Arcilla just wants playing after playing years

MANILA, Philippines - JohnnyArcilla has expressed his desire to become part of continued growth of tennis locally and globally as long as he can.

The many-time champion and former Philippine men’s No. 1 tennis player stays active in different tennis competitions around the country and has remained a top contender in most open tournaments despite the emergence of other competitive players.

“I just wanted to play the sport that I love and quitting is not an option,” says Arcilla, who is an eight-time Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) men’s open singles champion and ninth time in the doubles class along with Kyle Dandan, PJ Tierro and Michael Mora.

“Tennis is my passion ever since. So  when the time comes to call it quits, I want to teach young kids and be part of tennis development,” explains Arcilla, who uses the Babolat’s new Pure Drive racquet. “Right now, I’m enjoying playing and winning in various places.”

Babolat, one of the world’s popular tennis and badminton equipment providers, supports Arcilla in his desire to help improve Philippine tennis.

“We believe in Arcilla’s willingness and talent,” says Guilly Nocom of Babolat. “We are here to support him in his bid. Johnny had represented Philippine tennis in the past and we’re proud of it.”

Arcilla, 34, a long time member of the Philippine tennis team since 1997, was part of the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games tennis team event gold winner that also featured other tennis stars Cecil Mamiit, PJ Tierro, and Eric Taino.       

“Personally, I believe we Filipinos especially the young ones should be proud of our roots because they showed us that we can excel in tennis globally,” says Arcilla, who was also a member of the 2000 Philippine Davis Cup team that reached the highest Group 1 stage.

The Las Piñas-based player also encourages all aspiring Filipino young tennis players to train harder and pursue their dream to become very successful in the sport. “I’m confident Filipinos could reach international professional tennis and play with the stars,” he adds.

“With the right training, conditioning and support, yes it’s definitely a great possibility.”