By Sean Devers
THE Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) number one ranked U-14 tennis player, 12-year-old Nathan De Nobrega, is also the number one ranked in U-12s.

Nathan, who was Guyana’s number one U-10 player, dominating his previous leagues with numerous victories before rising up the ladder to the U-14 division, won 27 tournaments, including 24 Singles and three doubles.

This is an era when young tennis players are emerging with the hope of being the best. Despite these challenges from his competitors, Nathan still manages to outplay and outclass almost all who challenge him.

Nathan has always been at the top of all the leagues he has entered. For seven consecutive years since the start of his tennis career, the top spot has never been taken from him.

A versatile all-court player, Nathan’s toughness has made him highly popular among players, both nationally and internationally.

Outside of competing, he played an instrumental role in the success of the Rebel Tennis Club, the tennis club with whom he began his journey.

Born on April 4, 2010 in Guyana, Nathan is the second child of Dru De Nobrega and Nickosha Smith.

But it was his grandmother, Sheila Smith, who played a key role in the upbringing of Nathan, who has six siblings, including two sisters.

Nathan, who grew up in Diamond, East Bank Demerara and also speaks a bit of Spanish, started his tennis journey with the Rebel Tennis Club in 2016, with his coach, outstanding Tennis player Andre Erskine.

Nathan, who attends the Diamond Secondary School, won his first tournament as a seven-year-old in early 2017. He continued to assert dominance over his foes throughout the U-12 and U-14 Leagues even defeating opponents that were over twice his age.

Nathan won the 2021 Under-12 Sheltez champion; 2021 Under-12 Rebel champion; the quarter finals in GBTI Juniors and men’s open doubles.

Nathan was the U-12 finalist in the Coteec/International Tennis Federation in St Lucia and also represented Guyana at the U-12 development programme and the U-14 Trinity cup in Trinidad and in the U-12 tournament in Dominican Republic.

Nathan’s success was severely hampered by an ankle and other injuries.

Despite these injuries, he forged ahead and competed through this pain, continuously winning whatever matches or tournaments he played in. He is aiming to become the best, climbing his way to the top.

He is a young unpolished gem yet to be fully refined!