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TheLotto Elite Hot 100 lists are published each month, and the June Hot 100 lists feature the 100 boys and girls who most improved their rankings during the month of May. You can find out more about the Lotto Elite Hot 100 - and how the lists are calculated - by reading here.

The latest lists are available here:

• Boys' Hot 100
• Girls' Hot 100

We talked to some of the top performers:

Jack Casciato (New York, New York)

Jack Casciato (WTN: 19.8) climbed to No. 185 in the latest Tennis Recruiting Network Boys Rankings, rising from the 218th slot.

The 6-foot-1 right-handed three-star compiled a 7-3 singles record and advanced to the semifinals of the 18s L5 Open Center Court at Chatham, New Jersey. Casciato and his partner, Noah Folkesson-Doudy (Jacksonville, Florida) captured the J30 Grand Canyon doubles titles in Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

Three-Star Rising Senior Jack Casciato
© Contributed Photo

“I credit my improvement to hard work,” Casciato said. “In addition to focusing on my technique, I have also been working on my fitness. This has helped me, as the weather is getting warmer.”

Casciato is coached by Denis Porcic of the Gotham Stadium Tennis Center in New York. He is working with his coach on approaching the net more often to perfect his offensive game. Casciato has been practicing approach shots and volleys in transition from the baseline. Additionally, Casciato works out at Srugo Tennis Academy at New York Tennis Club.

Casciato added he has just started to lift weights to increase his strength and has adjusted his practice schedule to include workouts in the gym.

“I would describe myself as an aggressive baseliner,” Casciato said. “I have a big serve, as well as a big slice serve, heavy forehand, extremely reliable backhand, and solid volleys.”

A rising senior at the online Laurel Springs School, Casciato maintains a 4.0 grade-point average and takes as many Advanced Placement and honors classes as possible. As to his college future, Casciato is aiming to play for an NCAA Division I program.

Casciato played a great deal of baseball, with tennis as his secondary sport. However, his baseball activity shut down during the pandemic and he turned his attention to tennis. Casciato began playing tennis exclusively and “fell in love with the game.”

His dad and mom are Chris and Lisa Casciato. Jack is the oldest of five children. His 14-year-old sister, Kate, is a serious swimmer. Younger brothers Will (age 12), James (age 10), and Teddy (age 8) all are tennis players.

“Jack’s play has really started to improve over the last several months, due to a combination of better conditioning as well as increased confidence in his game,” Casciato’s parents said. “Three years ago, as he was getting serious about tennis, he asked if he could withdraw from his traditional school and enroll in an online school. Our view was that Jack wanted to pursue excellence in something and realized he needed to work hard to achieve that excellence. We are very happy with how things have worked out. Jack wants to play Division I college tennis, and it appears he will be able to do so.”

Thalia Smith (Gastonia, North Carolina)

Thalia Smith (WTN: 16.7) moved up in the Tennis Recruiting Network Girls Rankings from 87th to the No. 68 position.

The 5-foot-8 ambidextrous four-star produced a 5-0 record and won the L5 Open Centre Court Championship in Chatham, New Jersey. Earlier, Smith captured the L5 event in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“I’ve been striving for a good balance of tennis and studies,” said Smith, a rising senior at the online K12 International. “It seems I have found the sweet spot, leaving me with energy and focus during my matches. I’ve been able to train with some high-level adult players, and that has really helped against all styles of opponents.”

Four-Star Rising Senior Thalia Smith
© Contributed Photo

Smith’s training regimen is a family affair, as her mom, Elke, serves as her coach. Elke and her husband, Taylor, are owners of the Southampton Club in Gastonia, located near Charlotte. The younger Smith said she is left-handed on the serve, but enjoys the consistency of playing with two hands. Her mom was a huge fan of Monica Seles and believes in that two-handed style of play.

The Smiths are working on adding power to her serve, on accuracy, thinking strategically during a match, adjusting to an opponent’s style, and being aggressive on approaching the net.

“I am all about consistency and outlasting opponents,” Smith said. “Creating errors on the other side of the court and frustrating players. Whether they are power players with big shots, and getting everything back or all around, and just out-lasting them. I’m a firm believer in grit and grinding through the hard matches. Down a game or set, I am always fighting until the last point and I never give up. I stay strong mentally when others break down.”

