It’s good to be the king.

After claiming state championships in 2012 and 2013 for Federal Way High School and being the tennis prodigy all Eagles players aspire to be, Mitch Stewart is creating a whole new legacy at the University of Washington.

In just his first two seasons with the Huskies, Stewart has expanded his trophy case and his legend in Seattle with notable wins, including winning the singles title at the Jack Kramer Invite. His skills on the court are unquestioned, but it’s his spirit, attitude and drive that make him the leader Washington will need to compete for a championship in 2016.

Where it all began

Even though he now makes his home in Seattle, when Stewart closes his eyes he can still describe every distinct detail of the Marine Hills Swim and Tennis Club. It’s where the student learned to become the master.

“It’s two very small tennis courts that are pretty run-down,” Stewart said. “It’s old, it’s dirty, the nets are all messed up.”

Lisa and Jerry Stewart have lived in Federal Way for upwards of 23 years now. Stewart said he didn’t have the luxury of growing up with private coaches and lessons, but it turns out he didn’t actually need any of that.

His older brother Jake, who’s four years older than Mitch, was all Stewart needed. Mitch grew up watching Jake, who also enjoyed the game, and watching his older brother inspired him to try his own hand at tennis.

“When I got old enough, I just wanted to do whatever he did,” Stewart said. “I followed him into it, and he took me out to this scary-looking place, but he’d hit with me, and I kind of owe all of this to him. I give it all to my brother, that’s for sure.”

Stewart graduated from the courts at Marine Hills to those at Federal Way High School. He says top athletes in the sport typically won’t play for their high school team because of a lack of quality competition, but Stewart decided to play for the Eagles because he knew the coach through family friends and knew he’d receive quality coaching.

The pre-existing relationship allowed Stewart to play loose and have fun, which resulted in two state championships and one doubles championship. He peaked during his sophomore season, catching the eye of University of Washington tennis coach Matt Anger in the process.

“I first saw him at 14,” Anger said. “But it wasn’t until he was 16 that I watched and learned that he really had some physical tools that were just incredible. I knew if we could get him, help him improve his shots, the sky’s the limit for Mitch.”

By the end of his senior season at Federal Way, Stewart ranked as high as third in the national Rating Percentage Index, and the college offers came screaming in.

The only choice that made sense

When Stewart’s time at Federal Way came to an end, he said the next step in his playing career was clear: He was going to be a Husky, and he committed at his first opportunity.

He was also recruited by Alabama, UCLA and Oregon. Looking back on it now, Stewart wishes he could have gone through his own version of “The Decision,” but he said everything turned out the way he’d hoped.

Washington, to him, was the perfect fit.

“They were the perfect option for everything I was looking for,” Stewart said. “Now that I’ve been here for two years, It’s been clear I made the right decision.”

The pest is put to rest

Once Stewart completed the task of becoming a Husky, a lightbulb came on: The swag is free now. Stewart said he began blowing up Anger’s phone with calls and texts about when he could get his hands on the free merchandise.

“He just would not quit until he got answers on when he would get some gear,” Anger recalled. “He wasn’t even on campus yet and he was constantly asking about the gear.”

Anger decided to have a little fun with the incoming freshman: He told Stewart he would receive his gear the first day of practice. The day arrived, and Stewart showed up expecting to be showered in purple and gold attire.

But when he arrived in the locker room, Stewart was met with some bad news.

“Coach called me over and was like, ‘Stew, your stuff had to be placed on back order,'” Stewart recalled. “He said it would be a couple days until it could get here. I was shocked, and remember just staring at him. I just didn’t understand.

“But then the coaches and everyone started laughing. It was cool, but a cruel joke for sure.”

Joke’s on them

Since arriving to the Huskies program in 2014, Stewart picked up where he left off – atop the mountain.

In two seasons, Stewart’s list of accomplishments is a mile long. As a freshman, Stewart reached the Round of 16 in singles at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional championships, and was named to positions one and two in singles play.

There was no sophomore slump for Stewart, either. He finished that season as a singles finalist at the 2015 National Collegiate Tennis Classic, was ranked every week by the ITA, finished second on the team with 21 singles victories, was an All-Academic Pac-12 Honorable Mention and was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team.

But despite the accolades, Anger said Stewart’s game needed some work upon his arrival in Seattle.

“Usually the guys that go from juniors to college can serve really well,” Anger said. “And his serve, if you were to list his top five strengths, his serve was not one of them.

“He exceeded expectations because we’d hit balls with him and he’d just keep going and going until we got it where we wanted it.”

The work Stewart put in earned him the No. 62 ranking in the nation in the preseason poll his sophomore year. He finished the season inside the top 100 at No. 78.

Through his first two seasons, Stewart is 38-20 in singles play and 11-14 in doubles play. He’s faced a wide variety of opponents, including current professional player and former UCLA Bruin Mackenzie McDonald.

But Stewart insists he works each and every day with the toughest opponent he’s every played.

“Coach Anger, for sure,” Stewart said. “He can hit the ball pretty well. He’ll run the s—- out of you, that’s for sure.”

A spirit like no other

Anger’s favorite Stewart moment thus far came during the closing moments of the Huskies’ upset over No. 8-ranked USC. Stewart’s match was still going, and in the middle of the set he learned the Huskies had clinched the win.

Anger said he’ll remember Stewart’s reaction for as long as he can.

“He stopped and threw his racket in the air,” Anger said. “He ran over, he’s hugging me, hugging the next guy, and he’s still in the middle of his match.

“Mitch is somebody that has really grown from being around this team,” Anger said. “He’s just a loyal person, and my heart goes to him because you don’t get to see how he pores his heart out for everyone else.”

Dedicated – with an eye on the future

The road for a pro tennis player is a bumpy one. Unless you have superior talent, breaking in to the Association of Tennis Professionals can be tough – “a brutal life,” as Stewart describes it.

Players, Stewart said, make very little money until they’re able to crack the top 100 rankings.

“They might set you up with a hotel,” Stewart said. “But that’s about it. You basically have to pay for everything else, and that can be really hard when you first start out because you have no sponsors, either.”

This is the road Stewart looks forward to once his two final seasons at Washington end. But if pro tennis doesn’t work out, he’s got a plan for that, too.

It all goes back to the gear it took so long to get his hands on.

Stewart can’t stay away from tennis fashion, and if playing doesn’t work out, he might just reign in the kingdom of the next generation of tennis apparel for Nike.

“The dream would be to go to Portland and work for Nike if playing didn’t work out,” Stewart said. “Getting to watch the game and help it evolve through Nike would be the dream job.”