ICL Academy’s Rising Tennis Stars Shine on the US Open Stage

From a junior championship run for the ages to an emotional graduation ceremony on live television, ICL Academy’s students and graduates left their mark throughout the 2026 US Open.

Leading the charge was ICL 12th grader Marcel Latak, who captured the US Open boys’ singles championship and reached the boys’ doubles final. The unseeded American saved three championship points before defeating top-seeded Roland Garros champion Guto Miguel, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(13), in a gripping final.

Latak defeated three of the tournament’s top four seeds during his run, becoming the first American boy to win the US Open singles title since Taylor Fritz in 2015.

“Marcel winning a US Open championship is an extraordinary achievement, but what makes this moment especially powerful is seeing an entire community of ICL students and alumni competing, supporting one another and demonstrating what is possible when education is built around the ambitions of exceptional young people,” ICL Academy Founder Kirk Spahn said.

ICL graduate Iva Jovic made her presence felt in the professional draw. The 18-year-old outlasted fellow rising star Alexandra Eala, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, in a dramatic third-round match inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Jovic’s run ended against Coco Gauff in the fourth round, but it added another milestone to a breakthrough season in which she reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and climbed to a career-high No. 14 in the WTA rankings.

ICL’s impact extended across the junior draws. Chukwumelije Clarke reached the girls’ singles semifinals before falling to top seed Xinran Sun in three sets, while recent graduate Jack Kennedy advanced to the boys’ singles quarterfinals. Safir Azam reached the boys’ doubles semifinals, and several other ICL students and graduates competed across the tournament.

One of the most meaningful moments came away from the court when Jovic and Kennedy received their ICL Academy diplomas and graduation caps live on Tennis Channel.

“The entire ICL family has been there for me throughout my entire career, which has been going like a roller coaster the past couple years,” Jovic said. “It means a lot to be a part of a school and an institution that wants to see me perform not just in the classroom, but succeed in life and in my passions.”

Kennedy, who joined ICL as a freshman, also credited the school with helping him manage the demands of elite junior tennis.“Tennis is a grueling schedule, and they really make you feel like you’re at ease and comfortable,” Kennedy said. “They don’t only want you to succeed in academics; they want to help make you a great person as well.”

ICL Academy’s hybrid model combines live instruction and individualized academic support with the flexibility young athletes need to accommodate training, competition and international travel.

“These young athletes are pursuing excellence at the highest level of their sport without having to compromise the importance of their education or their development as people,” Spahn said.

At the US Open, that philosophy came to life through a Grand Slam champion, emerging professional stars and two graduates proudly wearing their caps on one of tennis’ biggest stages.

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By Alex Binstok, Assistant Editor of Florida Tennis. Photos courtesy of ICL Academy

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