Smith said she is just as focused on academics as much as tennis. She takes pride in self discipline and has maintained a 4.0-plus grade-point average throughout high school, and takes honors classes.

“I’m really excited to play college tennis, to be part of a team, and to give my all to enhance the school’s program,” Smith said about her collegiate future. “I have a few schools I’m very interested in, but I’m really open-minded when it comes to possibilities. I am definitely looking for a program with a strong coach, great team, and a supportive atmosphere. I’m looking for a school with a well-rounded program, business and economic studies, and post graduation connections.”

Smith is a versatile young lady. She has just finished her first novel - a science fiction story called “Stardust” - and is working on a second. Smith finds herself writing stories in the car while traveling to and from tournaments. She also enjoys drawing and sketching.

In addition to being ambidextrous, Smith is also bilingual. Her mom is Peruvian and German, so the younger Smith is proficient in the Spanish language.

Smith’s mom started her off in tennis as soon as she could walk. There is a photo of mom and daughter - who was in diapers - watching the French Open.

“She has been a natural since she was very young,” her parents said. “She has always enjoyed being on the tennis court. She’s always been self-motivated, and pushes herself to be the best she can be. We couldn’t be luckier as parents.

“There are a lot of great players out there, without a doubt. But Thalia really excels on the academic side as well. She definitely will give it her all and will be a great asset to any team. She’s also extremely consistent with play, so a coach will know exactly what they will get out of her for every match.”

Dylan Donovan (Berkeley, California)

Dylan Donovan (WTN: 21.5) now stands at No. 248 in the latest Tennis Recruiting Network Boys Rankings, improving from the 288th position.

The 5-foot-11 right-handed three-star posted a recent record of 9-1, and won the L5 Whitney Championships in Rocklin, California. Donovan later advanced to the second round of the L4 La Madrona Closed Excellence event in Santa Cruz, California, and rallied to win the backdraw title.

Three-Star Rising Junior Dylan Donovan
© Contributed Photo

“I credit the hard work I’ve put in for the last seven months when my arm (shoulder) was injured,” said Donovan, a rising junior at Head-Royce School in Oakland, California. “When I couldn’t serve because of my injury, I found other things to work on in my game. I focused on improving my game every day. I also credit my family, particularly my dad, for helping me through the time when I couldn't serve or play tournaments. Eventually, with his guidance, I found someone to help me with the mechanics so I could serve again.”

His dad, Dean Donovan, said the younger Donovan received advice to improve his biomechanics from former Cal Berkeley coach Peter Wright, along with Brendan Curry of the Berkeley Tennis Club.

Currently, Donovan is coached by Lovedeep Singh, director of the Moraga Valley Swim and Tennis Club in Orinda, California. He also takes lessons from Curry, focusing mainly on the service game. They are working with Donovan on improving his serve, particularly the first serve, and on service returns. Donovan is also working on improving strokes from the baseline.

“I would describe my game as adaptable and flexible,” Donovan said. “If I need to, I can grind out points, or I can be aggressive and find ways to the net to finish points. I can serve and volley, play good defense, and move around the court well. I feel I can adapt the way my opponent plays in a match.

“When I play my best tennis, I attack off both my forehand and backhand. But I usually control points with my forehand, then come to the net and finish points.”

Donovan plays on the Head-Royce Jayhawks boys tennis team. Over two seasons, he has been selected for the All-Bay Area Doubles First Team on two occasions. Donovan also advanced to the National Championship Sports doubles final, and received the Coaches Award by his school for excellent performance.

Donovan also focuses on academics, and college tennis is very much on his mind.

“Ideally, I would like to play at a Division I school with good academics,” Donovan said. “But, I am open to playing Division III as well. Most importantly, I want to go to a school that has a lot of spirit that cares about tennis. That type of school would give me good college experiences.”

A versatile young man, Donovan plays trombone for his school’s band, which performs at restaurants and school events.

Donovan started playing tennis at the age of 2 in San Francisco. His dad saw a lecture by Jim Loehr, and thought it would be beneficial for Dylan to be mentally strong. He believed tennis was a good way to learn that skill. The younger Donovan began playing tournaments at the age of 7 in Seattle, Washington.

Dean and Vanessa Maren-Donovan are proud of the way their son bounced back after the shoulder injury.

