Tempe, AZ – In part of a collaboration with the ITA Student-Athlete Council, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to begin monthly heritage month spotlights to highlight the many diverse backgrounds that help make college tennis the sport it has become today.
Beginning with Black History Month, the ITA will spotlight several black student-athletes throughout the month and will allow them to have a platform to share their stories and experiences as a black student-athlete playing college tennis. To lead things off we have Sofia Johnson from Old Dominion University.
As a junior on the Old Dominion women’s tennis team, Johnson has quickly become one of the top women’s players in the nation, earning All-American honors her sophomore season after reaching the Round of Sixteen at the 2023-24 NCAA Singles Championships. This past fall, Johnson continued to grow her game to new heights, winning the ITA Conference Masters Championship to make her second trip to the NCAA Singles Championship and she finished the fall ranked No. 7 in the ITA Singles Rankings.
In this spotlight, Johnson will share a little bit about herself and some of her experiences growing up as a black athlete in the tennis community and how she hopes to make an impact on future generations.
Read more about Sofia in this spotlight below:
Hello, my name is Sofia Johnson, and I am a Junior at Old Dominion University. Outside of tennis, I am pursuing a degree in Business Analytics with the hopes of pursuing a career in Data Analytics.
Please share a little bit about your journey to college tennis. Why was it important to you to pursue tennis at this level? What people or personal experiences inspired you to play college tennis?
It was important for me to pursue tennis at the college level to improve my overall tennis career. College has helped me get personalized attention on areas of improvement in my game and I am able to practice and compete constantly year-round. I think seeing past practice partners playing at the college level and transitioning to the pro tour helped inspire me to want to take the same path and be able to develop at the same time.
What are some initiatives you would suggest to make tennis more inclusive and supportive of athletes from diverse backgrounds?
I think highlighting players and coaches from diverse backgrounds in promotions can help inspire and normalize diversity within tennis. Another initiative is organizing events that bring communities together through tennis such as family tournaments or cultural celebrations to showcase tennis’ accessibility. Another idea is to partner with non-profits or community organizations to introduce tennis to underrepresented communities. These should focus on areas where tennis has not historically been as accessible.
How do you seek out community and stay connected to your cultural heritage while balancing the demands of being a student-athlete?
I like to celebrate any important holidays and traditions even if they are small. I also like having meals from my culture that I cook or speaking my second language Hungarian to stay close to my family at home and be able to talk to them. America is far from Hungary and England, so it is important for me to keep practicing my Hungarian and call my family when I can. Social media is also an easy way for me to connect with others from my background.
What legacy do you hope to leave for future Black tennis players at your school or in the sport overall? What advice would you give to younger Black athletes who dream of playing college tennis?
I want to leave a legacy that encourages excellence and representation. I hope to lead the way for future Black tennis players to feel confident in places where they may not always see themselves represented. I want to be remembered for my accomplishments but also for the inclusion and inspiration I gave for others who share my journey. I want to be a good role-model and show that success can be achieved from hard work and discipline, but most importantly self-belief. Some advice I would give to younger black athletes is to surround yourself with people who encourage you, with good coaches and friends or family. It is important to set your work ethic apart from everyone else and be proud of where you came from. Stay true to yourself and keep committed to your goals, which will inspire others to follow you and change the game.
