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Emery Combs has come a long way in a short period of time.

The 13-year-old tennis phenom plans to go even further.

鈥淢y goal is to be in the top 10 in the world someday,鈥� Combs said in a telephone interview on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Based on what Combs has accomplished so far, it could be a reasonable goal. She is ranked No. 1 in South Carolina for 14-and-under by . The site has her No. 6 in the Southeast and No. 13 in the country. She is rated as a Blue Chip, the highest rating.

She has a 56-16 record, including 22-13 against Blue Chips and 5-stars.

Combs recently returned from the Les Petits As tournament in Tarbes, France, featuring the top 14-and-under players in the world. It was quite the success for Combs, who won four matches and reached the semifinals, the deepest an American has gone in the tournament since Coco Gauff in 2017.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 just amazing,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淢y tennis journey has been great. Hopefully, I can do things as big as Coco has done.鈥�

Gauff is the No. 3 player in the world and won the U.S. Open in 2023.

Reaching that level in the future is a lofty goal yet Combs exudes a quiet confidence with regard to tennis.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to go out there and believe in yourself,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to trust in yourself, trust that you can make the right shots, trust that you can make the right decisions. You have to believe a hundred percent.鈥�

Her mother sees it daily.

鈥淨uite honestly, she believes in herself,鈥� said Tiffany Combs. 鈥淚 think she knows what she is capable of and she has God-given talent.鈥�

Les Petits As is one of five Super Category tournaments in the U14 circuit of the Tennis European Junior Tour and is recognized as the world鈥檚 top indoor U14 event. Past female winners include Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Jelena Ostapenko and Bianca Andreescu.

And Combs just made the semifinals in the 2025 tournament.

鈥淚 surprised myself,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 mean, I knew I could do it. I didn鈥檛 know I was going to go that far. I鈥檓 so grateful that I was able to do that.鈥�

Combs outlasted Slovakia鈥檚 Laura Masarykova 6-4, 6-7 (10) 6-4 in the first round. She beat Russia鈥檚 Valeriia Timofeeva 6-4, 6-1 in the second round and downed Turkey鈥檚 Samiya Idil Ozkeresteci 6-0, 6-3 in the third round.

Then came a 6-3, 6-3 sweep of England鈥檚 Liv Zingg in the quarterfinals.

Ultimately, Combs saw her run end in the semifinals on Jan. 25 due to health issues, not so much her opponent, Darina Matvejeva of Latvia. Combs had a stomach bug, getting sick before the match, and suffered a strained hamstring before retiring while trailing 5-2 in the first set.

Had those issues not been present, Combs feels she would have done much better in the semifinals.

鈥淵eah, definitely,鈥� said Combs, who just returned to the court on Tuesday.

Even so, it was quite the achievement.

鈥淚 think there were 5,000 playing for 64 spots,鈥� Tiffany Combs said. 鈥溾�鈥檓 extremely proud of her.鈥�

Combs maintains a busy schedule with a lot of travel. She has an upcoming tournament this weekend in Wisconsin and another one in Indian Wells, California, in March.

That means non-traditional schooling. Combs has been enrolled with the online Connections Academy since the sixth grade.

鈥淚 do tennis in the afternoon,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 try to do homework in the morning and at night.鈥�

Combs has been on the Conway High School tennis team since the seventh grade. She was the No. 3 singles player in 2023 and moved up to No. 2 last season. Combs helped the Tigers reach the Class 5A Division I state semifinals in each of her two seasons.

While it鈥檚 possible Combs could play for the Tigers again this year, she isn鈥檛 sure yet.

Combs will maintain a monthly schedule of one to two tournaments and occasionally three as she continues to hone her game.

鈥淲e work on a lot of different things in practice,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淚t kind of helps that it鈥檚 hotter in South Carolina. So, I鈥檓 used to it when I go to Florida in the summer. We try to adjust to the conditions. When it鈥檚 indoor, you try to hit flatter balls because it鈥檚 a faster surface.鈥�

Combs could technically turn professional anytime but that, as she currently sees it, is a few years away. College is a possibility.

鈥淚鈥檒l probably be playing very big junior tournaments in a year, like junior Grand Slams maybe, hopefully,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 might be able to go pro by the time I鈥檓 17 or 18 years old.鈥�

Along the way, she had the opportunity to meet former world No. 1 Venus Williams, who won seven majors.

鈥淚t was inspiring,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淚t makes me want to that someday.鈥�

For now, Combs can savor her showing in France against some of the top junior players in the world.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have done it without God,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淏ut I think I put so much work into and every time I step on the court, I give it a hundred percent. I think that鈥檚 why I was able to do it.鈥