With a fearlessness as fascinating as her gift for the game, Shelby Baron has shot from the middle of the Pacific Ocean straight into the future of American wheelchair tennis in the past year.
It took a matter of minutes for coaches to notice Baron at last July’s U.S. Tennis Association-ITF International Junior Camp in California. At the same time and place, Baron was struck by how many kids there were just like her.
"That camp was the beginning," she said. "It was the first time I was with so many juniors who not only played tennis, but were kind of like me."
Many, like Baron, suffer from spina bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings.
The camp closed with a tournament. Baron reached the final, falling to a girl from Brazil.
"There are no juniors playing (wheelchair tennis) here, so I didn’t know how I played," said Baron, who turns 18 Friday. "It opened my eyes. A year ago I could have said it’s my goal to get to sectionals. Now it’s like, I want to go to Paralympics."
The difference is dramatic, and so are the differences in her game since Baron’s life has become a tennis blur.
On her first trip out of the country, the Punahou senior reached the singles final of the Taipei Open and won doubles with a partner who spoke no English.
She won singles and doubles at the Cajun Tennis Championships in Louisiana, sweeping Ryan Nelson, then the top-ranked American junior. Baron also reached the second round of the women’s division before losing to Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands, ranked second in the world behind the legendary Esther Vergeer.
There was another strong showing in Thailand and Dan James, USTA National Manager of Wheelchair Tennis, came to work with her in December. In February, she was picked to play for the U.S. in the World Team Cup — wheelchair tennis’ version of Davis Cup — in South Africa. A few months, and 50 hours of travel, later she helped the American juniors to a fifth-place finish.
Baron is not the first from Hawaii to make a huge impact on the wheelchair game. Most recently, Beth Arnoult and John Greer were among the world’s best. But Baron might be the youngest to make so much noise — and she isn’t about to stop. Tickets were just booked for the International Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Montreal and the Fall Southern PTR Wheelchair Championships in Hilton Head, S.C., next month.
This summer was dedicated to her health and training. The slight 5-foot Baron, who uses crutches when she is not playing tennis or climbing Punahou’s steep slopes, is focused on bulking up. She plays tennis four times a week, cross-trains with basketball on Wednesday, swims and is increasing her lifting.
"I’m trying to get better," she says, looking at her upper arms with dismay. "I look pretty weak compared to all the other players. I’m the same as the kids, I guess, but not the adults."
This month, she is the second-ranked U.S. junior behind Florida’s Chris Herman, someone she beat 6-0, 6-1 at the Cajun Classic. She is the sixth-ranked junior in the world. Her goal is to be among the top 25 women, a lofty thought that never entered her head when she started playing at age 9.
Ultimately, if her game continues to improve and her family can afford all that is involved, she wants to make the 2016 U.S. Paralympic team.
No one who has seen her play is counting her out.
It doesn’t take long to realize she is a natural athlete, quick and graceful. Despite those wispy arms, her groundstrokes are deep and penetrating and she also has great touch and court sense.
Most of all, she is devoted to her relatively new passion. Baron has a large support group anchored by her family and including a cast of coaches from the USTA and its local section, and volunteers like Paul Yu, who faithfully works with her at Ala Moana’s wheelchair program every Tuesday. Baron has them believing, too.
