Serena Williams didn’t win Wimbledon seven times sitting down, and Novak Djokovic isn’t ranked number one in men’s tennis for nothing. Similarly, the tennis team won’t be taking this season laying down either. 

This season will be the first time that they will be able to compete post-COVID-19, and for senior Braden Bailey, it’s the last season for him to prove his skills on the court. 

“I’ve been here on the tennis team for four years,” Bailey said. “I’ve progressed so far since my freshman and sophomore years on JV and I’ve gained skill through the tournaments I’ve played, and I’m working really hard for this season. I hope to help the team make districts for the fall season, and I want to make it to state for singles in the spring.”

Likewise, new members of the team, such as junior Cladia Shen, also wish to continue improving this season. 

“I have seen so much improvement from last year,” Shen said. “In the beginning of the season, I could barely even hit the ball, but now I’m much more consistent with my shots which is good news. It’s really neat to see how much you can improve, and encouraging to know that you can improve in such a short amount of time.”

Tennis is a game of duality, according to senior Ganesh Sadasivan. For him, focusing on his strengths on the court helps him minimize his weaknesses and play better as an individual. 

“For the spring season, I’m really looking forward to singles, which is my specialty,” Sadasivan said. “I prefer singles because I know I’m better on the outside [of the court] and I don’t have to rely on my teammate. Each point is more dynamic in a singles match, and they last longer than doubles, which are only a few shots. Unlike singles, which are ten or twelve shots.” 

Practice makes perfect, but not even perfect is good enough for junior Katie Tran. According to Tran, staying consistent and polishing her skills is her number one priority.

“Every day I go to practice, I’m looking to improve,” Tran said. “Right now, it’s all about consistency, such as hitting the ball into the right spot on the court. I also focus on managing my power because power isn’t everything, [and it] might make your shots look good, but if you’re more consistent, you’ll win more points. I also practice rallying [hitting the ball back and forth over the net] with my friends and even my dad. We set goals to see how many rallies we can get in a row.”

Skills aside, Tran said she believes that having a strong team bond is just as important. Tran said she has faith in her team because they were the ones that supported her when she was at her lowest. 

“The girl I played was really good, and I lost the first set,” Tran said. “It made me really upset and I lost a lot of motivation. But in the last match, my teammates came and started to cheer me on, which gave me the motivation to win the second set. My coach had pulled me aside and told me that my team was counting on me, and that kept me motivated. When we both went into a set tie-breaker, I was able to win with my teammates supporting me.”