Sophomore, Ajay Mahenthiran, has been playing tennis for six years and started playing because of his brother.
“Seeing my brother play got me really involved and I wanted to compete like him,” Mahenthiran said.
The history of the tennis program gives him a ton of motivation to give it his all every match and cherish every moment. “It is an amazing feeling to be able to go out and compete for this because of the history of the program and the nature of winning so often,” Mahenthiran said.
As a sophomore, he has a season of experience and realizes the importance of coming out on top in big moments.
“I want to use the experience I have had freshman year to help me become more clutch in big situations,” Mahenthiran said.
Tennis can present players with many challenges, especially if a player has the high expectations of Mahenthiran but he chooses to make the best of them and use it to get better.
“Tennis becomes a very stressful sport when you play at a high, competitive level,” Mahenthiran said, “but if you embrace those challenges at the highest level and learn from them, you can grow and become even better.”
Some of those challenges he has had to overcome include losing crucial matches or having his rank drop due to a poor tournament performance.
“I give myself encouraging words and tell myself it is going to be okay,” Mahenthiran said.
He has goals of being the best competitor he can, and not just being a part of a state championship, but actually being a key piece to the success of the team.
