Rain, wind, snow and heat, tennis players endure physical pains every week, pushing their bodies to the extreme. Physically, they’ve never been stronger; mentally, they face their biggest competitors. Student athletes are held to the highest expectations: players who can only get better. However, they know first hand, wins on the court don’t always mean wins in their head as they battle to balance their academics, social life and their sport.

The Texas A&M Women’s Tennis team is not at a loss for trophies; from 2024 National Champions to SEC Champions since 2022, these women truly prove you can do it all — but how do they stay not only physically ready, but mentally? They have to win matches on and off the court, coming from all over the world to represent the Aggies.

The two seniors on the team, Mary Stoiana and Jeanette Mireles, know they have to stay focused in the middle of the tennis chaos.

“​​I visualize a lot, maybe not even pregame, just in general, I’ll do visualization, and that seems to help,” Stoiana said. “I love doing yoga. It’s great for the body in general, but it does put me in a relaxed, meditative state.”

Mireles said she spends time with herself to be calm physically but also mentally, journaling every morning.

“I’ve been doing it since my freshman year,” Mireles said. “My mom suggested it to me one time, and she said that it really helped her through a tough time period in college, and it just helps keep my thoughts clear. I just jot anything down that I’m ever thinking. It just helps me think clearly.”

Growing up just a few hours away in Houston, Mireles said adjusting to a big university was one of her biggest struggles as she was homeschooled as a way to devote her time to tennis. In order to mentally focus before big matches, Mireles leans into her faith and mom.

“I grew up Catholic, and that was something that I was always taught growing up, if I was ever having any sort of anxiety or nerves, just pray through it,” Mireles said. “Before all of my matches, I’ll call my mom and she’ll pray with me. And I used to call our university Chaplain Mikado, and he would pray with me before a few of my matches, and then I’ll just spend time with girls in the locker room.”

Mireles isn’t the only one who struggled to adjust as junior Daria Smetannikov said she is able to balance her social life, academics and tennis by taking advantage of A&M’s resources.

“Usually I give myself a time during the day where I do just school after practice,” Smetannikov said. “The academic center for student athletes really helps you with your schoolwork. If you’re struggling or anything, you can always get a tutor whenever you need so that really helps me balance it as well.

Stoiana pushes everyone, not just student athletes, to speak out on their mental health and take advantage of the resources the university provides.

“There’s so many resources and people who are willing to help you,” Stoiana said. “If there’s anything going on, I like to share and talk about it, and [there’s] always people trying to help. People think there’s no one or no one cares but people do care. They exist and they would want to help.”

Smetannikov said she doesn’t get discouraged in the face of a loss but is inspired by the challenge.

Stoiana argues losses are best kept in the past and serve as fuel to grow.

“You try to have short term memory with losses and just know that there’s always another tennis match to be played,” Stoiana said. “I like to draw from the losses and see what I can learn from it because I know that every experience is you win the match or you learn something.”

Freshman Lexington Reed shines through as the only freshman on the team; she reinforces the importance of a surrounding support system.

“I have so many supportive people around me and tennis is a very individual sport, so having a team now that’s really supportive, and court coaches that travel with us, it’s helped me,” Reed said.

Stoiana said she looks up to all her teammates for their ability to perform consistently.

“They go out there on the court and just take challenges head on, and they look so fearless. All my teammates that go out and play regularly inspire me for sure,” Stoiana said.

Mia Kupres said although she has been travelling to Europe and all over the world for years, the constant distance from home takes its toll.

“Sometimes it gets a little bit mentally taxing to be on the road for away matches, multiple weekends in a row, and you just want to sleep in your own bed and be in your own routine, so that can make each match feel a little bit more tiring and it piles on sometimes,” Kupres said.

In order to stay grounded, Kupres said she reminds herself of the amount of opportunities she has at A&M.

“I just have to remember that I have so much more going on at A&M than just my sport,” Kupres said. “That’s the main reason why I’m here. But I also have an amazing opportunity to get a degree and study something that I enjoy, and I have amazing teammates that I love spending time with.”