Family Values: How Rex Kulman is making his mark in the junior tennis world
Oct 21, 2025
On Friday, October 18th, Florida Magazine sat down with Shelby Kulman, the mother of Rex Kulman. Rex turned 13 this year and is competing in the USA Playoffs of Les Petits As – Le Mondial Wilson for the second time. In 2024, he narrowly missed the fourth spot to qualify for the tournament in France, but this year, he has made it to the final and will be part of Team USA, competing in the prestigious tournament — just like Alcaraz, Gauff, and Tiafoe did years before him.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
What is it like to be the mother of a junior tennis player?
To be honest, it’s really tough. But moments like this make all the hard work that my husband and I put in worth it — seeing him out here doing what he loves. We feel very lucky to be able to help him chase his dreams.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
Les Petits As is a big tournament. Last year, as you know, he had a heartbreaking loss in the qualifying match. I think he was up a set and a double break — and he lost. Honestly, it turned out to be okay. At first, he thought the world was going to end, but it didn’t — the sun came out the next day!
He has worked really, really hard to improve his game and his mental strength. So, it’s a real testament to all his work this year that he’s in the final today.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
What does a typical day look like for Rex?
Rex is actually not on court as much as people might think. Many assume top juniors train nonstop, but that’s not true. He’s usually on court between 12 and 13 hours a week — that’s it.
He does fitness four times a week. Most of his tennis work is individual — he’s not part of an academy. He has a private coach and also a hitting coach he trains with.
We live in Fort Lauderdale now, and his coaches are in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, so there’s quite a bit of driving involved. Luckily, Rex is a big reader — he reads a lot in the car. 
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
What about school?
He’s homeschooled. We actually started homeschooling much earlier than we expected. During COVID, we were living in Manhattan and decided to move to Florida for the year — just to be outdoors and have a break from city life.
His school in New York had very restrictive online learning, so we switched to a different online program. When we returned to Manhattan the following year, Rex didn’t want to go back to traditional school. He’s very self-motivated and likes to work at his own pace, so online school suits him well.
This is now his fourth year at Laurel Springs School.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
What are his goals for the future?
Playing in Tarbes, France has been at the top of his list for a long time. It’s a goal many young players share, especially when they see friends a year or two older traveling there to compete.
So, that’s the short-term objective. Then he hopes to play Wimbledon Under-14, and in a few years, take a shot at the Junior Grand Slams. From there, we’ll see — but his ultimate goal is definitely to become a professional tennis player.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
Who is his tennis idol?
His favorite player of all time is definitely Roger Federer.
His favorite current player is Tommy Paul, since they share the same fitness trainer. Rex has spent time around him, really likes his personality, and they have a lot of fun together.
Rex will go to Tarbes as one of the finalists (the top four qualify automatically). Is this his first time in France?
He’s actually already played several Tennis Europe tournaments, so he’s very comfortable in France. He’s probably been there five or six times in the past few years.
He’s very excited — he can’t wait for the chocolate croissants! That’s his favorite breakfast. This morning at the hotel, he was looking at a map of Tarbes, checking which airport we’d fly into and how to get there.
Now that he knows he’ll be playing in Tarbes next January, some of the pressure is off, and he’s finally letting himself get excited about it.
Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda
What’s his schedule for the rest of the year?
Rex will play ITF tournaments in a couple of weeks. Since he turned 13 this year, he’s just starting to play ITFs and really enjoys the challenge of facing older players. It’s been a great experience for him so far.
Next, he’ll fly to Jamaica — since we live in South Florida, the Caribbean is easy to reach — then he’ll play the Eddie Herr International at IMG, followed by the Junior Orange Bowl.
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Article and photos courtesy of Julie Schkoda, a sports marketing expert with 12 years of experience at Lacoste HQ (Paris) and Lacoste USA (NYC). Owner of 1999 Consulting LLC, based in Miami, specialized in sports marketing, sponsorship, activations and events.
