But then with roughly a week and a half to go before the tournament began, Fink suffered an injury, falling and breaking his arm. Just like that, his hopes of advancing to the state tournament or winning district gold were dashed like a fast ace to the corner of the tennis court.

The injury no doubt was painful, and so was the thought of no longer being able to compete last spring. But Fink never let it get him down.

Did it prove Fink with motivation?

“A lot, definitely,” the Bulldog said.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink competes during a PIAA District 4 boys tennis singles tournament at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Fink kept working and practicing and when he stepped on the court for the first time this spring, it was like nothing ever happened.

“He would have done well but got pushed out of that. Time from when he got back though from the winter up until March, he pretty much played three to four hours every single day,” Hensler said. “He just came back, started this season looking like a completely different player. He was not only back to where he was before, but progressed far beyond that.”

Now Fink is entering districts with an undefeated record and is the top seed in the field.

“You’d never know he was down for the count last year,” Hensler said.

“Definitely just consistency and playing a lot every day,” Fink said about the key to his success this season. “I just put a lot into it and always am trying my best.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink competes during a PIAA District 4 boys tennis singles tournament at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

And Fink’s playing has been a prime example of that.

Fink is 14-0 this year and continued to play well from the start of this spring season to now. He’s helped the Bulldogs have team success as well and was a huge reason Jersey Shore reached the District 4 team semifinals.

“I had high hopes for him but didn’t know how he’d be after coming back from that,” Hensler said. “He’s just really dedicated and his parents too, giving him time to be able to do that. He put in a ton of work and it’s definitely paying off.”

Fink is 14-0 this year and has proven to be a tough player to beat. He enters today’s District 4 singles tournament as the top seed and received a first-round bye into the second round.

Coming off the injury last year, Fink admitted he had to rehab for a couple of months and do physical therapy to ease back into playing.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink competes during a PIAA District 4 boys tennis singles tournament at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

“I definitely started slow and I didn’t go for long amounts of time and definitely built my way up,” Fink said.

Fink’s dad Luke also painted lines in their home driveway and set up a net for Fink to keep practicing and work hard at getting back to where he was. Having his own little home court was a good way to get back into playing condition.

“It’s really nice,” Fink said with a laugh. “My dad built a net for it too. It definitely helped me get a lot of practice.”

No Jersey Shore boys tennis player has ever claimed singles gold, but Fink is in the running to do just that. Fink advanced to Thursday’s District 4 singles semifinals, which begin at 1 p.m. at the Central PA Tennis Center after he posted two wins on Wednesday.

Fink had a first-round bye and picked up victories in the second and third rounds to make it to Thursday’s semifinals.

“He’s just an even-tempered quiet kid. He doesn’t let anything get to him mentally. After 10 years of coaching that’s usually the biggest hurdle. You can coach anything except temperament,” Hensler said. “No matter who he’s up against he’s the same person, same player.”

In addition to his temperament, Hensler said that Fink’s stamina and speed are a huge strength for him when he competes.

“He has a strong mental game and anyone that plays him knows he never runs out of gas,” Hensler said. “He beats people who aer beyond him in tennis skill just base don pure fitness. He runs right with them and he never slows down.”

As for what Fink sees as his biggest strength, it’s his mental game.

“I try not to get down, especially in big moments and I try to always be positive,” Fink said.