship Award/recognition; 2014 Boys’ 14s Southern California Tennis Association Sportsmanship Award; 2012 Boys’ 14s Pacific Zone Team Championships (Colorado Springs, CO) Sportsmanship Award; 2010 Boys’ 12s Southern California Tennis Association Sportsmanship Award; 2010 Boys’ 12s Pacific Zone Team Championships (Tucson, AZ) Sportsmanship Award.

District/Local Tournament Sportsmanship Awards:

San Diego Junior Player Council; 2016 Outstanding Role Model Award YTSD (Special Achievement); 2015 Youth Tennis San Diego Special Achievement Award; 2013 Youth Tennis San Diego Boys’ 14s Junior Player of the Year; 2010 Boys’ 12s Jean Kremm Youth Tennis San Diego Sportsmanship Award;

Other Awards:

2014 Varsity Tennis (Rookie of the Year, Sportsmanship Award, San Diego Individual CIF doubles Finalist, Scholar-Athlete Award, San Diego All-CIF 1st Team Selection); 2014 The National Society of High School Scholars; 2016 AP Scholar with Honor Award; 2013 President’s Award for Educational Excellence.