PHOTO/ Amy Ta Arunraj prepares to volley during her singles match at Monrovia High School on Oct. 18. The team won with a score of 17-1, their second team win this season.
By Amy Ta
Staff Writer
Eyes trained on the neon green ball swiftly moving towards her, senior Architha Arunraj arcs her right arm back before slamming her racket into the moving sphere. The ball ricochets off the racket to the other side, just out of reach of her opponent, sealing a 6-0 win against South Pasadena.
As the varsity girls tennis team captain, Arunraj has much experience in the field of the sport. So far this season, her personal record is 16-2, while the team’s overall league record is 2-7.
Her father’s passion for the sport inspired Arunraj. She enrolled in tennis lessons at the elementary level, heightening her skills as an individual player. Not only was her father her inspiration, he is her biggest supporter today.
“I’ve definitely learned the most from my dad,” Arunraj said. “He’s encouraged me in so many ways. He was also always by my side in every tournament and lesson.”
Arunraj’s appreciation for tennis began to spark when she went to the Indian Wells Tournament, where she watched a Roger Federer match. As she grew up, she continued to watch the 20-time Grand Slam Champion and observed his personal and mental growth as a tennis player.
“I remember starting to idolize him,” Arunraj said. “I’ve always followed his career. I just looked up to him because of how much he’s grown. Watching his game helped me perfect my craft.”
Arunraj joined the United States Tennis Association Youth Leadership during her freshman year. The organization overviews tennis in the U.S. She helps assist members of the USTA by coordinating events for younger children and teaching them how to play.
The four-year varsity tennis player maintains a strict practice schedule. Her school practice schedule consists of two-hour Wednesday and Friday practices, while Tuesdays and Thursdays are match days. Over the weekend, Arunraj practices at Arroyo Seco Racquet Club to enhance her performance.
Arunraj learned to maintain a healthy balance between school and tennis. She finds that engaging in a team sport has taught her how to practice good time management, whether it would be to complete her homework on the rides to competitions or allocating specific times to make sure her work is completed in a timely manner.
She additionally faced many obstacles, both physically and mentally. A decreased lung capacity makes it harder for her to compete in matches as she has to work twice as hard to compete on the same caliber as her teammates and opponents.
“I always had respiratory issues, but it definitely worsened over time,” Arunraj said. “In matches, I can’t take as many breaks as I want, so knowing that I was significantly better during practice because of the environment and circumstances was really frustrating for me.”
Although she struggled physically, Arunraj realized that the hardest part of tennis is maintaining her mental strength. Confidence and attentiveness throughout the day can affect how well she performs later on. Arunraj believes that being in the right headspace and having confidence helps her do better in a match.
“The biggest opponent is often yourself,” Arunraj said. “It’s like the domino effect, where one thing frustrates you, and then everything else frustrates you. That affects how well you play. So having a strong mindset is important.”
The senior plans to continue playing tennis in college on a club team. Although her high school tennis career is coming to an end, she still plans to stay involved in the tennis community through USTA.
“Tennis will always be a part of my life,” Arunraj said. “The game has taught me so much and I’m grateful for that.”