After leading the Blue Jays to a 2-1 team record at the Blue Grey Invitational last week, sophomore Megumi Chen was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week. Chen finished 2-1 at No. 2 singles and 3-0 at No. 2 doubles in Fredericksburg, Va. before adding another victory on Saturday in the team’s 9-0 shutout of the Haverford College Fords.
The News-Letter was privileged enough to hear Chen’s thoughts on the team’s success this spring and gain an insight into the daily life of a Hopkins tennis player.
The News-Letter: When you aren’t out on the tennis court, how do you like to spend your time?
Megumi Chen: Studying! It’s not necessarily something I “like,” but it is what takes up most of my time off the court. When I do get some free time, though, I like to stay active by doing yoga, stretching, taking walks and cooking/baking. I also love spending time with my family, especially my nine-year-old sister, Maria, who is my best friend and inspiration.
N-L: What is your secret to balancing athletics with academics?
MC: Although there is no “secret formula” (I wish there was!), I think that being on top of my time management and setting priorities are keys for me to balancing out athletics and everything else... I try to go into each week with a solid academic and tennis plan — kind of like a “game plan” for the week.
N-L: How has your role on the team developed in the past year?
MC: Over the past year, I feel that I have grown as a tennis player, but mostly as a teammate. It is amazing to see the transition from playing individually in junior tournaments to playing for a team in college. Playing for a team carries an increased amount of pressure but also an equivalent amount of excitement and determination to win my matches. I have become even tougher since my match affects the weight of the team. For example, in our first round at the [Intercollegiate Tennis Association] National Team Indoor Championships this February, we were down 0-4 as a team (the first team to win five matches wins as a team), and so my match was the deciding match of whether we would survive the first round or not. I was able to hang in there mentally and win in three sets, which ignited the rest of our team to win the rest of our matches to come back and win 5-4.
I think that now that I have been on the team for a year, I am more familiar with the team dynamics and am more involved in the process of strengthening our team spirit, which I value the most.
N-L: What goals do you have personally and for your squad this season?
MC: The ultimate goal for our team is to win the [National Collegiate Athletic Association] NCAA National Championships. Although we have come close in the past years, we did not perform as well as we would have liked to last year when we lost in the round of 16 of NCAA’s, so we are hoping to step up our game and commitment in order to reach the top.
Personally, I am determined to play and win as many matches as I can in my position in both doubles and singles in order to contribute to our team.
N-L: How does it feel to receive the honor of Centennial Conference Player of the Week?
MC: I am very honored to have received the Centennial Conference player of the week! The hard work I have put in since I started playing the sport about 11 years ago and the incredible support I have gotten from my mom, sister, coaches, trainers and teammates has allowed me to grow and improve in order to accomplish the many goals that I have set for myself. There is still a lot of work to be accomplished, and I will keep continuing to work hard to strive for my goals, but I am very thankful for all the support I have gotten throughout my tennis journey.
N-L: What is your favorite part of the Hopkins tennis program?
MC: Being in a team atmosphere, especially considering that tennis is a very [individual] sport, makes the sport so much more enjoyable. I am so fortunate to have a supportive and close-knit team that truly cares for each other and also the coaches who are so supportive of not just my tennis, but my academics and career goals as well. I love being able to play the sport I love at the school that I love while also being able to create life-long friendships along the way. I am proud and fortunate to be a Blue Jay!
