Krishnan

GAYATHRI

KRISHNAN

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Serving Up Wins

CAROLINE CHENG

writer

Gayathri Krishnan is a phenomenal tennis player. Krishnan’s interest in tennis sparked when she saw her parents watching the sport and encouraged her dad to sign her up for tennis classes. Now, Krishnan is ranked eighth in the nation by the United States Tennis Association.

Tennis has always been an important part of Krishnan’s life, and throughout her tennis journey, she has had many mentors and supporters. She looks up to her tennis coaches, who give her constructive feedback so that she can continue to grow. In addition, she has expressed her appreciation for her parents’ support ever since the beginning.

Said Krishnan, “My parents are very supportive of me — they’re the ones that are always helping me. And anytime I feel bad, [...] they’re always there to help me. And sometimes, when I don’t have anyone to practice with, they’ll always come to try to help and to see what they can do.”

In addition to enjoying playing tennis, Krishnan believes that the experiences and friendships that come along with playing the sport are also valuable.

Said Krishnan, “The most rewarding thing is just having a good time and also making a lot of new friends because I’ve been able to go to so many places and meet a lot of people.”

However, the competitive nature of playing sports and the pressure to balance such a significant commitment with school and other interests can be overwhelming at times. Before the pandemic, Krishnan even had moments where she did not feel as passionate about the sport. Although the pandemic disrupted many sports and events, that time allowed Krishnan to reflect. Said Krishnan, “Because of COVID, I was able to take a break from tennis. And after I came back, I realized that I really do love this sport, and it’s been getting a lot easier now to handle it.”

With time, Krishnan has been able to better manage her school workload with tennis practice and tournaments. She tries to find time to do homework whenever she is able to and aims to have a schedule set up to stay organized.

In addition, Krishnan plays tennis for the Cupertino High School team as well as tournaments outside. When comparing both settings, she notices a similarity in the serious attitude that comes with playing with other team-

mates. On the other hand, as tennis is an individual sport, the community built around playing on the school team is really special for Krishnan. “I feel the main difference is the [school] team is that we’re a team,” said Krishnan. “With the team, you “ THE MOST REWARDING THING IS JUST HAVING A GOOD TIME AND ALSO MAKING A can always hit with others; it’s a much better experience. I feel like even between points, you’re always encouraging each other and cheering each other on, which I think is very different

LOT OF NEW FRIENDS BE- than playing outside.”

CAUSE I’VE BEEN ABLE TO GO Krishnan is verbally committed to

SO MANY PLACES AND MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE. ” GAYATHRI KRISHNAN playing tennis at Columbia University, a significant accomplishment in her tennis career. In the meantime, she is still thinking about whether she would like to go pro. “I at least want to have a good experience at college, and maybe in the future after, I could just play for fun,” said Krishnan. Speaking from experience, Krishnan shared, “If you are starting a sport, it may be hard, but if you “ WITH THE [SCHOOL] TEAM, YOU CAN ALWAYS HIT WITH OTHERS. [...] EVEN put a lot of effort into it, and if you really like it, then you will have fun doing it no matBETWEEN POINTS, YOU’RE ter what. You ALWAYS ENCOURAGING EACH shouldn’t ever be ” OTHER AND CHEERING EACH OTHER ON. GAYATHRI KRISHNAN down on yourself if anything bad happens. [...] It is just a way to start getting better or learning from your mistakes, and eventually, there will be a good accomplishment.” SPORTS | 27