At just 3 years old, Kylie Liu (10) started playing tennis with her dad on the Westview tennis courts. Despite her heavy racket and the dauntingly tall nets that loomed before her, 3-year-old Liu was determined to play tennis. She wanted to be just like her older sister, whom she had always looked up to and had also played tennis during that time. Even after Liu’s sister stopped playing tennis and went to college, Liu quickly discovered her love for and talent in the sport. 

Now, nearly 13 years later, tennis is a major part of Liu’s life. She placed fifth in the San Diego International Tennis Federation Tournament on Nov 13, her ranking going from 113th to 69th nationally in her age group. 

Liu said that she doesn’t normally play tournaments from the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of world tennis, as these tournaments are often in other states.

 She said that she would miss too much school if she regularly attended out of state tournaments. However,  this tournament happened to be located in San Diego, so she decided to compete. 

In a typical week, Liu plays tennis 5-6 times for three hours a day, with at least one tournament every week. All of this practice allows her to rank up in tournaments maintaining a regular practice routine helps Liu perform consistently and keep her body in peak physical condition.

As part of the International Tennis Federation, this tournament had high stakes and an abundance of strong players. As a result, Liu had low expectations heading into her first round.

“I knew that all my opponents were ranked higher than me, so I really had nothing to lose,” she said. “I tried harder to stay positive even when I [lost a point] or when I wasn’t exactly playing my best.” 

Liu said that the support from her tennis friends and coaches helped her bounce back  when she struggled during the previous four matches she played that day. 

“[During the tournament], all my coaches and friends came to watch and my friends were really supportive too,” she said. “That got me more fired up and motivated to come back even when I was down. I was able to play more freely and go for my shots with more confidence.”

Liu also has specific routines that allow her to stay calm and focused in between games. She usually enjoys a variety of sports drinks and regroups herself if she doesn’t do well. She said that the consistency helps her stay grounded and helps her reset her mindset,. 

“I always have to first put my towel down and then my racket and then I have to flip the score if I won the previous game,” she said. “Then I go back and I first drink my water and then I drink my Gatorade and then I drink my hydration liquid IV. I put my towel in the corner and go back to playing. If I lose two points in a row, I spend 30 seconds there, just trying to regroup and reset.” 

Liu won four matches in a row, one in the qualifiers and three in the main tournament. 

“I didn’t expect much from this tournament, but I was really proud of myself and the way I played,” she said. 

Liu hopes to continue her tennis career in college.

“I really want to try to go [for] Division 1,” she said. “It was pretty cool because at the tournament a bunch of college coaches were all watching me. I definitely felt more pressure but I feel like that helped me compete better.”