Junior Player Spotlight: Mark Krupkin, Dwight Global Online School

Every summer, our tennis community is fortunate to have the eyes of the tennis world on New York as the US Open brings the best players from across the globe to compete here during the three-week long event. With the US Open comes exciting opportunities and unique moments for local aspiring professional tennis players.

That was the case for Mark Krupkin at last year’s Open, when he was chosen to be a hitting partner for the likes of Great Britain’s Jack Draper and American Jessica Pegula, two of the sport’s best players.

Krupkin, a New Jersey native, recently recalled how that experience taught him a great deal about what makes the pros the pros.

“It was a fantastic experience. I enjoyed it a lot, and I’m hoping to do it again this year,” said Krupkin. “The quality of their ball and their movement is unbelievable. I got to see how they prepare for their practices and matches. ”

Krupkin is the top-ranked player in New Jersey in the Boys 18s division, according to TennisRecruiting.Net, and he will be headed to Stanford in the fall to continue his tennis career on the west coast.

Krupkin was a sought-after player during his recruitment process, and ultimately landed on Stanford due to its combination of a top tennis program and some of the best academics in the country.

That same blend is what led Krupkin to attend the Dwight Global Online School for his high school years. It was a complicated decision at first, because the public schools in his area were excellent — but the flexibility and support offered by Dwight Global were something he and his family could not pass up.

“A lot of my peers were going to Dwight at the time. My mom was really nervous at first, because she thought the quality of my education would drop by being in an online school. After my dad and I convinced her, we never looked back, and it was clearly the right decision,” he recalls. “There are so many tennis players with similar goals that go to Dwight, and the school could not be more supportive in how they help us focus on our tennis, while also maintaining an academic standard.”

Attending Dwight has offered Krupkin flexibility, such as extensions or the ability to view his classes at different times, while also allowing him to thrive in rigorous classes under the guidance of Dwight faculty members. Krupkin’s academic course load was challenging and included college-level classes like Linear Algebra and AP Calculus BC, as well as several AP Physics, Computer Science, and Economics classes.

Dwight Global also forced Krupkin to be independent and take control of his own education, something that will benefit him when he heads off to Stanford.

“Each week’s assignments are given at the beginning of the week, and nobody’s holding your hand through the process or reminding you about deadlines. It’s on you to get them done,” he explained. “You can do them all right away or spread them throughout the week. That is exactly what college is like. You have to be on top of your responsibilities, and keep track of what you need to do. Dwight has helped prepare me for that.”

Krupkin has dreamed of being a part of Stanford since he was younger, so when he was offered a scholarship to become a Cardinal, it was an opportunity he could not pass up.

“I always wanted to go to Stanford,” he recalls. “It’s the best combination of academics and athletics. I was looking at a variety of different schools, but at the end of the day, I loved everything about the Stanford program. I’m super excited because everyone on the team has the goal of becoming a professional tennis player, but at the same time, they understand the importance of an education. I can bond with these people and learn from them. It’s a really great group of guys, and I’m extremely excited for the fall.”

When he arrives in sunny California later this year, it will be the latest chapter in a tennis journey that began when he was four years old, when he first picked up a racquet. Inspired by his dad, he began taking lessons with the very same coach as his dad.

From an early age, Krupkin embraced the competitiveness that tennis brought out of him, and the individualistic nature it possessed.

“You’re out there on your own, and you are accountable for each and every one of your mistakes,” he said.

As he continued to progress through his tennis, he grew physically as well. He now stands at 6’6” with a booming serve and powerful forehand to boot. Being tall, he remains focused on reinforcing his footwork, but has the necessary weapons in his game to become a formidable collegiate player.

In both 2023 and 2024, Krupkin ended his years as the winner of the Boys 18s division at the USTA Winter Indoor National Championships, proving that he belongs among the top junior players in the country.

Krupkin’s goal for the upcoming months is to continue to improve his game so that he is ready to jump directly into the Stanford lineup in the fall. He knows he cannot rest on his laurels and, even with his college commitment in place, he still has a lot to prove.

“You gotta live up to it now,” he says. “It definitely makes me want to play more, because I have to fight for that lineup spot, and fight to prove that I belong. That motivates me. I want to keep playing these top junior tournaments, and I want to transition into playing some ATP Futures events later this year. That’s the goal.”

Krupkin is the latest example of how top junior tennis players can benefit from attending Dwight Global Online School. Over the last several years, there has been a long line of successful players who have been able to focus on their rigorous tennis schedules while receiving a great education.

With the Dwight Global experience under his belt, Krupkin will continue to thrive on and off the court, at Stanford this fall, and beyond.