“He responded to this challenge partially by focusing on elements of his game that were not influenced by the injury,” Donovan’s parents said. “At first, he worked on his backhand, and then his forehand. He then developed an underhand serve and a drive volley to make up for the missing serve and smash. By May, he was hitting the kick serve at about 70 percent, and that shot had more movement than prior to his injury. That was good enough for him to enter two USTA tournaments in May and accumulate some wins.”

TaKaii Adderley (Tampa, Florida)

TaKaii Adderley (WTN: 22.2) skyrocketed 69 positions to a No. 192 ranking in the Tennis Recruiting Network Girls Rankings, climbing from the 261st position.

The 5-foot-8 right-handed three-star player sported an 8-2 record, and advanced to the 16s finals of the L4 USTA Junior Championships in Boynton Beach, Florida. She also was a semifinalist at the 18s L5 Seminole Lake Parents Day tournament in Seminole, Florida.

Three-Star Rising Junior TaKaii Adderley
© Contributed Photo

“I credit (the rise in ranking) to my work ethic and my team,” said Adderley, a rising junior who is homeschooled at Florida Virtual School. “We’ve really focused on the small details to improve my game, which includes fitness, recovery, diet, and working on shot selection. My strategy and movement have improved significantly as well.”

Adderley is on track to move up to four-star status. If she holds a top-200 ranking twice in the summer, Adderley could become a four-star in September.

Adderley was recently selected to join the Bahamas Junior National Team. They competed at the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors qualifying in the Dominican Republic. Adderley played in the No. 2 position against Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Aruba, Guatemala, and Honduras. It marked her first time competing on a national team. Her dad, Kevin Adderley, is a native of the Bahamas.

Additionally, Adderley won the 18s AID Bahamas Junior National Championship.

Adderley’s training team consists of Sukhwa Young and Eric Dobsha, along with the rest of the coaches at the Dobsha Tennis Academy in Tampa. Adderley is working with her coaches on using her hips with ground strokes and creating more pace on serves.

“I would describe my game as an offensive baseline player,” Adderley said. “Some of my strengths consist of my serve and forehand. My work ethic and passion for the sport distinguish me from other players. I also spend time taking care of my body, making sure to eat healthy, and utilizing recovery methods such as stretching, icing, and massages. I typically practice twice a day, with a focus on my serve for about 30 minutes.”

Adderley played No. 1 singles for two years at Oak Hall High School in Gainesville, Florida. The Eagles won district and regional championships in back-to-back seasons, advancing to the state tournament. Adderley was named the Gainesville Sun High School Girls Player of the Year for two consecutive years.

At the end of her freshman year, Adderley was selected to participate in the Advanced Placement Capstone program. She also completed a medical and health program through the National Student Leaders Conference at American University in Washington, D.C.

“I have thought about colleges. I want to be a doctor, so it’s very important for me to find a school that has a great tennis program, great academics, and especially a medical school,” Adderley said. “I was invited to a college symposium which included Harvard, Penn, Duke, Stanford, and Georgetown. I am definitely interested in three of the five.”

Adderley volunteers at Memorial Hospital in Miramar, Florida once per month. She shadows the physicians because of her goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.

Dad Kevin and mom Trellanee Adderley started their daughter in the sport of tennis at an early age, enrolling her in a tennis camp when she was only 3.

“TaKaii’s work ethic and determination are amazing,” Adderley’s parents said. “She’s always been a perfectionist. She would come home from tennis practice, which was approximately two hours, and would ask to go outside to the tennis courts to work on whatever she learned that day.”

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It's no coincidence that nearly 200 professional players represent the Lotto brand on the ATP and WTA tours, making it the third most visible brand behind only Nike and adidas, respectively. The Italian design and performance features make Lotto product highly sought-after at every level of competition.

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Lotto Elite is a preferred pricing program designed around and for the coach and player, not the brand. We don't think a ranking or rating defines you as a player. We think your grit, determination, love of the grind, attitude and so much more, both on and off the court, define you as a person and makes you Elite.

This is why we wanted to partner with the Hot 100 list. We believe this group of players embody what it means to be Elite. Whether you're a 2-star or Blue Chip recruit, being on this list means you put yourself out there, went for it, and accomplished a goal. Keep Grinding.

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About James Hill

James Hill is the Assistant Sports Information Director at Trinity University in San Antonio and a freelance writer. He has covered all levels of tennis competition.