Men's Tennis Signees Ballotta, van Loben Sels to Enroll in January
December 01, 2022 | Men's Tennis
LOS ANGELES – Junior standouts Gianluca Ballotta and Emon van Loben Sels have signed National Letters of Intent to UCLA and will join the men's tennis team in January, head coach Billy Martin announced.
Ballotta, a native of Lima, Peru, holds a career-high ITF junior ranking of 42. Hailing from Sacramento, Calif., van Loben Sels is a TennisRecruiting.net Blue Chip recruit as one of the top 25 players in his class.
Both signees have posted championship performances in 2022. A veteran of ITF junior events, Ballotta captured two singles titles in Lima and another at the J2 Gladbeck event. He also qualified for the US Open Junior Championships singles and doubles draws. Alongside partner Ethan Schiffman, van Loben Sels took home the Southern California Open Sectional Championships doubles crown from San Diego. The pair previously won the Boys' 16 championship at the 2021 Easter Bowl, also in San Diego.
Gianluca Ballotta, Lima, Peru (Florida Virtual School)
Attends Florida Virtual School … career-high ITF junior ranking: 42 … qualified for singles, doubles draws at 2022 US Open Junior Championships … advanced to singles, doubles (with partner Nicolas Villalon Valdes) semifinal rounds at ITF J2 Bruchkoebel event in 2022 … made singles semifinal round, doubles (with partner Juan Carlos Prado Angelo) quarterfinal round at ITF J2 Bogota event in 2022 … won singles crown at ITF J2 Gladbeck event in 2022 … captured singles title at ITF J3 Lima event in 2022 … earned singles titles at ITF J4 Lima events in 2021, 2022; with partner Christopher Li, won doubles championship in 2021 … reached singles, doubles (with partner Enrique Pena) semifinal rounds at ITF JB1 Lima event in 2022 … advanced to singles round of 16, doubles quarterfinal (with partner Luis Carlos Alvarez Valdes) round at ITF J1 Porto Alegre (Brasil Juniors Cup) in 2022 … with partner Leanid Boika, advanced to doubles semifinal round at ITF J1 Bradenton (Eddie Herr) event in 2021.
MARTIN ON BALLOTTA: "We are so excited to have Gianluca joining our team, especially in January. I think he's going to be able to step in and help us on our run to a really good season in 2023. Gianluca is a talented young man who brings a left-handed dimension to our group and feels at home on our courts here at UCLA. He plays singles and doubles very well and has a great work ethic that I think will help us in the years to come. Gianluca is a big addition to our team."
Emon van Loben Sels, Sacramento, Calif. (Visions in Education)
Attends Vision in Education … Blue Chip recruit according to TennisRecruiting.net; reached high of No. 9 in 2021 … with partner Ethan Schiffman, collected Boys' doubles title at 2022 Southern California Open Sectional Championships in San Diego … advanced to Boys' 18 singles semifinal round at 2022 National Winter Championships in Orlando, Fla. … reached singles quarterfinal round, doubles semifinal round (with partner Dylan Tsoi) at 2021 Boys' 16 National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. … with partner Owen Megargee, reached doubles semifinal round at 2021 USTA Boys' 16 National Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, Fla. … captured Boys' 18 singles, doubles (with Schiffman) championships at Level 2: Rome Ga. event in 2021 … with partner Masato Perera, picked up Boys' 18 doubles championship at Level 2: San Diego, CA event; also won Boys' 18 singles consolation title … with Schiffman, won Boys' 16 doubles championship at 2021 Easter Bowl in San Diego … with Perera, took Boys' 18 doubles title at Level 3: Lakewood, CA event in 2021; also advanced to singles semifinal round … seized singles title at 2021 Boys' 16 Spring Individual Championships in Mobile, Ala. … earned Boys' 16 singles title at Level 2: Newport Beach, CA event in 2021.
MARTIN ON VAN LOBEN SELS: "We are also so very excited to have Emon joining our team. He's a California boy who has really wanted to play at UCLA for many years. Emon's parents are alumni and he is good friends with many of the guys on the team. He's obviously very talented, always one of the top-ranked junior players. I've been able to watch Emon play consistently for the last two or three years. He is someone who also will be here in January and can really help our team, on and off the court. We are really excited about his addition to the roster."
Going international for our first #NSD22 signee ??
— UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) November 10, 2022
Coming our way January 2023 ... ???????????????? ????????????????!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/siPvaNtDzg
Welcome to Westwood, ???????? ?????? ?????????? ????????!
— UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) November 10, 2022
Another mid-year addition for the Bruins, he's a ?? Blue Chip ?? prospect out of the state capital.#GoBruins | #NSD22?? pic.twitter.com/zx8Nc9LxK9
