Clay Thompson

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]

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]

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]

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]