Laguna Beach's Neel Grover again represents for Team USA in tennis

Los Angeles Times

13 hours ago

Neel Grover never really takes it for granted, the opportunity to put on the Team USA clothing and fly halfway around the world.
The Laguna Beach resident competed earlier this month as the United States team captain for the International Tennis Federation Masters 50 World Team Championships in Portugal.
'You put those 'USA' letters on your back, and you feel a whole new level of pride and responsibility,' said Grover, 54. 'It's fun. Even in our senior years, to feel that feeling that you're representing your country, it's a great honor.'
The former Dana Hills High and UC Irvine men's tennis standout may be more than 30 years removed from playing for the Anteaters under Greg Patton, but he continues to show that he can play at a high level. Grover has won 27 United States Tennis Assn. Gold Balls, awarded to a singles or doubles player in any gender and age division.
More than half of those have come with his longtime doubles partner, Art Hernandez of Huntington Beach.
The ability to play in the masters equivalent of a Davis Cup tournament is also special for Grover. He said this was his seventh time being selected for the Masters World Championships in his age group.
The 50-and-over American team, which also featured Timothy Burke of Minnesota, Willie Dann of North Carolina and Stephen Herdoiza of Michigan, went 1-1 in group play at the red clay event in Portugal. The Americans lost in the tournament quarterfinals to eventual Fred Perry Cup champion France.
Grover, a digital business executive who is the CEO of a company called ShopSimon, said he is still searching for his first Masters World Team Championship. He hopes to keep being selected in future years.
'You feel like a kid again, in your 50s playing on these teams, staying in hotels and representing the U.S.,' Grover said. 'I hope to do it many more times, but I never take it for granted.'
He remains very involved in tennis. Grover was recently elected as the USTA Southern California section vice-president, serving with president Cynthia Neiman. This year, he also took on a position as Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. chairman.
'I'm trying to give back to tennis, as it has given me and my family so much,' he said. 'College tennis is still a really important part of my life. Some of my best friends still are from college tennis.'
He looks forward to training the next generation. He and his wife Sharlene have two sons, Kai, 14, and Kade, 11, who are also very involved in tennis. But Neel Grover also wants to continue the pursuit of USTA Gold Balls.
Grover and Hernandez won their first one at a USTA tournament in Sacramento in 2008, just before Grover got engaged to his wife.
'To myself, I said, 'I won't propose at that time, unless we win the gold,'' he said.
As the tournament's championship match was headed to a decisive third set, guess who gave the pep talk? It was Neel's wife Sharlene, who he said didn't know much about tennis at the time.
Now tennis is a family affair.
'I'm fortunate to have a family that's supportive, a job that's supportive and great partners to play with, practice partners to play matches with,' Neel Grover said. 'We push each other.'