DALLAS — Malcolm Moore was natural with a tennis racket in his hands. It was first noticed by his grandpa when Malcolm was just 5 years old during one of his annual summer stays in East Texas.

“Dad would introduce him to different sports, fishing, all kinds of things,” said Malcolm’s father, Eric Moore. “He called us one day, and he said, ‘have you thought about tennis?’” 

Once Malcolm returned to Dallas, his parents—Eric and Carla Moore—enrolled him in a youth tennis program and watched their son change.

“I could tell that he was really into it,” said Carla Moore. “That was my first inkling that, okay, this might be what he really likes.” 

A sport that’s been the key to unlocking Malcolm’s potential ever since.

“It really demands that competitive nature,” Malcolm said. “I think I always had it in me, to be honest, but tennis just really sparked that.”

The high school junior already made history by being the first player from Dallas Pinkston to make the UIL Tennis State Tournament in 2024. He finished as the runner-up in Class 4A.

“The whole school was immediately hyped up when they knew they had somebody who had the chance to go that far,” Malcolm said.

Malcolm returned to state this year and finished third, just missing out on his quest to be Dallas ISD’s first boys singles state champion in 96 years.

With his mounting success, you might think Malcolm is a full-time tennis player like many teens in the sport. 

But instead, the Moore’s wanted their son to find a balance. 

“There’s so much more to life than just playing a sport,” Carla Moore said.

“Tennis is just one facet of who he is,” Eric Moore said. “Our spiritual life, our culture, all of those things make up Malcolm. One of the things that we didn’t want was for him to exist in a box.”

A desire that Malcolm has taken to heart. 

He holds an “A” average at the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy. He’s also a drummer in the school’s presidential jazz band. 

“From the time he was a baby, I kept looking at him thinking, ‘What is he thinking about?’” Carla Moore said. “‘What is going through his mind? Who is this little person going to be?’”

He’s also become a world traveler, going to Germany through an exchange program and twice to Ghana as part of service trips. 

It was in Ghana where Malcolm bonded with the local kids while doing humanitarian work.

“They asked me, ‘do you play football?’ Or soccer, as we call it,” Malcolm said. “And I was like, ‘yeah, I dabble in football, but I’m a tennis player.’ And the minute I said tennis, it was like an instant spark of curiosity. They were eager to play, and they all wanted to learn as soon as possible.”

A reaction that gave Malcolm an idea of how to spread his passion for tennis. 

“After that visit, the kids decided to build tennis courts,” Eric Moore said. “That became the genesis of the Across the Net platform.”

Across the Net is a program started by Malcolm and his personal coach, TJ Tisdale. It aims to help grow the game in Ghana, starting with the Northern COSTECH school that Malcolm and his family visited.

Malcolm’s first initiative was soliciting donations of rackets, shoes, balls and more to send to Ghana this May. 

“It’s a great time for me to do it, because I can build more of a closer connection with the youth there being a teenager myself,” Malcolm said. 

With his pursuit of a balanced life off the tennis court now leading others onto it, Malcolm hopes the sport can unlock someone else’s potential, just as it did for him.

“I hope that it’s a positive impact,” Malcolm said.