Clay Thompson

Clarence Alley "Clay" Thompson IV (born May 4, 1992) is an American former professional tennis player and current entrepreneur. Thompson was born in Venice, CA, and attended 6-12th grade at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA. He was a top-ranked national junior and ended his high school career as the #3 recruit in the country,[1] choosing to play for Billy Martin at UCLA. During his tenure at UCLA, Thompson earned a BFA in Creative Writing with a minor in Film/TV, and during the entirety of his 2014 senior season, was the #1 ranked NCAA tennis player.[2][3] Thompson holds a 119-35 record, one of the highest number of wins for a UCLA player in the school's history.[4][5][6][7]

For the basketball player, see Klay Thompson.
Clay Thompson
Full nameClarence Alley Thompson IV
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceVenice, Los Angeles, United States
Born (1992-05-04) May 4, 1992
Venice, Los Angeles, United States
Height2 m (6 ft 7 in)
PlaysRight-handed (two handed-backhand)
Singles
Career record0–1 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 408 (May 2, 2016)
Current rankingNo. 1007 (July 17, 2017)
Doubles
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 760 (March 20, 2017)
Current rankingNo. 1029 (July 17, 2017)
Last updated on: March 27, 2020.

Thompson enjoyed a brief but impactful career on the ATP Tour, reaching a high singles ranking of #408 in the world,[8] during which he amassed a cult following as a charismatic and fun player to watch.[9][10] Thompson also participates in various charity events and has been a positive influence in the Los Angeles tennis community.[11] Following his own playing career, Thompson returned to professional tennis as the coach for fellow Crossroads alumnus Nicole Gibbs.[12]

Beginning in 2016, Thompson has been involved with a number of companies as an investor, advisor, and consultant. Notable companies include Snapchat, Jaunt, K-Swiss, and Tennacity. In June 2020, Thompson announced that he was co-founding and leading MProoV, a self-improvement platform and marketplace.

Junior Tennis Career

From age 13-18, Thompson was a perennial “Top 5” national player in both singles and doubles. Thompson captured his first national ball (bronze), by taking 3rd place in the 2007 USTA Winter SuperNationals in the Boys’ 16s division. Thompson then completed his collection of national balls with a silver and gold ball at the 2008 Easter Bowl, losing to Jack Sock 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) in the singles final and claiming the doubles title only hours later.[13]

In 2007, his freshman year at Crossroads, Thompson led the Roadrunners to their first Boys’ Tennis CIF Championship in school history.[14] Thompson also claimed the CIF Boys’ Singles Championship in 2009, becoming Crossroads School's first individual boys’ tennis state champion.[15]

It was around this time that Thompson’s talent was noticed and he was offered a contract to graduate high school early, forgo college and go straight onto the professional tour. Citing his desire for a proper education, a career after tennis and also the social element of finishing his senior year of Crossroads, Thompson declined. Later on that year he committed to play for the UCLA Bruins.[16]

College Tennis Career

UCLA Freshman Year, 2010-11

Thompson had an immediate impact for the UCLA Bruins, slotting in at #3 singles his freshman year, where he led the team in dual match wins at 23-10. He collected his first All-Pac 10 Player of the Week award when he clinched the 3-3 deciding match at Baylor University, and continued with several more accolades that year, including multiple Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honors.[17]

UCLA Sophomore Year, 2011-12

Thompson kicked off his sophomore campaign as the #2 singles player, behind 5th year senior Nick Meister. He checked in at a high of #35 in the ITA singles rankings and was an integral part of the Bruins’ Final Four appearance at the 2012 NCAA Tournament and Pac-12 championship run. Clay loves to tell a story about his sophomore year:

“My sophomore year, I was slotted in at the #2 position in the beginning of the year. Nick Meister played #1 and we were very deep across the board. We had a shot of winning the title that year, but one major obstacle stood in our way, Steve Johnson and USC. Don’t think I need to go into detail about how good Stevie was, but to put it bluntly he was unbeatable in college tennis.

