Wearing new colors, Greensburg native Loren Byers hoping for special final season in college tennis

Ohio State tennis player and Greensburg native Loren Byers is walking into one of the most important tournaments of his career this week at the ITA Men’s All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

This season, Byers is playing in the main draw, which means he avoids five extra qualifying matches. This, however, was something he earned.

Byers, who averages 125 mph on his first serve, played at Penn State the last three seasons and earned a spot on the all-Big Ten first team and took home the conference’s sportsmanship award last year.

He will don the scarlet and grey for the first time and is ready to represent Ohio State as a graduate transfer, coming into the season ranked No. 26 nationally.

He posted a 17-9 overall record and a 13-6 record in duals in the No. 1 singles spot for Penn State last season. He finished the season ranked 56th and won two top-10 matches against Michigan State’s Ozan Baris (No. 5) and Ohio State’s Aidan Kim (No. 10).

Byers compares his on-court style to ATP pro Andrey Rublev, who is an aggressive right-handed baseliner with a strong forehand.

Byers realized with one year left of eligibility, he was poised to make a leap in the rankings. However, he wants more.

“It’s amazing to be ranked higher,” he said. “I’m going to try to go even higher now. I know that my level is right there with the top players in the country. I’m ranked 26 now. I’m hoping that I can get into the top 10 in the fall and continue to build.”

Byers suffered a torn abdominal muscle toward the end of last season.

“I was playing with a tear in my ab the last three or four matches, so I tried to get myself two weeks off after the season and was actually going to play pro events actually in Tulsa this summer,” Byers said. “I was out here training in Columbus, and my last practice set right before our drive to the tournament from Columbus, I retore it again.”

Byers won a match in a pro tournament in Dallas but was not fully healthy and decided to give himself a well-needed rest. After competing in more than 100 college matches, he knew it was best to take it easy.

“When I was injured, it was pretty tough because all I wanted to do was be back on the court, but at the same time, I knew that in order for me to get the best results in the fall, I knew that I had to take time and recover, but it was a tough time,” Byers said. “Now I use that as strength and motivation to really take my rehab and the off-court preparation seriously to prevent those injuries because it’s a long season.”

Fast forward to late summer, Byers and the Buckeyes were training and readying themselves for tournament play.

“We’re with the coaches about two and a half hours a day to three hours, and then we have outside hitting, and we play practice sets,” Byers said. “I’d say on average, we’re on the court for three to four hours a day, and then we’re in the gym three times a week for an hour, and then all the recovery that goes into it before practice and after practice, it’s about 30 minutes before and about 30 minutes after practice.”

The tennis grind is a lot, but this isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Byers. He is used to competing at a high level as he was No. 2 in Pennsylvania out of high school and won his first pro tournament at 17 years old in Arizona.

As usual, there will be a lot of other hungry tennis players in the draw in Tulsa.

“I’m really excited,” Byers said. “I feel healthy, which is the main thing for me, and I feel ready to go to battle. It’s going to be a tough tournament. Everyone in the main draw is the top 64 players in the country, so there are no easy matches.

“I just have to focus on my game and let the chips fall, but I feel ready.”

If Byers is one of 10 players who qualifies for the NCAA Tournament in Tulsa, he won’t have to compete in any college tournaments and can focus on pro events.

Rashid Hassan and Yussuf Hassan have coached him since he was in high school. They give him motivation, and he is grateful for them.

“Even while I’m here, I’m still sending them videos of my technique,” Byers said. “At 10 p.m., I can call them and they’re always going to answer. They’ve just had a huge impact on my tennis, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

Byers is most thankful for his support system, especially his parents — Alex, who was a pro squash and racquetball player, and Rachel.

“They’re everything for me,” Byers said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without them. They’re the best parents ever. They pick up the phone any time of the day. They’re helpful mentally if they need to come out here if I’m struggling. They’re always there for me in a minute. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am.”