By Steve Pratt | @Tennis_Now | Monday, March 31, 2025
Photo courtesy: Fila Easter Bowl
Two remarkable 17-year-old tennis prodigies hailing from Florida almost passed on the chance to compete in the Fila Easter Bowl.
On the final day of the tournament, Bella Payne and Nikolas Stoot captured gold medals as they triumphed in the Girls’ and Boys’ 18s singles championships, respectively.
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Despite being unseeded, these Florida athletes on their way to Southeastern Conference colleges shared an even deeper connection — both nearly opted out of traveling to California for the 57th annual FILA Easter Bowl.
However, after securing straight-set victories on Sunday to earn their USTA National Gold balls at the iconic Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Payne and Stoot were ecstatic with their choice to participate in this renowned junior event.
“It feels surreal…Absolutely unbelievable,” expressed Payne from Bradenton, Fla., after overcoming No. 9 seed Nadia Valdez from San Antonio with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3. “I had no expectations of making it this far. It’s simply amazing. Words can’t do it justice.”
This victory marks Payne’s second consecutive year of dominance, having previously won the 16s Easter Bowl title. She has now clinched 24 straight sets across 12 matches, earning two Gold balls in singles — a feat not achieved by an Easter Bowl competitor since top-10 player Emma Navarro won both the 16s and 18s singles titles.
Trying for her fourth Gold ball overall, Payne previously snagged the 16s doubles championship but fell short, as she and partner Emily Deming from Fallbrook, Calif., lost to Amy Lee and Kenzie Nguyen in the Girls’ 18s doubles final, 6-3, 6-4.
Demonstrating her resilience, Payne not only remained unbeaten in singles for a second consecutive year, but also avenged earlier defeats against three players who had edged her out just weeks before: Valdez, Nguyen, and Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann.
After falling behind 1-4 in the first set, Payne rallied back to take control and secure a tight victory. “I started getting some unforced errors from her during the critical moments,” she noted. “At five-all, I stayed aggressive and pushed through my nerves. I knew I couldn’t underestimate her.”
Reflecting on her remarkable performance at her favorite venue, Payne remarked, “Coming off the Winter Nationals, I needed a break because my emotions were all over the place. At times, I even thought about not competing here.”
The experience was similarly wild for Stoot, who enrolled in the tournament just one day before his flight, despite nursing a sore shoulder and his father’s advice to rest. Using his strategic left-handed play, Miami’s Stoot triumphed over fellow unseeded player Tyler Lee from Tustin with a score of 6-4, 6-2, marking his first USTA national title.
“My serve was particularly effective, especially during break points,” Stoot said, reflecting, “It’s astonishing to think we almost didn’t make it here.”
Lee also joined the ranks of Gold ball winners by clinching his title later in the day alongside Brayden Tallakson, overcoming William McEwan and William Kleege in the boys’ doubles final, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4. This victory marked Lee’s sixth USTA title in doubles and his fourth Gold ball.
Echoing his sister’s achievements in the Girls’ 12s category back in 2019, Marcel Latak from Darien, Ill., secured his first USTA title at the 16s final with a win over No. 8 Tristan Stratton from Forest Hills, N.Y., 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
“It’s such a relief, and it feels like a burden has been lifted,” Latak shared. “In that first set, I was trying to execute too much. I wanted to play perfect points because it’s the final, but I realized that wasn’t practical. After losing some points, I decided to take it one point at a time, and that mindset helped me prevail.”
In the Girls’ 16s singles finals, Armira Kockinis from La Habra Heights, Calif., showcased her powerful serve to defeat Carolina Castro from Stevensville, Md., 6-3, 6-0, adding another Gold ball to her accolades after winning the Girls’ 14s Hardcourts last year.
“Honestly, I’m still in disbelief that I won,” remarked Kockinis, who trains under Jason Leavitt and Eric Diaz from Tier-1 Performance in Fountain Valley.
In the Girls’ 16s doubles final, the No. 2 seeds Carlota Moreno and Addy Rogin triumphed over the stronghold of the top-seeded team of Kingsley Wolf and Autumn Xu, 6-3, 7-5 (5). In the Boys’ 16s doubles showdown, unseeded duo Akshay Mirmira and Boning Wang emerged victorious against No. 5 Nicolas Pedraza and Erik Schinnerer, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
USTA SPORTS MANSHIP AWARD WINNERS:
Girls’ 18s: Emily Deming, Fallbrook, Calif.
Girls’ 16s: Aarini Bhattacharya, Oaktown, Va.
Girls’ 14s: Emery Combs, Conway, S.C.
Girls’ 12s: Ayenxavia Calugay, Las Vegas, Nev.
Boys’ 18s: Tyler Lee, Tustin, Calif.
Boys’ 16s: Keshav Muthuvel, Pleasanton, Calif.
Boys’ 14s: Rafael Pawar, Boca Raton, Fla.
Boys’ 12s: Samuel Hartley, Charlottesville, Va.
