20 June 2012 | Tennis Victoria

Seventeen year old Harley Pearson (Glen Iris) finishes his Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) at the end of the year, but he has already set his sights on American college tennis.  

It’s a popular way for top players to make a name for themselves, and Pearson hopes it could lead to a career in tennis.  

“I will try and make it as a pro,” he said.

“I’ll go over there (to America) and see what happens.”

Pearson has been playing tennis since he was seven, and says his proudest tennis moment was winning the 2011 September AMT Shootout #1 at Boroondara. He is currently ranked 147 in Australia and No.10 in Australia for his 1995 birth year.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for Pearson; he has had a number of setbacks in his career, including a serious back injury.

“I’ve had two stress fractures in my lower back,” he said.

“I had one when I was 14, and a year later I had another one.

“It’s not easy (to recover). It’s a lot of rehab and it takes a lot of time before you can do things properly again.”

Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Coordinator, Emily Rea, said Pearson has an outstanding work ethic that will serve him well if he moves to America.

“Harley works really hard both on and off the court and is a role model to everyone around him,” Rea said.  

“In May he captained the School Sports Victoria Pizzey Cup team to a third place finish, which really shows his leadership ability and I think that will be invaluable in the America.”