The season for Guilford’s men’s tennis team recently ended with a loss to Shenandoah at the ODAC quarterfinals in Winchester, Virginia. One of the team’s most prominent members this year, currently ranked No. 3 on the team, is Evan Wong, who completed his third year on the team this season.
Wong began playing tennis when he was 8 years old. “I used to be all into video games, but one day I walked onto a court, because my sister plays tennis, and I got interested in it. And I’ve been playing it ever since,” said Wong.
The team is currently at a record of 5-5. “My goal for the season is to just give my best overall for the team and most importantly have fun.”
Wong feels content with how the season is progressing. “I’m pretty happy with our record right now. And also how strong we’ve been keeping up with our matches. We have a few more matches left and it’s gonna be tougher since it’s a tight schedule. We’re going to have matches back to back and there’s not much room in between. But so far I’m proud of everyone on the team,” said Wong.
To prepare for upcoming games, Wong and the rest of the team engage in activities such as drills, match play, etc. Wong also listens to music from his pre-game playlist to help hype himself up before the game.
Wong has helped create a warm and welcoming environment for the members of the men’s tennis team. “Evan is a fantastic tennis player and a wizard on the court. The way he plays is almost effortless, placing the ball wherever he wants on the court. Not only is he a great player but a good personality on and off the court as well. He can provide great encouragement and even a good laugh once and a while,” said Turner Johnson, another member of the men’s tennis team.
Just like any other athlete here at Guilford, Wong has to balance being an athlete with being a student, which can be a difficult task to do. “I basically have to schedule my courses that correlate with my tennis schedule. So it’s not like I can just register for any class. I have to make sure it works around my tennis schedule. I would say that I’m important enough on the team where I need to be there every day.”
He currently has no idols or role models in the world of tennis, but he does observe other tennis players and shows respect toward their skills and how confident they are as tennis players.
One of his favorite memories of playing tennis comes from playing two international tournaments in Florida: The Orange Bowl and the Eddie Herr International Championship, both of which are prestigious tennis tournaments for young tennis players.
“I would say playing two in the Orange Bowl and the Eddie Herr tournaments in Florida are my favorite memories from playing tennis because I got to play against players from all over the world,” Wong said.
While many students’ athletic careers end after they graduate from college, Wong plans to pursue tennis further. “I know it’s going to be way less intense than before college and during college combined, but I’m going to try to find some way to play tennis.”
Evan Wong, as well as the rest of the men’s tennis team, are a great example of hard work and passion for the sport that they love.
