By Natasha Singh
Staff writer

Tennis is a demanding sport, both physically and mentally. It requires players tend to predict for what their opponents are going to do. The more they know about their opponent through having played them before or having seen them play before, the better.

There is a wide variety of spins, types of strokes, and strategies that can be mind boggling to a beginner. An athletic person with better hand-eye coordination might pick the sport up faster. Basically, tennis is not an easy sport.

However, sophomore Claire Yu is renowned  throughout the school as an outstanding member of the Varsity Girls tennis team, ranking in for the #1 player on the team. Her rank only represents part of her vigorous energy on the court.

Yu has always loved racket sports from a young age. She has played badminton and ping-pong so naturally tennis was the next option for her. After playing her first match, Yu found that she fell in love with the sport.

“I’ve always loved the thrill and satisfaction of winning long matches against opponents of a higher skill than me, ” said Yu.

She has been competing in tournaments of all levels since the age of eight. At one point she ranked in fourth place among all of New England for girls ages ten and under. She has also received thirty awards for ranking as a finalist or champion. Yu will continue to compete in tournaments outside the school team after the season is over.

By playing challenge matches against all the varsity upperclassman as a freshman, Yu was able to achieve the number one placement on the team during her freshman year. She continues to maintain the position with her performances on the court.

Currently, Yu is suffering from a shoulder injury caused by overuse from constant practice. The injury prohibits Yu from playing more than one game a week which are usually against the biggest opponents, but there are exceptions when she feels better. Yu describes this is as a somewhat somber experience.

“It’s tough having watch your teammates from the side lines but it’s a great feeling to keep them up as they’re [playing] going,” said Yu.

Claire receives a great support source from her classmates, teammates and her coaches in school. At home, Yu’s parents push her to do the best she is able to do. Trisha Kagalavadi, a fellow tennis player describes her admiration for Claire.

“Claire’s a good teammate she works hard, not only to make herself exceed but works to help her other teammates move up with her. She motivates the team and really represents being a team. She tells everyone to work their hardest, cheers for everyone and encourages for everyone to do their best,” said Kagalavadi

She describes the only downside to the sport is the rigorous physical training and time consumption. Yu takes difficult courses that take hours to study for and complete homework, and away matches often end after five. Despite this obstacle, Yu manages to keep up her high grades with the varsity sport.

Yu encourages others to play the sport to challenge the mind and body. She describes the team as accepting to newcomers so it wouldn’t be

“Strive to be your best. Never give up, don’t hold back because of your insecurities and try to have fun. Keep a positive attitude regardless of what you’re doing.”