Libbey Park was the ultimate destination for a teenage Sam Querrey.

Before embarking on a long and successful career in professional tennis, the 2006 Thousand Oaks High graduate reached four finals at the famed The Ojai Tennis Tournament.

Querrey won the Boys’ CIF event as a high school sophomore in 2004, and reached the Men’s Open singles finals in 2006 and Men’s Open doubles finals with Grant Doyle in 2005 and 2006.

“The goal is you want to play in Libbey Park,” Querrey said. “You knew it was going to be a packed house.

“It’s like one of the few times as a junior or a high school player, or even when you played the Men’s Open, you were guaranteed a big crowd in the final.”

Now a 38-year-old broadcaster and podcaster, Querrey will return to Libbey Park next month as the “Tournament Honoree” for the 124th Ojai Tennis Tournament.

“Growing up around the area, Ojai was big,” Querrey said. “You would rather win Ojai over the Junior Sectionals. You would rather win Ojai over a lot of other tournaments that were actually considered maybe bigger events.

“It almost felt like a mini-Wimbledon, winning Ojai.”

Querrey, who won 10 singles championships and five doubles titles on the ATP Tour, will be celebrated at a special fundraising event on Friday, April 24, at Hotel El Roblar in Ojai.

The event will include dinner, drinks and music provided by Gilga Radio. Tickets are $ 150. A limited number remain on sale at TheOjai.net.

The proceeds support The Ojai and the Ojai Valley Tennis Club, youth tennis programs, Libbey Park and local tennis facilities throughout Ojai.

This year’s tournament will include The Ojai debut for the Big Ten Conference’s men’s postseason tournament; Open singles and doubles events with an overall purse of $ 20,000; California Community College Athletic Association championships; Boys' CIF singles and doubles tournaments; and boys and girls junior competitions.

Querrey, who hung his racket up after a 16-year pro career in 2022, is now among American tennis’ leading commentators, broadcasting for ESPN, TNT, the CW Network and the Tennis Channel.

He also hosts the “Nothing Major” podcast with friends and former rivals Stevie Johnson — a former Ojai champion — John Isner and Jack Sock.

Querrey peaked at No. 11 in the world in Febuary 2018, after winning his last two ATP singles titles and advancing to the semifinals at Wimbledon and quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.

Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Querrey to be honored at The 124th Ojai Tennis Tournament in April