Athlete of the Week: Konrad Ulich

Malibu tennis player Konrad Ulich was crowned champion of his division at the Manhattan Beach Junior Open last month for the second year in a row.

Due to his efforts in nabbing the Boys’ 14 Singles Open title at the early April United States Tennis Association sanctioned-event, as well as the wins he has stacked up since, the 13-year-old has been named The Malibu Times Athlete of the Week.

Ulich, a seventh-grader at Viewpoint Middle School, beat Mustafa Ansari from Pasadena 6-4, 6-4 in the championship match of the Manhattan Beach tennis tourney. He said this year’s title win was a little sweeter because he had lost to Mustafa 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals in a previous tournament.

“It was all mental,” he said. “I really didn’t think I could beat him the week before. When I played him the next time, I prepared a lot better and added strategies.” 

Ulich entered the tournament as the number four seed and outlasted 32 other competitors from around Southern California in order to finish tops. After a first-round bye, he knocked-off Adam Chodur of Valencia 6-1, 6-3 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals he defeated Nabeel Khan from Rolling Hills Estates 6-0, 6-1. Ulich defeated the tournament’s top-seed, Simon Stans from South Pasadena, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals before winning the championship match.

Last year, at the age of 12, Ulich won the tournament’s Boys’ 12 Singles Open. 

Ulich still has a winning beat going since his second tournament win 34 miles south. He has a compiled a 6-4 record in four events. At the Pete Brown Tennis Classic Junior Open in Los Angeles last weekend, Ulich had a 2-1 record and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Jean-Baptiste Badon from Arcadia 3-6, 6-4; 10-8.

Since he began playing competitive tennis at USTA-sanctioned events in November 2012, he has composed a 60-32 record. 

Ulich changed his style of play to that of a “power baseliner” a few months ago. The style of play often involves the tennis player consistently hitting deep shots with a solid backhand, forehand or groundstroke. 

Ulich said his coach, Doug Stewart, told him the time to be more aggressive on the court was now.

“When I moved up to the 14s, I needed weapons,” he said. “It’s a lot different than the 12s, so I changed my game.”

Ulich said his greatest “weapon” on the court is his forehand.

Stewart, Ulich’s coach of three years, said his game keeps evolving.

“While Konrad is already a very good athlete,” he said, “we anticipate him growing quite a bit more so we’re working on giving him the tools to be an overpowering player with a huge forehand and a big serve.” 

Ulich dreams of playing collegiate tennis as a UCLA Bruin. 

“I went to their tennis camp and I really liked the vibe the college had,” he said. “And I liked the coach.” 

Ulich said he is really driven to exceed on the tennis court.

“It is really fun,” he said. “Whenever I feel unmotivated I just think of where I want to be and what I have to do to get there. My ultimate goal is to be a professional tennis player.”

Stewart said Ulich will accomplish his goals if he stays on the track he has been on.

“My only expectations for Konrad are to work hard day in and day out,” he said.

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Ulich’s coach’s name.