The Wheel caught up with the women's tennis team's number two player Beatrice Rosen to ask a few questions about her season.
Wheel: When did you first start playing tennis?
Rosen: I first started playing tennis when I was about five years old. I just took the generic, weekly tennis lessons growing up and went to tennis camps here and there, while also playing a ton of other sports. I became very serious about tennis in middle and high school, while also playing club soccer until my junior year of high school.
W: When did you realize that you wanted to play at a higher level in college?
R: I decided that I wanted to play at a high collegiate level when I was a sophomore in high school. I went to boarding school (Hotchkiss) in Connecticut at the time and withdrew for my junior year, when I flew back home to Southern California. For that year, I went to school online and boarded full-time at a tennis academy.
I went back to Hotchkiss for my senior year of high school. I didn't realize how much I loved tennis and competing until I went to Hotchkiss, where I did not play as much as I did growing up in Manhattan Beach. The slight break from it, which I really needed, made me truly miss it.
W: What are a couple of your favorite things about the sport?
R: Oh man, now that's a tough question. Well, the first thing that comes to mind is how challenging tennis really is. There are so many different types of shots you can hit, techniques to use and strategies to employ... there's always something new to learn, and I love the challenge.
I also love the mental and physical challenge. You can't let any point, line call or bad shot get to you, or else you may lose control of your emotions and therefore, the match. It's a great, pump-up feeling to watch your opponent lose control of her emotions and get angry.
As for the physical challenge, there is nothing I enjoy more than grinding my opponent down hour after hour, running them side-to-side on the baseline, in a long and close match, while also pushing myself. And then, of course, there's that amazing feeling of winning, both individually and as a team. Nothing can beat that!
W: Who is your tennis idol?
R: My tennis idol is [Novak] Djokovic, for many reasons. But basically, he's simply a boss both on and off the court. His impersonations of other professional tennis players are also hilarious – you should YouTube it. Also, watch the "60 Minutes" episode on him. It'll turn you into a true fan.
W: What do you think the strongest part of your game is?
R: The strongest part of my game is my consistency and ability to hit deep in the court, while grinding my opponents down moving them from side to side along the baseline.
W: What is it like playing tennis for a school like Emory? Is it hard to balance with academics?
R: I love playing tennis for a top D-III school like Emory. We have the opportunity to win a national championship while still getting a great education. The practice and travel schedule is similar to a D-I school, which makes the program both rigorous and competitive.
It is not too hard to balance with academics if you are organized and manage time well. It really depends on the person. The only thing I wish Emory Athletics had is ... more fans! It pumps us up!
W: What have been a few of the challenges in your career so far?
R: So far in my collegiate career, one of the challenges I faced was coming in as a freshman and adjusting to a team mentality versus individual sport mentality. As a teammate, it's now all about giving and not taking.
W: You had one of the most successful freshman seasons in Emory's history for women's tennis. Which one of your accomplishments have meant the most to you so far?
R: I grew a lot, both as a player, teammate and person during my freshman year on the team. I didn't have a great fall season; it took a while to adjust to a team mentality.
But in the spring, I really hit my stride, and I would definitely say the accomplishment that has meant the most to me so far was making it to the NCAA finals. Although we lost, competing for the national championship was absolutely exhilarating, and our team is so fired up to take the title this year.
W: Your sophomore season is still young: what are a few of your individual goals for this season?
R: Individually, I would like to make the NCAA Individual Championships again and gain All-America honors for this 2014 season. But honestly, I would give up any individual accomplishment or goal of mine to win NCAA's as a team. That's all I really want, and we work towards it each and every hour we spend out on the courts.
– By Ethan Morris