"As USC was our biggest competition in pursuit of an NCAA and Pac-12 title, we had to figure out a way to beat them. Playing #2 for USC was Raymond Sarmiento, someone who has owned me for my entire life since playing in the 8 and unders. Raymond was unbeatable for me, he had such a mental advantage, probably having beaten me upwards of 15/16 times with me never getting a victory. I played him in our first match against USC and lost, Nick lost to Stevie and we lost the match. Billy Martin wanted to change something, so he put me at #1 and Nick at #2 for the next match, I lost to Stevie in ~40 minutes but Nick beat Raymond and we won the match. Furious, Peter Smith protested the lineup and stated that in no world am I the number 1 player for UCLA and we only did it to stack and give Nick the best chance to beat Raymond. The Pac-12 committee decided that Peter was right and moved me back to #2 for our Pac-12 championships. My pride had been wounded and as I took the court against Raymond in Ojai, CA in front of hundreds of fans, I felt something different that day. I beat Raymond in straight sets for the first time in my life and in Vitas Gerulitis fashion, said at the net, “No one beats Clay Thompson 17 times in a row.”"[18]

UCLA Junior Year, 2012-13

Coming into Thompson’s junior year, the Bruins were heavily favored to be a national championship contender. Following a minor back injury, Thompson began the year at #5 singles and finished the season with a 22-4 overall singles record The Bruins had a strong year, winning both the PAC-12 regular season and tournament before going all the way to the NCAA Finals where they lost to Virginia, after having match points during the very famous “net touch” - when UCLA captain Adrien Puget thought he had won the championship for the Bruins before having the point called back due to his touching of the net with his foot.[19] After this year as a whole, Thompson matured significantly.

Dealing with his injury, Clay shared, “Taking that much time off really opened my eyes,” Thompson said. “I realized how much tennis had done for me, put into perspective how privileged I am through this sport, and made me really honor it a lot more, and really take it seriously.”[20]

Thompson's change in mindset inspired him to work harder than before over the summer. He began the summer by traveling to France with fellow teammate, Adrien Puget, where he competed in three ITF tournaments. After returning from this trip, fellow teammate Marcos Giron noted a difference in Thompson's demeanor. “I was practicing with (Clay) way more over this past summer, and I could see that there was something different about him,” said junior Marcos Giron. “There was an extra spark to him … when he was playing it seemed like he cared more, like there was a little extra passion in it.”[21]

UCLA Senior Year, 2013-14

Thompson’s legendary senior season began on a low note as he lost in the first round of the ITA All-American Tournament in Tulsa, OK. After this loss, however, Thompson won 19 matches in a row.[22] This string of wins started with the consolation draw at the All-American tournament, which booked him a trip to Flushing Meadows, NY and the ITA Fall National Championship. Thompson swiftly moved through the competition to win the tournament and claim his spot on top of the collegiate world. Thompson’s behavior was equally as impressive as he turned out large crowds and won the Sportsmanship Award. This tournament also marked the first time that media and fans started actively referring to Thompson as a “showman.”[23]

After this incredible fall season, Thompson began the year as the #1 NCAA player in the country. He compiled one of the highest single season win numbers at UCLA, amassing a 39-7 record. Clay played #1 for the Bruins throughout the entire 2014 season, ending with the Bruins’ loss to Oklahoma 4-2 in the NCAA Semifinals.[24] Thompson cites this match as the biggest regret of his career:

“2014 was the year our entire team came together for the first time in my UCLA experience, everyone on that team had each other’s backs and did everything in their power to win the title. Losing that match, as the #1 player in the country and on the team, remembering how my teammates were cheering me on and how their heads fell as I lost. Man, that memory is harrowing for me and I will never ever forget it.”[25]

Returning from this trip, Thompson finished the remaining classes for his degree and graduated in Spring 2014 with a BFA in Creative Writing and a minor in Film/Television. Thompson won many accolades for his 2014 season, including the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year award due to his excellent athletic season and 3.8 GPA.[26] He also joined a notable list of tennis players, including Steve Johnson and John Isner, when he was named Senior Player of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.[27]

Professional career

Thompson began his professional career on a full-time basis in Spring 2015, after winning his first professional title at the ITF $10,000 Manzanillo, MX.[28] Continuing on this success, Thompson had a very good summer with Semi-final and Final appearances at $15,000 ITF tournaments in Illinois.[29] His year capped off with a Semi-final run in the $50,000 USTA Challenger in Champaign, IL, where he defeated top-100 opponents Austin Krajicek and Blaz Rola before losing to Henri Laaksonen (5-7, 6-3, 7-6).These results earned Thompson a Top 500 ranking, coming in at #446 in the year end ATP rankings for 2015.[30]

