Darwin Blanch, a future ATP star, was born into a tennis-playing family.
The 16-year-old was raised alongside 4 siblings, brother Ulises, Dali, and sister Krystal.
All the siblings were introduced to tennis at an early age, which became the start of something great.
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They were hooked to the sport, so much so that it became their career goal.
Darwin, the youngest, played tennis when he was 3 and started taking lessons at 6.
His early years were spent in Thailand, where he got his first start. There, his father and elder brothers guided him.
In fact, his dad motivated him and allowed him to be the best he could be.
Even though he was raised outside the States, his folks always tried to instill American values and culture.
Key Takeaways
- Despite being born to Spanish parents, Darwin spent his early years in various countries.
- For Blanch, his father is his inspiration and his first coach.
- Darwin is currently training at Juan Carlo Ferrero’s academy in Spain.
Started Young In Thailand
The tennis player was born to Spanish parents who lived worldwide, particularly in China, India, and Thailand.
Father Ernesto was a former skier. Thanks to a scholarship for skiing, he studied at Walla Walla University, a college in Washington.
However, his mother has stayed out of the limelight, and hence, not much is known about her.
Being from a sports background, Ernesto wanted his kids to become athletic.
Posted in Thailand, Blanch Sr. was employed at the Coca-Cola company when the siblings were young.
They had a big backyard where they used to practice tennis after Ernesto cleared the palm trees and built a court.
It was initially for the eldest brother, Ulises, but later on, everyone started training.
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After a few years, Darwin followed his elder brother to Argentina for training, the Mecca of clay-court tennis.
To assist his kids, the father of four would regularly fly them out to Florida to get lessons from the legendary coach Rick Macci.
Rick describes him as someone with great potential and natural talent and claims that he is destined to be a wonderful tennis player.
Darwin is currently training at Juan Carlo Ferrero’s academy in Spain, where he learns from Carlos Alcaraz, who holds the second rank in the ATP rankings.
According to him, witnessing and practicing with Alcaraz has helped him understand the game a little better every day.
His tennis idol is Novak Djokovic, the current number-one player in the world.
Idolizing number 1 and practicing with number 2 is not too bad for a teenager, right?
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Blanch eats and breathes tennis; after waking up, he watches the Tennis Channel and starts his day.
His love and enjoyment of playing the sport make him a top seed.
On top of that, the tennis prodigy is always analyzing games and taking in everything he sees.
FAQs
How Tall Is Darwin Blanch?
According to the Miami Herald, Darwin is 6 feet tall. In fact, both of his brothers are above 6 feet.
Where Is Darwin Blanch From?
Darwin was born on September 17, 2007, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. But, growing up, he moved on to Thailand, China, and India.