Being a competitive tennis player is one of the biggest things in freshman Justin Lo’s life. He rigorously trained since he was 12 years old and has learned lots from both the failures and losses of his journey.
“Back when I was 8, trying all different sports, my parents sent me to a tennis camp. I played a little here and there but didn’t really get serious until I turned 12,” said Lo.
In the fall of 2019, Lo played in his first tournament. Despite his lack of experience, beginner’s luck favored Justin and he managed to score a runaway victory. After this success, he started to take tennis seriously and began his formal training once the pandemic started.
“It was pretty cold outside because it was late November in 2019. I was in the boys U12 section and was about to turn thirteen. I was the biggest and oldest person but the least experienced! Still, I managed to win all my matches and get first place, “ said Lo.
When Lo began his serious training, his private coach suggested a more structured training regimen rather than on and off private lessons. Lo trains on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays along with weekends. During the mornings, he does an exercise routine consisting of upper-body exercises and stretches. In the afternoon, he spars with his fitness trainer. Such a packed training schedule makes it difficult for Lo to balance schoolwork and tennis.
“It gets very hard to juggle everything at times. Tennis training is the reason I’m not able to play video games every night before going to sleep,” said Lo.
As his tennis career progressed, Lo experienced both triumphs and defeats. During a tournament in New Jersey, he managed to play a spectacular game against the top seed despite incredible back pain. Although he lost the match, Lo considers this one of his proudest moments.
“I had some pretty bad tournaments as well. At this one doubles tournament, my double and I won the first round easily but played awfully in the second round and lost. My parents marched me to the car and said that maybe competitive tennis just wasn’t for me,” said Lo.
Lo was able to bounce back from this loss and win one of his best matches against the fifth seed the next round. Today, Justin continues to play competitive tennis and hopes to play at the college level.
“I have learned a lot from competitive tennis. For one, it’s a much more mental sport than people think. There’s no one to support you when you’re doing poorly and strategy is key. From tennis, I have learned mental toughness, ” said Lo.