Meet the new face of New York tennis.
Thirteen-year-old tennis phenom Mia Vecchio has been playing for nine years and has no plans to stop any time soon.
“My goal is to be a professional tennis player,” said the Manhasset-based Vecchio.
She finished her Girl’s 12 career with 1,526 points and an overall record of 58-44. She’s currently ranked number 18 in the Eastern Section combined rankings for Girls 14’s.
Her father Rudy described Mia as an overactive child who could never stand still. She was involved in soccer, gymnastics and dance. Driving home one day from St. John’s, Mia passed Cunningham Park and saw some kids hitting a tennis ball. She said she was interested, so her parents signed her up for classes and she hasn’t looked back since.
Mia practices at Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center in Glen Cove. She was in the Herrick School district where she played Varsity tennis with the high school girls and was undefeated. She starts eighth grade in September, being home-schooled by a tutor from the district.
Practice is demanding for Mia, who practices for 2 ½ hours in the morning and 2 ½ hours at night in the grueling summer heat. Mia’s coach, Anna Bielen-Zarska, has played Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in her own tennis career and was ranked 146 in the world.
Bielen-Zarska is tough and doesn’t just feed Mia balls but will play matches with her and school her in between. She plays with a few other local teenage tennis players for practice and to improve her game. Mia also trains twice a week at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn with her boxing coach Melissa Hernandez for footwork and cardio training.
Before a game, Mia said she tries to eat right and get into a mindset to prepare for a match. She never plays without a clear game plan in mind. Thus far, she said Las Vegas has been her favorite place to play.
Mia also has her own line of tennis apparel. Rudy and his wife Lorraine started Bangg Apparel in 2005. Initially the intent was to design tennis clothes just for Mia. Now Bangg offers affordable tennis clothes available through Mia’s web site or at www.banggapparel.com. All proceeds will go to Aces for Autism, a non-profit organization started by the Vecchio family that will go toward medical research for autism. Mia’s 10-year-old brother Rudy was diagnosed with autism at 18 months, and her ultimate goal is to create a foundation for autistic children.
Rudy said he’s tried to instill in Mia the idea that she should work hard so she never has to depend on anybody and can leave her mark on the world.
“She’s very blessed, a very talented and determined kid. If you tell Mia she can’t do something, she’ll prove you wrong,” said dad Rudy.
Rudy said he is basically a stay-at-home dad now, as he’s spent the last five years managing Mia’s tennis career and going to tournaments and practices. A hands-on parent, he said he’s always on the court with Mia, making sure she’s working hard, helping pick up balls and ensuring Mia’s coach is doing all she can, too. He says he always offers her the opportunity to stop playing tennis or try something else, if that’s what she wants.
Mia’s favorite tennis players are Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams, but now when she watches matches, she’s more interested in the play than the players. Mia has had the opportunity to speak with Capriati through email, and she’s advised her to “never gauge life on wins and losses.”
There is a billboard of Mia on the Long Island Expressway by Maurice Avenue, with two more billboards of Mia set to go up, one at Citi Field and one on the Major Deegan going toward Yankee Stadium. There are also ads of Mia on buses throughout the city.
There are enormous opportunities available to Mia. In addition to her plans to continue playing tennis and work with autistic children, she was courted by a talent agency for acting and modeling work. The Vecchios declined the offer as Mia is focusing exclusively on tennis for now.
To follow Mia’s journey, you can visit www.miavecchio.com.
