It was the spring of my senior year of high school when I officially committed to play tennis for New York University.
My older brother, Joshua, Class of 2020 alumnus, had played for the Violets, and I felt a strong connection to the program. I grew up flying to New York City whenever my school had a break or a long weekend to watch him and the rest of the NYU team compete. I vividly remember traveling to Ewing, New Jersey, to watch the team compete against The College of New Jersey, a team I would play myself five years later.
Much of my childhood was spent traveling across California, and eventually the country, watching my older brothers compete. While they played, I sat courtside on my iPad or wandered around with other younger siblings who had grown up in the same tennis circles. Being around the sport constantly, tennis slowly became part of my everyday life. My first racquet, a pink Prince racquet, still hangs above my bed back home in San Marino, California, a small reminder that tennis has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
After years of watching my brothers and splitting my own time between ballet and tennis, I, too, decided to fully commit to competitive tennis my freshman year of high school.
My days quickly became structured entirely around the sport. I commuted an hour and a half on the school’s bus to Harvard-Westlake early in the morning, attended classes until the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day training. From 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., I rotated between private lessons with Coach Kal Moranon — coach of former WTA professional Danielle Lao — two-hour hitting sessions with players of all levels and an occasional run. On weekends, I competed in tournaments, carefully planning my tournament schedule around where I could be the most successful — whether my goal was winning the entire tournament or boosting my Universal Tennis Rating.
At Harvard-Westlake, I played Line 1 singles on the varsity girls tennis team, competing against some of the best players in Southern California. During my time on the team, we won the Mission League Championship, and I captured the Mission League Individuals title and MVP honors while our team advanced to the CIF Open Division and Division I Southern Section Championships.
One of my most memorable moments of my junior career was winning my first junior open tournament during my first event outside Southern California. From there, I continued traveling to compete across the country from Tucson, Arizona to indoor courts in Toledo, Ohio and the heat of El Paso, Texas. My final junior event was a team tournament on clay in Virginia, which in hindsight feels like a fitting preview of my eventual transfer to the University.
After months of recruiting conversations, 62 emails back and forth with the NYU Head Coach, multiple visits and countless conversations with my family, I committed to NYU.
Life as a student-athlete in New York was exhilarating, but demanding. My class schedule typically ran from around noon to 4 p.m., followed by strength training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Then came the long commute to practice.
Because NYU does not have its own tennis courts, our practices took place nearly an hour from campus at Stadium Tennis Center in the Bronx. We practiced from 9 to 11 p.m., and by the time we finished the commute back to Manhattan, it was often midnight. The next day, we would wake up and do it all again.
In the fall, we competed in tournaments. In the spring, our focus shifted to dual matches.
Despite the demanding schedule, some of my favorite college memories came from my friendships with my teammates. With my family owning a condo on the Upper West Side, I was often the host for team gatherings like Friendsgiving, Super Bowl and spontaneous team meals.
One of my favorite NYU tennis traditions was “tennis prom.” Each year, a player from the men’s team would ask someone from the women’s team to be their date. The day began with a charity mixed doubles tournament and ended with the team’s version of “prom.”
A match I will never forget was against Hobart and William Smith College, where I remember feeling especially nervous before stepping onto the court. But during my match, my captain stood courtside coaching, while my teammates cheered from the sidelines. Their support helped settle my nerves, and eventually I found my rhythm and won my match.
Despite these incredible experiences, something felt missing.
Though NYU is an incredible university located in one of the most exciting cities in the world, unlike most universities, it does not have a traditional campus. Classes are spread throughout Manhattan, and student life blends into the city itself.
For many students, that independence is part of the appeal. But for me, I realized I wanted a different kind of college experience with a campus, traditions and an overall stronger sense of community. That realization ultimately led me to transfer.
At the same time, I was also facing a difficult choice about tennis. Part of me considered transferring to another Division III liberal arts school where I could continue playing competitively. But I was also drawn to larger public universities like the University, where I could experience the traditional college environment I had been searching for. Ultimately, I chose the latter, knowing that it likely meant stepping away from collegiate tennis, but also opening the door to new opportunities and experiences.
Leaving college tennis was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. When you spend your entire childhood training for a sport, it becomes part of your identity. For years, my daily routine and friendships revolved around tennis, and transitioning away from competition meant redefining what the sport meant in my life.
But in many ways, tennis truly never left.
At the University, I found a new way to stay connected to the game through journalism. Today, I am a third-year Political Philosophy, Policy and Law student and a senior writer for The Cavalier Daily, where I cover the Virginia men’s tennis team.
Playing competitively for most of my life and eventually at the collegiate level has shaped the way I cover the sport. When I watch matches, I notice both the technical and small details that might otherwise go unnoticed. I better understand the mental challenges that occur during matches, whether a strategy like serving and volleying is effective or if a forehand was hit cleanly. If you see me at a match, I am often on the edge of my seat, feeling every point alongside the players.
My experience also shapes the way I interact with players off the court. Having once been in their position — competing in front of crowds and being interviewed myself — I approach conversations with a deeper sense of empathy. I know what it feels like to replay points in your head after a match, or to balance the emotional highs and lows that come with tennis.
Covering the team also allows me to stay closely connected to the tennis world. I regularly interview players and Coach Andres Pedroso, translating what happens on the court into stories for audience members. At the same time, I am constantly tuned into the broader tennis landscape, listening to outlets like Cracked Racquets and keeping up with rankings.
My work for The Cavalier Daily has also made me realize just how small the tennis world really is. My brother briefly played at Case Western Reserve University before transferring to NYU, both members of the University Athletic Association conference, and through him, I became familiar with many of the same players and coaches. Years later, I found myself covering James Hopper, who also began his collegiate career at Case Western before transferring to the University. After one match, I even found myself talking with Hopper and his mom, and within minutes we were exchanging names of players and coaches we both knew from the UAA and my time at NYU.
I feel that interconnectedness in every match I cover. More often than not, I recognize players from the other teams, whether from junior tournaments or mutual connections. It adds another layer to my reporting, as I am not just observing “college tennis players,” but people I grew up around or might have played against.
Still, if you ever see me working on my laptop around Grounds, you might notice something unusual — a large purple NYU locker room name tag taped to the back of my computer.
Even though I chose to step away from playing tennis, the sport remains an important part of who I am.
And while my role in the sport has changed, tennis will always remain a part of my story.
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