Junior Player Spotlight: Kayla Castellano, Point Set Tennis

This past fall, the Garden City girls’ tennis team enjoyed one of their best seasons in the history of the program. The Trojans won Nassau County’s Conference IIIA and advanced to the finals of the Nassau County Team Tournament.

Senior captain Kayla Castellano played third singles for Garden City during the season, and was a major reason for their success. She also paired with Angelina Bravo to win the county doubles title and finish in third-place at the New York State Individual Championships.

Throughout the season, Castellano was not only a top player on the team but served as a leader to the rest of her teammates. That role was a longtime coming for Castellano, who has been one of the better players in the county over the last couple of seasons, and she was able to cap off her high school career in memorable fashion.

“I will always remember my senior year playing high school tennis,” Castellano said. “It was an amazing experience to compete and win the Nassau doubles title. Having my team reach the county final was an incredible achievement that we got to share together. This year was filled with surprises with going to states and winning third place was a moment I will never forget.”

Her final high school season was the culmination of a junior tennis journey that began when she was eight-years-old. She was a soccer player at the time but wanted to try a new sport and make new friends, so she picked up tennis. 

“My earliest memories are learning how to rally on the tennis court, and I grew up playing mostly with friends and family,” recalls Castellano. “In middle school I put soccer aside to focus and continue with tennis. I knew that I wanted to use all of my energy to get better.”

Castellano’s work ethic and dedication to her craft stems from her upbringing and being the daughter of a professional athlete. Her father, Javier, is a jockey who has competed at the highest level of his sport, including winning both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2023. Kayla has looked up to her father since she was a little girl and draws a lot of inspiration from him.

“Ever since I was a kid, my dad has been my role model,” she said. “As an athlete, I admire his dedication and hard work. He inspires me to keep working hard and striving for my goals. I am so fortunate to have another athlete in my family. It has been such a pleasure being able to watch my dad compete and win races, and an amazing experience to grow up with him.”

With that stable foundation of work ethic, Castellano embraces what comes with having a dedicated training schedule, and has put that to good use. She works with Danny Casesa at Point Set Tennis in Oceanside, and together the two have helped elevate her game.

“I’ve trained with Danny at Point Set for the last three years. It’s been a pleasure working with him and I keep learning new things every day,” said Castellano. “Training at Point Set has been a great fit for me and I’m grateful to them for allowing me to train there and continue to work hard.”

Castellano also emphasized the importance of feeling comfortable and welcomed in her training environment, something that Point Set has provided her:

“I’ve been so fortunate to train at a place I feel most comfortable in. Being able to focus on my training has been crucial. I’ve received advice and guidance from my coach and the whole staff at Point Set. I really am lucky to be able to continue practicing and training at Point Set.”

In addition to her dedication to tennis and school, Castellano interned with Long Island Tennis Magazine. She served as a key member of the Event Team at a variety of events, including many that helped raise money for worthy charitable organizations.

“Working as an intern for Long Island Tennis Magazine has been an amazing experience,” she reflected. “I loved being able to work with friends and helping out at charity events to raise money. Being able to help out and work on the tennis court has been a blast. It has been an amazing opportunity that I will always cherish.”

She prepares now for the next stage of her life and her tennis career, which she will continue at the Binghamton University. In his time working with Castellano, Casesa has seen the growth and improvement both on and off the court, and has no doubts about her ability to succeed at the next level.

“Kayla has been special because she really has no limits, no fear or no boundaries about the amount of work she needed to accomplish in order to get herself to the next levels,” he said.  “I’m certain as she enters Binghamton both as a student and athlete with the same qualities, she will excel there as well as in all the other phases of her life. I expect her to take everything in stride.  She understands that it’s a process and she will have to work her way up the ladder and focus on the controllable. She prepared herself with a tough training schedule for the summer while also planning time for some fun.  I believe Kayla is up for the challenges that are forthcoming.”

After an exhaustive process deciding on which school to attend, she was thrilled to accept the offer to Binghamton, and Castellano will join the Bearcats this fall.

“The college recruitment process was enjoyable but challenging. I loved that I got to meet coaches and have a chance to talk one-on-one with them. It was definitely a long, tiresome process but worth it in the end. Having the experience to travel and visit colleges was the highlight of my recruitment process,” she said. “I chose Binghamton because of the level of play and academic achievements. It’s a great school that has competitive tennis. I bonded with the girls on the team when I visited and I could envision myself attending. I am thrilled to start the next chapter of my both my tennis and academic career.”

Until then, Castellano will work hard and compete in tournaments throughout the summer before she heads upstate to Binghamton. As she has always done, she will continue to lean on tennis as a major part of her life.

“I love that I can always rely on tennis. If I’m having a bad day, I can step on a tennis court and focus all my energy into training. Tennis helps me stay motivated and maintain a strong work ethic.”