Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Injury can't keep Newport Harbor's McKennon down

By Matt SzaboStaff Writer

April 21, 2017 6:30 PM PT

Max McKennon became the top-ranked 14-and-under junior tennis player in the country in January, after he won the boys’ 14s singles title at the USTA Winter Nationals in Tucson, Ariz.

The gold ball earned at that tournament meant a lot to McKennon. Everything seemed to be going up for the talented and experienced tournament player, who has been coached by former Corona del Mar High standout and tennis professional Carsten Ball since September.

That includes his height. McKennon said he’s grown about five inches in the last year, and he now stands 6-foot-3. He expected to stand tall as a freshman for the Newport Harbor High boys’ tennis team this spring.

It was, then, an unfortunate time for McKennon to suffer his first major tennis injury in early February, in the finals of a tournament in Fullerton. Not that there is ever a good time for an injury.

McKennon, a left-hander, bruised a bone in his left wrist. He was forced to withdraw with the score at 3-3 in the third and final set. And rehabilitation was challenging.

“It would hurt in everyday things, like picking up stuff, opening and closing doors,” he said. “It was hard. I had to do a lot with my right hand the first two or three weeks.”

He had to miss the Battle of the Bay match against Ball’s alma mater, CdM, and he was also out of USTA tournaments for a few weeks. His first tournament back was a big one, the Easter Bowl out in the desert where he was the top seed in the 14s.

McKennon had been getting back into a groove, including hitting pretty much every day at Advantage Tennis Academy in Irvine. He told Ball that the Easter Bowl was a tournament he didn’t want to miss.

“He pressed me and said he wanted to go play Easter Bowl,” said Ball, himself a tall (6-foot-6) left-hander in his own right who once reached No. 108 in the world. “If he wants to go play something, I’m obviously behind him 100%. I’m not going to say no, because it’s his deal at the end of the day. I was just happy for him to be out there, let alone for him to fight through the matches. It’s the hardest thing to do in any sport, play when you’re expected to win. To play when you’re expected to win and you haven’t played for six weeks, it takes a lot of guts.”

McKennon did more than just play, he reached the semifinals of both the singles and doubles before losing. He ended up fourth in singles, and earned a bronze ball in doubles with his partner Jameson Corsillo.

“I was really, really proud and taken aback by his fight and his maturity to go out there and handle it the way he did,” Ball said. “That was probably the best thing I’ve seen in a long time ... Those are the tournaments you’ve got to show up and play, and he did, with basically no preparation.”

McKennon, the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, has made a habit of showing up for the Sailors as well. He’s undefeated, improving to 21-0 in singles last week with Sunset League sweeps against Marina and Los Alamitos. He has been a key piece for Newport Harbor (13-4, 5-2 in league), which finished fifth place in league last season but currently sits in second place with three matches remaining.

But it was his actions earlier in the season, even when McKennon wasn’t on court, which were impressive to his teammates.

“He’s a great teammate,” said Newport Harbor senior David Sharp, one of three team captains along with fellow seniors Sam Leaman and David Lee. “He’s really blended in. When he comes out and practices with us, when he can, it’s always awesome. He’s just like everybody else here, as far as his voice and how he fits in. It’s great to see him really connect that way. Especially [as a senior] having seen now four different teams and how the dynamic changes every year, he’s really fit in with this dynamic very well.

“Even when he’s not playing, he’s super-engaged with our team, which is an amazing quality, especially when you have someone who is that talented. If you see on a lot of the other teams, they sometimes won’t even come to matches, or they’ll leave after a round or whatever. But he stays all the way through, even when he’s hurt, even when there’s nothing he can do to play, to offer support and fill that role. It’s an amazing quality to see in a freshman.”

Newport Harbor Coach Kristen Case echoed that sentiment. She’s known McKennon for a long time, and used to hit with him when he was a little kid. But there’s nothing little about his game anymore. McKennon credits Ball for his improved serve as well as endurance on the court.

At the Easter Bowl, McKennon had to survive a pair of three-set matches to make the singles semifinals.

“We’ve been doing a lot of track and off-court stuff,” he said. “I’ve had to play a lot of three-set matches, and I feel like I’m not getting tired as much. I have more energy on the court. It feels great ... I was probably expecting to have a good record [in high school tennis], but after an injury like that, I wouldn’t expect undefeated at all.”

Of course, it hasn’t been easy. He earned an impressive singles sweep against Sage Hill on March 17, given that the Lightning, currently ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division 2, have a strong singles lineup. McKennon rallied from a 5-2 deficit, taking the last five games of a 7-5 decision over Sage Hill’s top player, senior Adam Langevin.

The Sailors had no matches this week, as the rest of the league is on spring break. Of course, McKennon is keeping busy. He’s playing in a USTA National Level 3 tournament in Long Beach, starting Saturday. He’s the top seed in the 16s.

“I think a lot of the success he has on the court is due to his experience,” Case said. “He’s a player who has played so many matches over the past four or five years, and nothing can compare to the experience of playing matches. He’s match-tough ... he’s not afraid to play people, and I think that’s an important quality if you want to grow as a tennis player. His mental toughness is very impressive when he competes.”

Next week, McKennon will compete in the CIF Singles division at the prestigious Ojai Tennis Tournament. McKennon, who turns 15 next month, will more than likely go against players who are two and three years his elder. But he still hopes to make a run, if he’s playing well and receives a good draw.

He was home-schooled through Advantage as an eighth-grader, but it’s clear that going to Newport Harbor and representing the Sailors has been meaningful to him.

“I love being a part of a team,” said McKennon, who is an only child. “High school tennis has definitely helped my confidence get a lot back. If it wasn’t for high school tennis, I probably wouldn’t have played Easter Bowl, and I probably wouldn’t be playing as well as I am right now.

“It feels great, especially to be a part of a winning environment. All of the guys just dig in every single match and give it their all.”

Max McKennon

Born: May 17, 2002

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 160 pounds

Sport: Tennis

Year: Freshman

Coach: Kristen Case

Favorite food: Sushi

Favorite movie: “The Blind Side”

Favorite athletic moment: Winning the boys’ 14s singles championship at the USTA Winter Nationals in Arizona in January.