- July 2021
Personal Statement
At 10 years old, I began to play tennis competitively and enjoyed the mental battle between both sides of the court and the often long grind of matches. Living in Singapore, there are less than 15 tournaments a year for junior and open categories, so I have been playing practice matches every weekend or after school to keep improving. In 2019, I won my first tournament in Singapore which was qualifying for Gemdale in Shenzhen and I was able to travel to China to compete on a full sponsorship. Although my results were not great in China, it broadened my perspective on tennis worldwide and I began to travel regionally to compete.
Unfortunately, this was cut short in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Singapore went into a country-wide lockdown for two months. During these two months, I maintained my fitness and was able to try out other activities like coding and designing before realizing that I still loved tennis the most. After lockdown, there were a series of tournaments including three ITF Junior tournaments for the remainder of 2020 and first half of 2021; my partner and I won two doubles ITF titles. These wins and tournaments gave me a boost of self-confidence.
I am currently a rising junior at Singapore American School with an interest in biology and social sciences. I have maintained a high GPA and good grades while playing tennis and studying, so I want to go to university to further my studies. As the end of high school is slowly creeping up, I have also realized that I want to continue my tennis journey in college. Although I have no plans to become a professional tennis player, I still want to gain more experience in tennis in university.
As a tennis player, I am a counterpuncher who will stay in the point for as long as I need to and hit low-risk shots from behind the baseline. When I am inside the court, I play more aggressively and attack the sides of the court while also utilizing angles to my advantage. I tend to take returns early and cut off my opponent's time in order to break serve. My serve is strong and often wins me points. I am a persistent player and will not stop fighting until the match is over. In doubles, my slice and kick serve win free points. From the baseline, I frequently set up the ball for my partner to poach and end the point while also being consistent. At the net, I am agile and able to poach as well as cover my line.
As a team member, I provide encouragement and support to my team while also mentoring those younger than me. I am a good listener and will follow what I am told to do.
