Like Father, Like Son: Palm Desert’s Chance Rozpedski Wins Historic Ojai Tennis Title

It’s all business for 16-year-old Chance Rozpedski. While most teenagers are navigating high school, the Palm Desert native is navigating the baseline of some of the toughest amateur tournaments in the country. This week, that business paid off in a big way as Rozpedski captured the Boys’ 16s Singles title at the 124th Ojai Tennis Tournament, one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur events in the United States.

Chance secured the championship with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory over Daksh Bharadwaj, proving why he is already considered one of the top nationally ranked players in his age group. But for Chance, the physical win is only half the battle.

"The toughest part of the sport is the mental aspect," Chance said. "Playing multiple matches in one day and still trying to compete hard and play hard without losing focus—that’s where it matters."

That "tight with the wrist" focus is curated side-by-side with his coach and father, Marcin Rozpedski. Marcin is a legendary figure in the desert tennis scene, having starred at the College of the Desert before becoming an All-American at UCLA and eventually turning pro. Watching his son hoist the same trophy he once won was a moment defined by emotion and pride.

"Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. We want to see where we are," Marcin said. "Right now, Chance is on the correct path to D1 college. That’s the plan, and then hopefully turning pro."

The Rozpedski legacy is currently being forged at the Rozpedski Performance Tennis Academy in Palm Springs, where Chance recently finished a grueling four-hour training session before immediately heading to Riverside for another. It’s a relentless schedule driven by a simple, massive goal: winning a Grand Slam and becoming the best to ever play the game.

"I want to see how far I can go in the ATP rankings," Chance said. "The goal is to win a Grand Slam."

As the Ojai title moves to the trophy case, the grind continues. For Chance Rozpedski, the journey from homegrown talent to world-class pro is just beginning.

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