Mackenzie Garcia is a junior in the Walnut Grove Tennis team and was previously part of the Rock Hill Tennis team. She is a member of Varsity tennis and has been a part of the program for 4 years.
1. How long have you been playing tennis
Garcia: I have been playing tennis for about 4 years.
2. Can you describe what initially sparked your interest in playing tennis?
Garcia: When I first moved here I didn’t really know what tennis was. I saw that they offered it at Rogers and I thought it could be a fun thing to do instead of doing P.E. or athletics.
3. How do you prepare mentally and physically for a match?
Garcia: I mentally prepare by listening to music to try to distract myself or hype myself up. Physically I eat a big carb meal the night before and make sure to do a lot of stretching.
4. Do you prefer doubles or singles, why?
Garcia: I prefer doubles because of the fast paced nature of the game and when you have a good partner it serves as a good morale boost when points get tough.
5. What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a tennis player, and how do you overcome them?
Garcia: Some of the biggest challenges I face as a tennis player is getting in my head. This is a hard thing to overcome and for the most part I try to think about the good rather than the bad or try to calm myself down.
6. Who has been your most challenging opponent, and what made the match difficult?
Garcia: I think the hardest match for me was when Vanny and I played Independence during districts for the spring season. It wasn’t that the match was hard but the overall stress and fear of losing is what prevented us from succeeding. This caused us to play scared, as if we were playing not to lose rather than playing to win.
7. Who do you feel inspires you most
Garcia: I think Jannik Sinner inspires me as a tennis player because he is such a humble guy, but extremely assertive on the tennis court. His capabilities to stay in the match are truly remarkable and I aspire for the mental aptitude he has worked so hard to create. Additionally, I am also inspired by Andrey Rublev because he has gone through the same mental struggles that I have. I think that he’s been an extremely relatable player to me about being emotional on the court, and although he has faced these problems he remains in the top 10 as well as overcoming these mental barriers.
8. Do you plan to continue tennis after high school?
Garcia: I would like to continue tennis after high school whether that be intermural or something else like that. I have a great love for the game and it would be great to continue to play more.
