“Donald Young is a damn good player.”

That’s what former world No. 187 Scoville Jenkins told me back around the 2016 US Open, for a story I wrote looking at the then-20-year drought of an American male of color reaching a Grand Slam singles final.

It almost looks like truer words have never been spoken as Young, playing the last tournament of his career, is close to achieving Grand Slam glory. He and his longtime friend Taylor Townsend have advanced to finals of this year’s mixed doubles tournament, besting their semifinals appearance a decade ago. The duo are scheduled to play Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori on Thursday.

It’s a fairy-tale run, to be sure, with Young spending more time as a professional pickleball player the past few years. Win or lose, though, it seems as if the tennis gods are doing Young a solid, allowing the longtime Atlanta resident to perfectly close the door on a career that’s seen more twists and turns than I-285.

Around the time of that Jenkins quote, Young and three-time defending US Open doubles champion Rajeev Ram were the only American men of color in the top 100 in singles.

It was the post–James Blake/pre–Frances Tiafoe era, where for years Young was the lone Black American in the ATP tournaments he entered, either by direct entry, wild cards, or the qualifying route.

Among the highs of a decade-long career at that point were a top 100 ranking debut at 18, two years after turning pro. There were the stints on Team USA in the game’s biggest international competitions outside of the majors: the Olympics and Davis Cup. There were a couple of showings in the second week of a Grand Slam, with two round-of-16 appearances in New York. One would be hard-pressed to say Young didn’t display a fighting spirit as he rebounded on multiple occasions from injury and loss of form to land back in the top 100, peaking at 38 at one point.

And in 2017, Young would surprisingly reach the French Open men’s doubles final, joining Arthur Ashe, MaliVai Washington, and Bryan Shelton as African-American men who played for a major crown.

Those ranking dips, though, and what didn’t happen often overshadowed Young’s accomplishments. He was a junior prodigy, winning majors and sitting atop the world rankings at an age younger than any boy before him or since.

Having separated himself from the pack, Young turned pro at 16, signing major endorsement deals and seeming like a can’t-miss prospect. However, while he was able to confound his opponents in the juniors with his shotmaking ability and court sense, it was a much different story when he took the court against grown men fighting for their livelihood. He did put in the work to eventually match up physically, but there was another concern about how he was going to establish a foothold in the game.

For the vast majority of his career, Young was coached by his parents, Donald Sr. and Ilona, who definitely knew the sport as teaching pros but didn’t have what might have been considered as “world-class experience.” In hindsight, the argument does lose merit as Chris Eubanks and Townsend have also had their games shaped by the Youngs at different points. Atlanta is considered a national hotbed for the sport, particularly among the Black community, with the Youngs having a significant role in that over the years. Many highly touted juniors have the backing of their national federation, especially early on, but the Youngs, at times, went their own route, and the relationship between Donald and the United States Tennis Association definitely had its contentious moments.

Another of Young’s most infamous battles took place both on and off the court with another former wunderkind, Ryan Harrison, where allegations of racism reared up.

And through it all, the player who once spoke of contending for Grand Slams was unable to win an ATP Tour-level singles title, despite making two finals.

Young’s journey has definitely been noteworthy: from double-digit losing streaks to Grand Slam finals, from shy kid with no familiar faces around him on the tour to representing his country on the biggest stages.

Things might not have gone as hoped for or planned, but Young should be proud of the fact that he got the most out of his game, proving that he indeed was a damn good player.