CHARLOTTE -- Some websites rank Thai Kwiatkowski as the best junior tennis player in the state of North Carolina at 15 years of age.

Players like Switzerland's Roger Federer and Spain's Rafael Nadal have ruled men’s tennis in recent years and it has the United States looking for their next great player. Kwiatkowski, the kid with a booming forehand, has been on the USTA's radar for a while and now prepares for the next step.

“He does have ambition to play at the pro level,” said Bill Belser, Kwiatkowski’s coach. “When I first met him he was hesitant to say that but I finally got it out of him and said is that really what you want, then here's what you have to do.”

Kwiatkowski credits Belser at helping him get to where he is today.

“I've been with Bill since late 2008 and me and him since the first practice have been really working well together,” he said. “We've changed so many things for the future in my game that I think if I hadn't had that opportunity my game would be so different and I wouldn't be where I am right now.”

Belser can be a calming influence in a world that gets a little hectic. Kwiatkowski has been at the USTA training center in Boca Raton, Fl. since last August, but having a coaching influence at home in Charlotte has paid off and, most importantly, he's helped to avoid burning out.

“You have to make sure you are enjoying your time on the court,” said Kwiatkowski. “You are playing for yourself and not someone else as long as you are having a good time.”

Next up, Kwiatkowski travels to Philadelphia for the U.S. Junior International Grass Court Championships.