Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I want to share with you an inspiring story about an American tennis rising star, Mary Stoiana. She’s been making waves in the tennis world, and I’m excited to dive into her journey from college tennis to the professional tour.
Mary Stoiana, who plays for Texas A&M, has been on an incredible run. She achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first player to be ranked No.1 in both singles and doubles in NCAA Division I. This accomplishment is not just a testament to her skills on the court but also reflects her dedication and hard work over the years.
During an exclusive interview with Tennis World USA, Mary shared her journey. When asked if she always had the clear goal of becoming a professional tennis player, she replied, “Yes, I have always had the clear goal of wanting to be a professional tennis player ever since I was little from age 4. It didn’t just start in my college career, I always dreamed I would play the grand Slams, so it’s been something that has been motivating me to work hard throughout my junior and college career.”
The years at Texas A&M were crucial for Mary’s development as a tennis player. She highlighted how being on her own at school helped her grow in maturity and independence. The resources available at Texas A&M were unparalleled, providing her with access to top-notch coaches, fitness trainers, and recovery specialists. This support system was instrumental in shaping her into a well-rounded athlete.
Combining sports and studies is no easy feat. Mary shared some secrets to balancing college life, sports, and studies: “It is definitely a challenge to balance studies and athletics, but these are important skills to acquire when growing as a person. Some secrets to balancing college life sports and studies is to be very conscious of time management, making sure you get your schoolwork out of the way so you can value your tennis. I think it is also very important to give yourself some social time so you can feel human outside of the sport and schoolwork.”
Mary’s approach to professional tennis is one of discipline and hard work. She emphasized the importance of being professional in all aspects of life: “I approach professional tennis as a dream of mine that I want to achieve. I believe it is very important to be professional in all aspects of your life if you are trying to be a professional tennis player, and I think my journey to becoming a professional tennis player has taught me a lot about discipline time management working hard and not giving up when things get tough.”
Her experiences in college were pivotal in preparing her for the professional tour. She noted that achieving high rankings and defending titles during her college career provided valuable experience: “It was an honor to achieve these accomplishments in college. They are super important in gaining experiences as I switch to professional tennis. For example, it is great to learn and experience in my college career how to play with pressures of being highly ranked and defending titles.”
Mental health is also an important aspect of a tennis player’s life. Mary mentioned that their team does pretty well on the mental health side, with access to many resources at Texas A&M: “I feel like our team as a whole does pretty well on the mental health side. We have a lot of resources at Texas A&M that we can reach out to. As a group I think we are pretty open to talking about any struggles we have and then are very willing to helping each other out if needed.”
Looking ahead, Mary’s goals include making a seamless transition from college to the pro tour. She aims to establish a solid training base and continue improving every day: “Some goals for the near future is to try and make a seamless transition from college to the pro Tour. I want to figure out where my training base is going to be out of and I want to keep valuing every day and getting as good as I can every day. Then long-term I want to probably break the top-200 WTA rankings.”
Mary also credits her sporting idols for inspiration. One of her idols is Serena Williams, whom she admires for her achievements and influence: “One of my sporting idols is Serena Williams because she was a very influential woman who is the first modern woman to set big records and achieve a lot of things. She was also American that really inspired me I remember being little and thinking I really want to be like her.”
In conclusion, Mary Stoiana’s journey from college tennis to the professional tour is an inspiring story of hard work and dedication. Her experiences at Texas A&M have equipped her with the skills and mental toughness needed for success on the international stage.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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