Interview with Jaela Cardoza-Alvarez

Jaela Cardoza-Alvarez is a charming, outgoing individual and an incredible tennis player who played on our school's team. Throughout the season, we had numerous wonderful and amusing experiences. Unfortunately, this was her last tennis season with our school's team, and I wish her all the best in the future. Through this interview, I got the amazing opportunity to learn more about her passion for tennis. Her responses to the following questions are as follows: 

What is your position on the school’s tennis team? 

“First singles.”  

What is your position preference (singles or doubles)? 

“Singles.”  

What is your preferred type of court? 

“Hard tennis court." 

What are your favorite tennis shots? 

“Cross court forehands and volleys." 

What do you do when you are not playing tennis or practicing? 

“Hang out with friends, listen to music, or workout." 

Who is your favorite tennis player? 

“Serena Williams.”  

What is your favorite meal after a game? 

“Pasta.”  

What is your pre-game routine? 

“Just get hype and remember to play your hardest and your best." 

How did you come to be a tennis player? 

“I actually started off dancing, and when I got old enough, I expressed to my family that I didn’t like dancing and didn’t want to do it anymore, so they tried to find other stuff for me to do, and I didn’t like anything else, but then I found tennis." 

Who is your role model or someone you looked up to? 

“My mom is my role model." 

How has your experience playing high school tennis been? 

“My experience playing high school tennis has been so much fun. It’s taught me some stuff here and there. I’ve learned to play against many different types of playing styles, I enjoyed playing with my team, and I had a great coach." 

Who were your past coaches? How have they helped her become a better tennis player? 

“My first ever coach for tennis was named Milton. I had him as a coach for 2 years, and then he left to move on with his life. I was then introduced to Coach Akins, who has now been my coach for a total of 3–4 years. He’s definitely encouraged me to play better, play smarter, and is always pushing me to play stronger and reach new levels. My family is the reason I am who I am today, especially my mom. I receive endless amounts of love and encouragement from all of them, and they are truly amazing." 

What do you look for in a coach? 

“I look for a coach that wants me to succeed and will push me to the next level." 

How do you maintain focus in a game or deal with stress? 

“I take deep breaths, and I always look at my opponent and tell myself, “I want this more than they do.” My opponent will never understand how much more I want this than they do." 

Do you see yourself playing tennis even more competitively in the future? 

“I do see myself playing more competitively in the future because I really do love playing tennis." 

What makes someone good at tennis? 

“I think that with enough practice, anyone can play, but to be good, you have to have what it takes to win. You need to have enough discipline and confidence to tell yourself that you are good and that you have the ability to win."