As a boy just five years old, Tommy was a feisty, determined kid, not concerned much with the playground antics usual kindergarten kids did. Tommy's brother Dylan and sister Jessie Lynn were just average children in Greenville, North Carolina, a metropolitan city and one of the 10th largest in North Carolina.

It is know as the 'BMX Pro Town USA' home of many top professional BMX bike racers, but Tommy's goal wasn't to ride a bike but more like to ride the trail of the tennis professionals even though his other hobbies was basketball and FIFA.

The family owned a sports club facility and his mom Jill says that "At 5 years old, he just picked up a racket and started hitting shots against the backboard all day long". It was obvious that his interest was in tennis and so young, his idol was player Andy Roddick.

Jill coached him for a few years and the green clay there was very good for his game and style of play. He definitely had to go to a tennis facility to get his feet into this racket sport, so the family let Tommy go to the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida at the young age of 14.

It was a decision that had to be done given the intensity that Tommy had for tennis and to be pro. He was then sent to Boca Raton while his family stayed back in Greenville. While there at the Center, he geared into perfecting his game and acquiring as many tennis professionals opinions as possible to enhance his game to play Futures and Challenger tournaments.

Tommy was soon cited as becoming a great North Carolinian junior player competing opposite Will Baird, who he played 14 times and won 10 of the matches. Paul would often take a break and visit his family and friends back in Greenville, then go on tour to play Futures.

Along the way he was fortunate enough to win 4 singles titles. In 2015 of May, was a good month where Tommy won his 1st Challenger title in Valldoreix, Spain close to the city of Barcelona by defeating Albert Alcaraz Ivorra from Spain in 3 sets.

A few weeks later he traveled to Lecco, Italy, a town close to Milan where the cushioned clay surface proved to be the winning charm of what he was used to as a child, first learning tennis in North Carolina. He won against Lorenzo Sonego of France in straight sets.

The wild card is advantage allowing Tommy to play in the 2015 French Open, his first Grand Slam where he met up with an American comrade Taylor Fritz of California. Paul was determined and in 3 hard fought sets defeated Fritz 7-6,2-6, 6-2.

He was almost just as successful in doubles but lost to a Spaniard team in straight sets with his American partner William Blumberg. The thought of going to college in Georgia was always a deep idea but winning the French persuaded him to go pro instead and he did just that.

Tommy knew the time was right and he then entered the 2015 US Open where he faced a comrade he had beaten in the French Open and that was Taylor Fritz. The friendship was all good, but Taylor was a bit defiant and stinging from his lost in the French at Paul's hand.

Fritz played a stronger final wining over Tommy in 3 difficult sets 2-6, 7-6, 2-6. This year 2016 was successful with him occasionally practicing with his teen opponents and friends -- Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Stefan Kozlov and Reilly Opelka.

He had played a few more Futures and Challengers, one at Plantation, Florida and then at Sunrise Florida near Miami where he'd won both of those tournaments in good fashion, giving him a wild card to enter the prestigious BNP Paribas at Indian Wells in California.

He went through the qualifying rounds winning over Marek Michalicka of the Czech Republic in straight sets. The 2nd round he faced a very experienced Tim Smyczek who defeated him in 3 strategic battles sets of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Tommy isn't bitter at all though and has learned many lessons and more to go along the way. He's signed with Tony Godsick's TEAMB Management and has signed with Nike. Tony has said of Paul that "Tommy is not only a very talented and athletic tennis player, he is also an outstanding young man with a very bright future on the global tennis stage".

Tommy is grateful and says that "I am excited to partner with TEAMB...their team has an incredible reputation and track record..." Tommy is on the threshold of breaking through to higher ranks and accomplishments.

He feels lucky to have met his idol Andy Roddick while playing at The US Open and sticks with his motto and goal in tennis "to be the best I can be". Also Read: What roles do rackets play in boosting players' careers?