Holmdel Top Ranked Tennis Champ Signs on with Wesleyan

After leading the Holmdel High School boys tennis team to some of the best results its seen in the last ten years, senior Charles Seifer is looking to take his tennis game to the next level. 

The number one ranked doubles tennis player at Holmdel High School has recently signed a letter of intent to join the Men’s Tennis team at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where he will pursue a major in chemistry.

“I visited there a bunch of times and stayed overnight with the tennis team, and it felt like I fit in with them right away,” said Seifer. “It’s one of the top liberal arts schools in the country, but they also have a lot of grants for science programs, which is something that I’m interested in pursuing.”

Growing up, tennis was a family affair for Seifer. Introduced to the sport at the age of 8, he began taking lessons with his older brother at Jersey 34 Tennis Club in Matawan.

Although his older brother no longer plays the sport, Seifer said that he was a huge influence in wanting to take the sport more seriously. “I saw the success that he was having and wanted to try and emulate that,” said Seifer. 

Seifer began enrolling in United States Tennis Association tournaments a few years later and began practicing at other clubs. He now plays several days a week at Shrewsbury Racquet Club with his other teammates on the Boys Tennis team at Holmdel High School. 

The team has been consistently ranked among the top high school teams in New Jersey. They’ve won the Monmouth County Championships for the last two years and were finalists in their Group III sectional championships.

Seifer said that he attributes their practices at Shrewsbury leading up to the season as part of their success.

“We start having these regular practices about 20 weeks before the season starts,” said Seifer. “We’re not really working on anything specific in them, but having practice matches under your belt is so helpful because you’re not spending the first few weeks of the season trying to find your form.”

Holmdel High School did not graduate any of the players on their starting lineup last year, which makes Seifer confident the team is poised for a big year ahead of them. 

“At worst, we want to get to the finals of sectionals again and I think we’re capable of going one step further,” said Seifer. "Of course, the goal is always to try and win states.”

Holmdel Tennis Coach Chuck Chelednik said, "I've been coaching for 13 years, and he's definitely one of the best doubles players I've had. He's very steady, he's got strength, quickness."

Chelednik said that in June, Seifer made it wall the way to the semifinals of the state tournament at Mercer County Park with Ganesh Natarajan, then a sophomore.

Although he has always had an interest in science, Seifer said his preferred major at Wesleyan University is a result of classes he has taken while at Holmdel High School.

“I took a chemistry course at the beginning of high school and the teacher for that was great, so that started the interest in the subject initially,” said Seifer, referring to his instructor, Dr. Josephine Blaha. “I’m taking Intro to Organic Chemistry now, as well.” 

Seifer said that the Holmdel High School Tennis team is currently getting ready for the Delbarton Tournament, an invitational competition for the top 12 teams in New Jersey.