Herb, Renee, Aaron, Rachel and Evelyn Krickstein.

40tifWi - , m ean

-,

Aaron and his dad head for a practice session.

Aaron relaxes at his parents' home.

top ten world ranking.
Aaron Krickstein is a child pro-
digy tennis star making it in the adult
tennis world. He had the advantage of
the best coaches, a supportive family,
and, most importantly, personal moti-
vation.
Although the financial rewards
are huge, professional tennis is a
tough world with weekly computer
rankings, game politics, and a gruel-
ing travel schedule. Since turning pro
at 16, he has experienced the ecstacy of
reaching the top ten and the agony of

slipping to number 30. The real test is
the fUture: Can the kid with the killer
forehand maintain the competitive in-
stincts to reach the top ten again?
"As far as the top guys, I haven't
been able to beat but a few of them, but
I feel I have that trait. If I can look at
my game and improve some areas, I
think I can get back in the top ten in a
few years again," says Aaron. His im-
mediate goal is to stay injury free all
next year and reach the top 15 in 1987.
Aaron Krickstein looks like a
normal teenager wearing a Swatch

watch, a T-shirt from the University of
Michigan and blue jeans. But look
again . . . alongside his bedroom post-
ers of Isiah Thomas and Bruce
Springsteen, there's photos of Aaron
Krickstein playing in the U.S. Open.
Not only does this teenager wear
Nike tennis sheoes —he endorses them.
He also endorses the Ellesse tennis
clothing line, Wilson racquets, Tec-
nifibre strings and Solgar vitamins. At
six feet and 160 pounds, with deep
brown eyes and brown hair in a boyish
haircut, Aaron possess the image fac-

for advertisers crave — heartthrob
looks.
"I live a different lifestyle than
most teenagers, in some ways good,
some ways bad," admits Aaron. He
traveled throughout the world, but
rarely socialized with peers during
high school.
Aaron describes himself as shy.
But at home for this interview, he was
direct, honest and polite. Two of his
coaches, Joe Shaheen and Marc
Gelina, say Aaron is likeable. "He is a

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