The US Open is the highlight of any professional tennis athlete's career but when you are a junior player the significance is that much greater. The path to The US Open Junior Championships is paved with years of grueling physical training and development of mental toughness. All of this for a chance to compete in one of the most prominent tennis events in the world - the US Open, The fact that it is played in New York aptly coincides with its signature song lyric, "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."  The US Opens is a place where dreams are made and also broken. 

In these past two weeks, these junior players have experienced the hottest weather conditions in US Open history. Although one may think that this shouldn't be a problem for a junior player who is 18 and under, there have been matches that exceeded 2 hours.  It is during those matches where the differentiator of staying focused and pacing yourself to produce your best game factors in. 

Mexican player Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez, 16, arrived in the qualifying rounds a week ago to make a name for herself. In a tiring match that lasted almost three hours, she impressively held a 5-2 lead in the defining third set before nerves set in and lost the next five games against Greece's Eleni Christofi, seeded 12th. 

Yet, she knew that being able to compete was a first step into a larger world.

"I am happy to be able to play U.S. Open, even if just a qualifier," Portillo Ramirez told Latin Post. "Not everyone gets that chance. It demonstrates confidence."

Chile's Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, 17, suffered a similar situation as he won the first set of his match against Japan's Jumpei Yamasaki but ultimately faltered in the final two sets to stumble into elimination.

"I just move on. Try to do my best in the doubles matches that are coming up," he told Latin Post. "It was a hard game, I had a chance to win and I didn't know how to take advantage of it."

Not all is heartbreak, but even winners like Natasha Subhash, 14, and Sofia Kenin, 16, do not take the victories for granted.

Subhash made it through two qualifying rounds with a knee injury.

"I felt really good. I wasn't expecting to win a match, but I am feeling really confident and I want to see how far I go," she noted.

Meanwhile, Kenin's Monday match against Paraguay's Ana Paula Neffa de los Rios could not have gotten off to a poorer start. Kenin, seeded 9th and the USTA Girls' 18 National Champion, lost three straight games and looked completely overwhelmed in the early going.

"I was a bit nervous. First matches are always nerve-wracking to play," she stated. "I just wasn't feeling my game very well at the beginning so I just had to keep the ball in play and it was helping. And as the match went on, I started playing aggressive and started playing my game."

And playing her game led to 12 straight victories en route to a 6-3 win in the first set and a 6-0 blowout in the second.

Origins and Role Models

'How it began' stories are fascinating as they provide insight and patterns into how athletes or any professional eventually finds their calling. In the case of these four players, there was a common theme: parents.

Portillo Ramirez noted that no one in her family played tennis, but her father enrolled her in a summer course and the rest was history.

For Barrios Vera, it was a case of his father playing tennis and getting him hooked as well.

And with Kenin, it was no different.

"I was very different compared to the other girls and it was obvious that I had massive potential," she stated. "I wanted to be a tennis player and I was happy that my parents helped me get to this point right now."

Moreover, the ages of initiation proved early. Portillo Ramirez was 6 when she started hitting the ball with a racket while Subhash entered into the world of tennis even earlier.

"I started when I was around four and I guess I knew that I wanted to be a tennis player when I was around seven of eight," Subhash said.

As these young players continue their ascent, they have constantly looked to champions of the sport for inspiration.

Portillo Ramirez and Kenin did not hesitate when asked who serves as their role model.

"Serena Williams," said Portillo Ramirez. "[My teacher and I] analyze everything she does. She is an unbelievable player, both in her approach to tennis and her mental strength."

For Subhash the choice was different. "I really admire [Roger] Federer's overall play," she noted.

Meanwhile, Barrios Vera took a wider approach. "I follow a lot of players. Can't really say I admire anyone in particular."

Pre-Match Preparation

Portillo Ramirez admits that music was what she turns to to get herself pumped.

"I like to listen to music. It calms me down and let's me forget my nerves," she noted before listening to the artists that energized her. "[I listen to] Romeo Santos, Enrique Iglesias. Victor Manuel. Lots of Latino music."

As for her 'go-to' track in a tough match situation: "'Que suenen los tamboros' by Victor Manuel."

Kenin revealed that prior to her game with Neffa de los Rios, she cranked up Taylor Swift and "B.O.B's" "Both of Us," but that she also enjoys listening to such artists as Lil Wayne and Drake.

Music does not figure prominently into Subhash or Barrios Vera's pre-game routine.

Subhash enjoys going over her game plan and finding a quiet place where she could focus. As for the Chilean, he likes to spend some time in the gym before warming up.

As it turned out, only one from the group I interviewed, has prevailed and moved on - Sofia Kenin. She is in the quarterfinals, a victory in itself since it's her first US Open. But, tomorrow is another day and there is maturity in this young junior's approach to take it just one game at a time.