TEMPE, Ariz. – Josie Usereau has always been told she has potential.
An athletic child, the Quebec native Usereau grew up playing every sport she could. Her natural speed and footwork translated to any competition as she often balanced four to five sports at a time. As a 10-year-old, Usereau began to draw praise from coaches around town for her instinctive athleticism. Her potential seemed to radiate from every field and court she stepped on.
“But potential is nothing if you don’t make it happen,” she said.
A decade later, it’s happening for Usereau in Tucson.
In her first season at the University of Arizona, Usereau has enjoyed a true breakout season in a Big 12 Conference that’s packed with talent. The sophomore finished the regular season at 16-8 as the Wildcats’ top singles player, listed as high as No. 37 this spring in individual rankings. Usereau and Danielle Tuhten, often Arizona’s top doubles tandem, rounded out the spring at 7-4, as well.
It’s the dream season she envisioned when choosing the Wildcats out of the transfer portal early last summer. Usereau spent her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, where she was the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second Titan in program history to win the award, and was also tabbed to the conference’s First Team for singles after posting a 13-6 record.
Yet, she wanted more.
By transferring from Cal State Fullerton, she sought heightened competition, a conference that would continuously test her and coaches who could elevate her game. She quickly found her match in head coach Ryan Stotland and the Wildcats.
“Arizona had everything I was looking for changing from Cal State Fullerton to another school,” she said. “Obviously, Arizona has a lot of resources, as well, and great facilities and three coaches and everything. It really caught my attention.”
“She was known as someone who really wanted it,” the seventh-year head coach Stotland said. “She may not have had the results going into college or at Fullerton, but I knew from everyone I talked to that she wanted it and that’s really what she was trying to strive for. I love developing players and I knew that she was an athlete. I love working with very athletic people and that’s the style I like. She fit the mold of the person and the player that we look for.”
It’s been the perfect pairing. The Wildcats found their No. 1 singles player of the foreseeable future, while the challenge Usereau gets each day has helped unlock her best self.
“I feel like an environment does a lot for a player,” she said. “To be at such a big school with great teammates and great coaches, it makes you better. You don’t have the choice to do it halfway. You have to give it your best. It’s a progression. Last year, I had a great year and I just try to keep on building and building my best everyday. That’s what made the best version of myself is to just keep progressing everyday.”
It’s taken a couple of detours to get to this juncture. Despite her obvious talent and athleticism, Usereau had limited options coming out of college, instead watching friends and teammates in her hometown field offer after offer. Shortly after joining the Wildcats, Usereau suffered a torn meniscus in her left knee, sidelining her for some pivotal summer months while learning a new program.
“We weren’t sure if I needed surgery,” she said. “It was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of waiting around, but I’d say I made the best out of it. Coming into a new team, new environment, you always learn new coaches. They coach differently, so there were a lot of tactics that I learned during that time. I came back pretty quickly.”
A month later, she was back competing. How she handled the injury and the way she approached her rehab offered some insight into the kind of player and person the Wildcats brought in.
“Off the court, it’s her professionalism, the way she takes care of her body, the way she understands that she wants it and always is trying to learn something new,” Stotland said. “She’s really inquisitive and she loves to learn. That’s been a really big thing off the court. She’s trying to become a bit of a leader already and understands, ‘This team can go as far as I push them.’”
Usereau has always thrived under this kind of team atmosphere, a dynamic that’s practically non-existent at the junior tennis level. As much as tennis is a part of her background and upbringing, as is soccer, where Usereau currently balances a semi-professional career back home in Canada.
“There’s a league called League One, and I guess it’s the highest level you can play in Quebec. Whenever I can, I go practice with the team and go play matches with them. If I can practice during winter break and during the summer, that’s what I do.”
It’s benefitted her tennis career in multiple facets. The footwork and conditioning are a natural overlap, but Usereau has also learned how to be a teammate. Growing and thriving in a team environment has been as impactful as any tangible gain she receives on the pitch.
“On the court,” Stotland said, “she’s one of the most elite players and athletes we have in the game right now, but off the court, she’s a great leader. She puts all of us together and our culture is amazing with 11 ladies who do the right thing everyday. It’s a pretty cool environment.”
