Our own J.B. Badon, son of Badon Tennis Academy head coach and founder Veronica Badon, reached #1 in the USTA Rankings in the Boys’ 18 and under division of Southern California. Years of lessons, training and dedication has paid off! J.B., we are all so proud of you.
Thanks for coming by the courts at Loma Alta courts, posing for pictures with our current students, and for demonstrating what great sportsmanship is all about. The future is bright!
Guess who came to the Badon Tennis Academy to play some tennis? The Sloane Stephens Foundation!
What a day. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open Women’s Champion, brought a group of outstanding players from her foundation to play with the Badon Tennis Academy players. Sloane took the time to hang out with everyone, sign autographs and pose for pictures. Sloane and her foundation are doing important and meaningful work; please visit the foundation’s site for more information.
Thanks, Sloane, for coming by and we hope to see you at the Loma Alta Courts again soon!
The Badon Tennis Academy’s 10 & Under Team, the Dropshots, started the new year off with a bang: an invitation to compete at the USTA Sectionals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs. Kind of a big deal! During the final week of 2019, our fearless players practiced everyday at the Loma Alta Park tennis courts. Head Coach Veronica Badon and volunteer coaches Stefan Studer and Joe Abrams led the kids through drills, practice and strategy sessions.
Results were mixed. The girls doubles teams lost a few matches but still managed to get in some really good serves, returns and drop shots. The boys singles players delivered several definitive wins.
The best part of the weekend in Palm Springs? Becoming better players and competitors, deepening sportsmanship and becoming even better friends. Indian Wells, the Badon Dropshots will be back!
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Head coach Jay Udwadia has officially announced the signings of Jean-Baptiste Badon and Gabriel Elicha Navas. Badon and Elicha Navas are set to join the Hogs this spring for the 2025 dual season.
Badon joins the Razorbacks as a JUCO transfer from Glendale Community College in Glendale, Calif. Badon, a former top-20 prospect and 5-star recruit according to Tennis Recruiting Network, recorded a historical freshman season at Glendale CC and finished with a 29-2 overall singles record along with several conference and national accolades.
During the 2023 fall season, Badon was crowned the men’s singles champion at the 2023 ITA CCCAA Men’s SoCal Regional Championships after receiving the top-seed at the event in addition to only dropping six games in his four matches played. Badon qualified for the ITA Cup Super Bowl after becoming the first-ever California Community College player to claim the JUCO singles title at the ITA Cup. Badon defeated the DII and NAIA champions in the Super Bowl draw en route to securing a wild card entry into the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego.
Badon led Glendale CC to an 18-4 record during the spring season as the team reached the SoCal Regional Final for the first time since 2005 and finished No. 2 in the final ITA CCCAA rankings. Badon ended the dual season undefeated and was named the Western State Conference co-Player of the Year while obtaining the WSC tournament singles title. Badon completed his remarkable season by winning the CCCAA Men’s Individual State Championship, becoming the first player from Glendale CC to win the state singles crown since 2011.
After the conclusion of the dual season, Badon continued to collect CCCAA and ITA accolades as he closed the year as the No. 1 ITA CCCAA ranked singles player and ended the spring No. 7 in the final doubles rankings with Andy Zau. Badon was awarded the 2023-24 ITA Rookie of the Year at the JUCO level in addition to being named to the 2024 ITA Collegiate All-Star Team and receiving ITA CCCAA All-American honors.
Elicha Navas comes to Fayetteville from Spain with career-high ATP rankings of No. 1135 in singles and No. 1412 in doubles. Elicha Navas holds a 23-17 singles record in 2024 and has a combined 60-52 singles record in men’s professional events over the last four years. At the M15 Monastir in July, Elicha Navas earned two victories in the qualifying draw and three in the main draw before falling in the singles semifinal. Elicha Navas has also picked up six doubles wins this year and most recently reached the doubles semifinal at the M15 Melilla in September.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Head coach Jay Udwadia has officially announced the signings of Jean-Baptiste Badon and Gabriel Elicha Navas. Badon and Elicha Navas are set to join the Hogs this spring for the 2025 dual season.
Badon joins the Razorbacks as a JUCO transfer from Glendale Community College in Glendale, Calif. Badon, a former top-20 prospect and 5-star recruit according to Tennis Recruiting Network, recorded a historical freshman season at Glendale CC and finished with a 29-2 overall singles record along with several conference and national accolades.
During the 2023 fall season, Badon was crowned the men’s singles champion at the 2023 ITA CCCAA Men’s SoCal Regional Championships after receiving the top-seed at the event in addition to only dropping six games in his four matches played. Badon qualified for the ITA Cup Super Bowl after becoming the first-ever California Community College player to claim the JUCO singles title at the ITA Cup. Badon defeated the DII and NAIA champions in the Super Bowl draw en route to securing a wild card entry into the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego.
Badon led Glendale CC to an 18-4 record during the spring season as the team reached the SoCal Regional Final for the first time since 2005 and finished No. 2 in the final ITA CCCAA rankings. Badon ended the dual season undefeated and was named the Western State Conference co-Player of the Year while obtaining the WSC tournament singles title. Badon completed his remarkable season by winning the CCCAA Men’s Individual State Championship, becoming the first player from Glendale CC to win the state singles crown since 2011.
After the conclusion of the dual season, Badon continued to collect CCCAA and ITA accolades as he closed the year as the No. 1 ITA CCCAA ranked singles player and ended the spring No. 7 in the final doubles rankings with Andy Zau. Badon was awarded the 2023-24 ITA Rookie of the Year at the JUCO level in addition to being named to the 2024 ITA Collegiate All-Star Team and receiving ITA CCCAA All-American honors.
Elicha Navas comes to Fayetteville from Spain with career-high ATP rankings of No. 1135 in singles and No. 1412 in doubles. Elicha Navas holds a 23-17 singles record in 2024 and has a combined 60-52 singles record in men’s professional events over the last four years. At the M15 Monastir in July, Elicha Navas earned two victories in the qualifying draw and three in the main draw before falling in the singles semifinal. Elicha Navas has also picked up six doubles wins this year and most recently reached the doubles semifinal at the M15 Melilla in September.
