John McEnroe Tennis Academy’s Jamie Loeb Announces She Has Turned Pro

NEW YORK - Aug. 28, 2015 - PRLog -- The John McEnroe Tennis Academy announced that longtime student and the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Champion Jamie Loeb has elected to forego her final two years of NCAA eligibility at the University of North Carolina and turn pro. Loeb, from Ossining, N.Y., will take on 4^th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark next week in the first round of the US Open, after receiving a main draw wild card.

Loeb will continue to train at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy when she is not on the road competing. In addition to JMTA, Loeb’s pro career is being launched with generous support from Fila, and from Solinco. John McEnroe Tennis Academy namesake and 1978 NCAA men’s champion John McEnroe said “I believe the U.S. collegiate tennis is a great training ground for aspiring young players. I am very pleased that after proving herself at JMTA, Jamie spent two successful years at UNC. And with Jamie having been a dominant player at the NCAA Division I level, I am fully supportive of her move into the pros. I am expecting big things from her.”

Loeb, who was the UNC Athlete of the Year and ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year in her second year in Chapel Hill after ranking No. 1 in the country as a freshman, seeded No. 7 in the NCAA Championships, closed out Carol Zhao of Stanford, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in the final for her fifth three-set win in her six matches in Waco, Texas in May.

“After taking college tennis by storm, we are very excited for Jamie to join the pro tour, and pleased that her first official match as a pro will be the first round of the US Open main draw”, said JMTA Managing Director Bennett Schlansky. “She is a terrific player and competitor, and we believe she is poised for great success on the tour.”

The 20-year old is coached by JMTA Associate Director Felix Alvarado. She won the $25K El Paso, Texas, singles title and was the doubles champion at Stockton, Calif., both last month.

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About SPORTIME

SPORTIME is proud to operate the finest tennis facilities in New York State, with over 160 indoor and outdoor courts at 13 clubs across Long Island, in NYC, in Westchester and in the NY Capital Region. SPORTIME's clubs are state-of-the-art, yet affordable, and feature the best tennis facilities and programs, along with great gyms, camps and sports and fitness offerings. SPORTIME is proud to be the home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Randall’s Island since 2010, with JMTA Annexes at Syosset/Bethpage, Long Island, and Lake Isle, Eastchester, since 2012.

About The John McEnroe Tennis Academy

In September 2010, tennis legend John McEnroe and SPORTIME partnered to launch the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, in John’s hometown of New York City, at the SPORTIME Randall's Island Tennis Center in Manhattan. SPORTIME Randall's Island is SPORTIME’s flagship location, and the flagship location of the Academy. In September 2012, JMTA expanded its geographic reach to SPORTIME locations in Westchester and on Long Island: SPORTIME Lake Isle, an 8-court, state-of-the art, year-round facility in Eastchester, New York in lower Westchester; and SPORTIME Syosset in central Long Island, an 11-court indoor facility, that has long served as SPORTIME's high performance training center on Long Island. John's passion and belief is that great players can be developed in urban settings, while still having the opportunity to live at home, pursue their educational goals, and participate in a variety of sports and extracurricular activities. The Academy works to recruit the most talented and the most highly motivated young athletes in the New York Metropolitan area. Inspired by the vision and daily presence of Johnny Mac, under the guidance of JMTA Managing Director, Bennett Schlansky, JMTA Director, Lawrence Kleger, JMTA Performance Director, Andrew Small, JMTA mental toughness expert, Dr. Dom Lausic, and with a world-class staff of tennis, athletic training and performance directors and coaches, JMTA delivers a complete training program designed to assure the best possible outcome for serious players; whether that is junior tournament tennis, college tennis or beyond. JMTA’s athletic training and performance is provided by SportsLab NYC, under the guidance of JMTA Performance Director Andrew Small. SportsLab NYC has an exemplary reputation for providing innovative, multi-faceted and high-caliber athletic development training models to international collegiate and professional sports organizations. Mental Toughness Training for JMTA is provided by Dr. Domagoj Lausic, Ph.D of The Hourglass Performance Institute. HPI provides mental performance services, including the use of state-of-the-art technology that teaches athletes to master their thoughts and emotions, so as to perform optimally under any and all circumstances.