- Athletics
- Upper School
At 4 o’clock this afternoon, the most challenging regular-season schedule in McCallie tennis history will face its final test before the postseason begins. The Blue Tornado will welcome archrival Baylor to the Strang-Voges Tennis Complex for Senior Day.
Like seemingly every other opponent on the 20-match schedule this year, the Red Raiders are ranked, coming in at No. 6 in the latest national prep poll. As strong as that is, it’s below McCallie’s two completed matches to date against No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian and a match against No. 5 Harvard-Westlake earlier in the season.
“We’ve played eight or nine matches against Top 20 opponents,” said coach Jeff Clark ‘91 on Monday. “It’s been tough at times, with some really good teams. But it’s made us better and better. It’s made us much better than we were in February.”
Indeed, despite the five losses to date against 14 wins, two of them coming against Greater Atlanta Christian and another at Baylor, McCallie stands 12th in the latest national poll heading into this weekend’s individual regional play.
“It’s been a demanding and challenging schedule,” said senior boarding student Sean Clark '26, the team’s No. 1 player. “It’s our first year playing Nationals and everybody you play has great players. But it’s also probably my favorite team I’ve been on. We have a lot of fun together.”
The team’s seniors, Lee Fiorello, Simon Masse, and Sean Clark, have done their best to provide leadership and encouragement, according to their coach, who said, “This has been a fun group to coach.”
But it’s also all ending too quickly for Clark, who said that playing his final regular-season home match ever, “Is bittersweet. It is crazy to think it’s almost over. I’ve enjoyed my time here so much.”
His time has included being a part of two TSSAA Division II Class II state title teams as a freshman and sophomore, including winning the individual state doubles crown in 2024 with Henry Imorde ‘25. Last year saw much of Clark’s season derailed by a back injury that left him far less than 100 percent for the playoffs. But that’s fully healed and when asked about today’s Baylor match, which will include the presence of his parents Beth and Dale, he said, “That’s the big one. We’ve played a lot of great teams this season, but that’s the one you want for your school the most. Baylor’s probably our toughest competition.”
Unlike his teammates, Clark has excelled in a competition completely different from tennis. Blessed with mad entertainment chops, he won the 2025 Got Talent competition at Girls Preparatory School with a stirring rendition of the timeless Frank Sinatra anthem “My Way.” To date, it’s received an astounding 11 million views on TikTok.
Asked where that ranked with his tennis career, Clark said, “I think it’s tied. It’s equal to the state titles, but when I was younger, before I came to McCallie, I got bullied for doing theatre, so winning Got Talent meant everything.”
And just to show that performance wasn’t a fluke, though the Got Talent rules prevent previous winners from defending their title, Clark’s performance of Radiohead’s “Creep” as a guest performer at this past winter’s Got Talent has thus far produced 2.5 million views on TikTok.
“If I’d been allowed to defend my title, that’s probably the song I would have performed,” he said.
As Clark noted earlier this week of his college choice, “I want to pursue making my own music.”
Added Clark, “We’ve learned a lot throughout the season. Our best tennis is still to come.”
- tennis