SFC student competes at prestigious ‘The Ojai’ tennis tournament

Santa Fe Christian Schools (SFC) student Blake Bothmer (’24) received an invitation to play at the prestigious “The Ojai” tennis tournament, which was held April 21-23 in Ventura County. This renowned, invitation-only event, first held in 1896, is the oldest and largest amateur tennis tournament in the United States. Blake is the first SFC tennis player to ever compete in the event.

This iconic tournament brings thousands of spectators into the stands for five days to watch some of the finest in amateur tennis. Some of the tennis greats such as Jack Kramer, Billie Jean King, Pete Sampras, and Jimmy Connors have played in The Ojai tournament.

Blake began his tennis journey at the young age of 9 when he first began playing on Junior Team Tennis teams and in weekend tournaments. He has also been a member of the SFC Middle School and Upper School tennis teams. Over the years, Blake has competed in hundreds of tournaments, mostly in Southern California, and has had the special opportunity to train at both the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai and at the Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona, Spain.

Blake’s goal is to play at the collegiate level once he graduates from SFC.