Tennis prodigy, 12, eyes pro career after capturing title for age 14 division

"If you don't practice, you don't deserve to win."

Dylan Levitt claims that quote from Andre Agassi as his favorite edict, and he follows it daily. It must be working.

In June, Dylan won the Intermountain Tennis Association Junior Sectional Championship in Denver, taking the boys' division title for those age 14.

But Dylan is only 12.

"It is extremely difficult and rare for a boy to play 'up' in a division and win the Intermountain Sectional Championships," said Sandy Foley, facility manager at the Darling Tennis Center, 7901 W. Washington Ave., where Dylan trains. "Lots of kids will test the waters, but for him to win against 14-year-olds ... is unheard of, unheard of across the country."

Dylan, a Summerlin resident, has tested the waters a lot, playing older opponents in all the local and Intermountain tournaments for more than a year.

About two weeks later, he took the top spot for his age at the United States Tennis Association Open Nationals in Omaha, Neb.

Though he took up a racquet at age 5, Dylan really got into the sport later. He began playing USTA Junior Team Tennis in 2006 and joined the Nevada Elite Tennis Training Junior Academy a year later. Since he started competitive tennis two years ago, Dylan's primary coach has been Saad Ashraf.

Now Dylan travels around the country with his parents, Greg and Ping Levitt, entering tournaments.

Greg Levitt said his son's best shot was probably the forehand, where Dylan has a built-in advantage.

"He's a lefty; that always presents a problem for the other kids," he said. "They don't often see a lefty."

Dylan said playing older youngsters was "kind of the same, just a little bit harder ... they're bigger, and it can be kind of intimidating."

Any nerves at seeing a larger opponent dissipate as he takes the court and focuses, he said, and then he just "focuses on the ball and the next shot."

Dylan said his opponents may be bigger, but in tennis placing the ball is more important than slamming it at one's adversary.

He said his idol is top-ranked Swiss player Roger Federer.

As for that edict of Agassi's, Foley said Dylan is so committed to the sport he practices at least four to five hours a day in the summer. When school resumes ---- he'll be a seventh-grader at Rogich Middle School, 235 N. Pavilion Center Drive, and maintains a 4.0 grade point average ---- he'll play two to three hours after school, plus another four to five hours each Saturday and Sunday.

School vacations just mean he'll be able to spend more time on the courts.

An outgoing child, Dylan's life is not just about the yellow ball. He has many friends. He's good in a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, flag football, snowboarding, swimming, dirt bike riding and golf.

Dylan said he just likes the opportunity to play against people other than those he usually faces in Las Vegas.

His schedule reads like a professional on the circuit. In July, he competed in the USTA National Clay Court Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the USTA Zone Team Championships at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado.

This month it's off to Little Rock, Ark., for the USTA National Championships.

Dylan said he plans to go to a top college and play tennis and hopes to turn professional.

Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.