Anthony Kirchner has reclaimed the top spot.

Anthony, a 14-year-old tennis player from New Providence, is still 18 months away from entering high school, but he is regarded as the top college recruit in the nation for the Class of 2030.

A seventh-grader who is homeschooled by his mother, Julie Kirchner, Anthony was ranked No. 1 on the latest Head Recruiting List. Head is the brand name of a company that manufactures tennis rackets.

Anthony had been ranked first for a year and a half before dropping down to fifth. On the heels of an appearance at a tournament in France, he is now back on top. "Hopefully I can sustain it for a long period of time," he said.

Anthony is already attracting attention from many colleges, including NCAA Division I schools Duke, Virginia, Cornell, George Mason, the University of Richmond, and Louisiana State University (LSU).

"I would prefer to go professional (after high school), but college is a good route, also," he said.

In January, Anthony traveled to Tarbes, France, to compete in the Les Petits As, a prestigious 14-under tournament. Tennis legends Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray played in the tournament during their juniors careers.

Anthony played on Centre Court in front of a crowd of 500 people with 500 more people watching on a livestream. Although unsure what was happening at the time, he was in the early stages of contracting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which left him bedridden the day after the match.

Anthony lost his first-round contest 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to Evan Giurescu of France, an eventual quarterfinalist.

"The experience was great," Anthony said. "The outcome wasn't what I wanted, but the experience was great. They treated you like a professional tennis player."

Anthony has resumed training, taking lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Sinking Spring Family YMCA, which is located near Reading.

He is practicing under the tutelage of coach Ricardo Saad. "Ricardo is a game-changer," Anthony's dad, Jim Kirchner, said. "He's coached some of the top players in the world."

Saad, a native of Argentina, who has coached pro players, including Laura Granville, is encouraging Anthony to use a more aggressive style.

"The problem was I played defensive because my lessons were based off of playing points," said Anthony. "When I played points and I was playing adults, I would just get the ball back because of the power. I got comfortable doing that."

Anthony is also focusing on getting faster and stronger. "My coach wants me to do a lot more fitness training, a lot more than tennis training," Anthony said. "He tells me to listen to him and trust the process." Once it gets warmer, Anthony will practice approximately two and a half hours every day.

Saad is impressed by what he has seen so far. "Anthony surprised me how quick he picks up on the coaching," he said. "He's a competitive animal and has great tennis IQ. What I am doing is giving him the tools to channel all his talent."

Saad stated Anthony has unlimited potential. "Many players can achieve being a professional tennis player," said Saad. "To make a living as a tennis professional player is way more difficult. ... I don't have a crystal ball. I can say that Anthony is a unique talent. The projection is the sky for this kid."

Anthony plans to play in an indoor tournament Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8, in Medford, N.J. It is a 16-under Level 5 tournament where Anthony will be one of the youngest players in the draw. He will also participate in the Hits for Hope charity event at Conrad Weiser Middle School in Robesonia.

He has his eyes set on a Level 1 tournament in Chicago over Thanksgiving. Last year he defeated the seventh seed in the opening round before losing. "This year I really want to do a lot better," Anthony said.

He has won several tournaments and sportsmanship awards in his career. Anthony resides in the Solanco School District, but Solanco High School does not have a boys' tennis team. He is considering attending Conrad Weiser High School, whose tennis team is coached by Ryan Knarr. Knarr is also president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Middle States and has been a big influence on Anthony.