400 wins before 13: Las Vegas tennis standout wins USTA National Doubles Championship

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Most 12-year-olds are just beginning to discover what they're passionate about. Ayenxavia Calugay already knows.

The Las Vegas junior tennis standout has won more than 400 career junior matches, and in July, she added one of the biggest accomplishments of her young career by capturing the USTA Girls' 12s National Clay Court doubles championship alongside partner Lerong Yao.

WATCH | Taylor Rocha sat down with the tennis standout to talk about her latest achievement:

"It was really exciting," Calugay said of winning the national title. "I felt like I trained for this moment."

The championship is the latest milestone in a tennis journey that began when she was just 4 years old.

"I started playing tennis when I was around 4," Calugay said. "I just saw two girls playing. I told my dad I wanted to try it out."

What started as curiosity quickly turned into a passion.

"I just loved moving on the court. I loved hitting the ball," she said. "It was just really fun for me, and I had a passion."

That passion has translated into one of the country's most accomplished junior résumés, but Calugay said her focus extends beyond wins and championships.

"I want to become a professional tennis player," she said. "When I see the pros, it inspires me to work harder."

She also hopes her own journey can inspire other young athletes.

"I just want to be like them one day, inspiring other kids so maybe they can follow in my footsteps too," she said.

Although she was born in Chicago, Calugay said Las Vegas has become home and takes pride in representing the city on the national stage.

"It means a lot to me to represent where I come from," she said. "Vegas is my home."

As she continues chasing bigger goals, Calugay said one lesson has shaped her approach to both success and failure.

"I think it's probably having a growth mindset and not being so result-oriented," she said. "It's important to fail so you learn from that feeling ... because in the end, it's a journey and not a destination."

With more than 400 wins already on her résumé and a national championship now in hand, Calugay's biggest goal is still ahead: turning a childhood dream into a professional career.