Andre Ilagan grew up in Kalihi, the youngest son of a basketball family. His parents told him upfront that he wasn't going to grow up to be tall, and he'd also have to find a way to pay for college on his own.
The Ilagan family bought cheap rackets at a Goodwill Store. Young Andre was hooked, and he'd spent countless hours honing his craft at Kalākaua District Park in Kalihi.
Going all-in on tennis proved to be the right choice each step of the way for Ilagan, who grew to become 5-feet-8. He was a two-time state champion at Farrington High School, then signed with the University of Hawai‘i on a tennis scholarship after graduating high school in 2018.
Ilagan cemented himself as one of the program's all-time greats in Mānoa, earning first team All-Big West honors in singles and doubles four times each. In his senior year in 2023, he became the first UH men's player to earn ITA All-American honors.
Ilagan, who has pursued pro tennis after graduating, is set for the next big step in his journey. On Tuesday, he'll take on Tristan Boyer at the U.S. Open qualifying tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Center in Flushing, N.Y. First serve is set for 7:20 a.m. HST. Ilagan was one of nine players to earn a wild-card invite, becoming the first former 'Bow to earn an invite to the tournament.
"It's definitely cool," Ilagan says of the opportunity. "I've reached a level and a point where I was watching these guys on TV and now I'm playing against them, and I can beat them now. ... Playing those guys and having the chance to be on court with them and have a chance to just beat them. When I go play the Open or even these challenger events that you get these former top 100 guys or top 10 guys that are legends of the sport, you just take it all in."
Not one to lack for confidence or honesty, Ilagan mentioned money when asked what he's excited about heading into U.S. Open qualifying.
"To be honest, all I'm thinking about is like, man, that paycheck is definitely gonna help me," Ilagan said. "That's like the biggest thing right now. I hope to qualify because it would be exciting just to see like an $100K bank transfer into my account, and as a 25-year-old, and maybe never again in my life, I might not have this in one transfer. It was going to be unreal if I can qualify, that's like 30 grand minimum, and you can't ask for much more."
While Ilagan says nerves will not be a major issues as he takes the court on Tuesday, seeing the work he put in during his childhood come to fruition promises to be another memorable moment for him.
"Coming out of Kalihi in general is cool. I mean, I love it," Ilagan said. "It just builds character for me. I take pride it in every time."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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