Thompson spent much of 2016 on the road, playing tournaments in Israel, Egypt, South Korea, China and Thailand. Although Thompson’s ranking climbed up to #408, he didn’t have any notable results.[31] At the 2016 $100,000 USTA Challenger in Aptos, CA, Thompson received a wildcard entry and won a round before losing to Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 7-5. It was after this tournament that Thompson took to Twitter to announce his retirement.[32]

In January 2017, Thompson played the local ITF $25,000 tournament at USC, and spoke publicly about his retirement, summarizing the financial burden on tennis players coupled with his desire to create a stable life for himself after tennis as the main reasons for his early departure.[33] During the course of this year, Thompson participated in a multitude of charity events[34] and gave many interviews discussing his interest in creating a healthier and more financially feasible pathway for young American tennis talents to transition to the pro tour.

Coaching career

In the fall of 2017, fellow Crossroads alumni and top-100 WTA player Nicole Gibbs offered Thompson a job as her coach in 2018.[35] Thompson traveled with Gibbs as a trial run for the end of her 2017 season and then in 2018 accompanied her to the Shenzen Open where she fell to world #1 Simona Halep 6-4, 6-1. The next tournament was the Australian Open, where Gibbs won a round before losing to KiKi Bertens 6-7, 0-6. Thompson continued to travel with Gibbs, assisting her in Indian Wells, Miami, Monterrey and Bogota before announcing their split.

References
  1. "Boys' Class of 2010". Tennis Recruiting Network.
  2. "Men's National Singles Rankings". ITA Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
  3. "Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings".
  4. "2010-11 UCLA Men's Tennis Season Statistics". UCLA Bruins Official Athletic Site.
  5. "2011-12 UCLA Men's Tennis Season Statistics". UCLA Bruins Official Athletic Site.
  6. "2012-13 UCLA Men's Tennis Season Statistics" (PDF). SIdearm Sports.
  7. "2013-14 UCLA Men's Tennis Season Statistics" (PDF). Sidearm Sports.
  8. "Clay Thompson - Overview". ATP Tour.
  9. "Clay Thompson the most fun and crazy player".
  10. "Clay Thompson Finds Purpose on Tour".
  11. "Thompson Holds Court at Tennis Center".
  12. "Nicole Gibbs Blog: Parting Ways with my Coach was Extremely Mutual". Tennis Channel.
  13. "Easter Bowl, USTA National Spring Championship". USTA.
  14. "Crossroads Defeats Brentwood for CIF Tennis Championship". Santa Monica Mirror.
  15. "Crossroads Tennis Star Wins CIF Title". Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences.
  16. "Interview: Clay Thompson". MyTennisHQ.
  17. "UCLA's Thompson and California's Goransson Named Pac-10 Men's and Women's Tennis Player of the Week". Pac-12.
  18. "Interview: Clay Thompson". MyTennisHQ.
  19. "Virginia Defeats UCLA to Win NCAA men's tennis". USA Today.
  20. "Clay Thompson fights way to top with renewed commitment to tennis". Daily Bruin.
  21. "Clay Thompson fights way to top with renewed commitment to tennis". Daily Bruin.
  22. "Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings". R2Sports.
  23. "How Clay Thompson Changed his Perspective and Saved his Tennis Career". Tennis Files.
  24. "Interview: Clay Thompson". MyTennisHQ.
  25. "Interview: Clay Thompson". MyTennisHQ.
  26. "UCLA's Thompson, Arizona's Smyth Named Pac-12 Tennis Scholar-Athletes of the Year". Pac-12.
  27. "2014 ITA Award Winners". Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
  28. "Clay Thompson Men's Singles Activity". International Tennis Federation.
  29. "Clay Thompson Men's Singles Activity". International Tennis Federation.
  30. "Clay Thompson - Player Bio". ATP Tour.
  31. "Clay Thompson - Player Ranking History". ATP Tour.
  32. "Status Update". Twitter. Clay Thompson.
  33. "USA's Clay Thompson Gets out of Retirement". UbiTennis.
  34. "Clay Thompson Attends 14th Annual Desert Smash". Getty Images.
  35. "Status Update". Twitter. Ben Rothenberg.
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