Fullerton’s Kim Trades UCLA for Professional Tour

Fullerton’s Kevin Kim, a former national 18s singles champion, has turned professional after one season at UCLA. Kim informed UCLA men’s tennis Coach Billy Martin last month he would not be back.

After the holidays, Kim flew to Tampa to train with Pete Sampras and other top professionals. He is in El Salvador playing in a satellite tournament.

“It was a very, very difficult situation,” Kim’s father, Andrew, said. “It wasn’t completely decided until the last minute. Billy wanted Kevin back real bad. He tried to talk Kevin into staying, saying he could win the NCAA [individual] tournament and the UCLA could win the [team] NCAA’s. But there’s no guarantees.”

Kim’s plan entering UCLA was to play one or two years of college tennis. Last year, he was ranked among the top 30 in the nation in singles and top three in doubles with Anaheim’s Eric Lin.

“Playing another year of college tennis, Kevin didn’t think he’d improve that much,” Andrew Kim said.