Competition has always been ingrained in the Usereau household. Her father, Serge, is a former world-champion arm wrestler. She grew up competing alongside her three sisters and older cousins in everything they could.
“Ever since I was young, I’d try to compete in everything. I’d play with my cousins, who were older than me, and I’d always try to win, try to win. Even my sisters, we’d play Mario Kart and I’d give it my best. We’re not too competitive, obviously we all like winning and all like sports, so it did make an influence.”
That competitive, do-it-all mindset has naturally rolled over into her academic life. A physiology and medical sciences major, Usereau is eyeing medical school and hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon to remain close to athletics. Of course, that will have to wait until her playing career concludes, where she expects to explore the pro circuit once she leaves Tucson.
“The thing people probably don’t know about her is how intelligent she is,” Stotland marvelled. “She’s trying to be a doctor. She has a 100 percent in every freaking class you can think of. She’s like, ‘Organic chemistry is tough,’ and then we look at her grade and we’re like, ‘Holy cow. You have a 100 percent. What do you mean it’s tough?’ She does everything off the court extremely well. She’s one of the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet and she just wants to learn. I think that’s the coolest thing about her. She’s not even close to reaching her potential because she still wants to get better.”
The girl who once garnered little attention from college coaches as a high school recruit has since turned into the quintessential student-athlete, growing into one of the country’s top players while balancing a rigorous course load. Her arrival has also boosted the Wildcats to an 18-9 spring record, the highest regular-season win total in Stotland’s tenure.
Her leadership, development and skillset have clicked at once, making good on the potential that always lived from within.
“I enjoy the process. I’m super grateful. Everything is there for us. We get food, housing, free education. This is awesome. To be able to study and to compete and to practice at the highest level and to be the highest version of myself, that’s what drives me everyday. I’m just trying to do as best as I can. I’m really happy I get to do that here in this environment.”
JOSIE USEREAU
ARIZONA | SOPHOMORE | SAINT-MITCHEL, QUEBEC, CANADA
When did you start playing tennis and when did you realize you were good at it?
I started when I was six, so I guess that makes it 13 years. I was trying a bunch of sports, playing four, five sports at the time. My dad made me try tennis. I feel like people knew early on I was an athletic person. I would say around 9, 10, people realized I was pretty good, I guess.
I love sports in general. I love the adrenaline, running around and stuff. I guess I’d say I really liked it [then].
You spent your freshman year at Cal State Fullerton. When you looked to transfer, why was Arizona such a fit for you?
Arizona had everything I was looking for changing from Cal St Fullerton to another school. I wanted a tougher conference, a tougher team and just a new environment that could push me. Obviously, Arizona has a lot of resources, as well, and great facilities and three coaches and everything. It really caught my attention. There was also a Canadian on the team, Martina, and I knew her from juniors a little bit. I asked her some questions and I liked what she said to me.
What have you learned about yourself in this past year?
That’s a tough question. Keep having fun, keep working hard, do everything well and make it fun for everyone. You can learn a little bit from every person that’s around you. I feel like some people take that for granted. I really believe that. From your teammates, from your coaches, there’s always something you can take and add to make yourself better.
You talked about the resources and the staff. How has Arizona unlocked the best version of yourself?
I feel like an environment does a lot for a player. To be at such a big school with great teammates and great coaches, it makes yourself better. You don’t have the choice to do it halfway. You have to give it your best. It’s a progression. Last year, I had a great year and I just try to keep on building and building my best everyday. That’s what made the best version of myself is to just keep progressing everyday.
When did your knee injury occur [torn meniscus in left knee] and what was that process like, both physically and mentally?
It was this past summer. We weren’t sure if I needed surgery. It was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of waiting around, but I’d say I made the best out of it. Coming into a new team, new environment, you always learn new coaches. They coach differently, so there were a lot of tactics that I learned during that time. I came back pretty quickly. Knee surgery is never easy, but I bounced back pretty easily. A month later, I was playing tournaments.
Walk me through your soccer career because I’m fascinated by this.
I started playing soccer when I was five. Same thing with tennis, I was athletic, super fast and I loved kicking the ball. I always did both at the same time. Tennis took most of my time, but I was still, at night, practicing and playing matches on the weekend. Back home, there’s a league called League One, and I guess it’s the highest level you can play in Quebec. Whenever I can, I go practice with the team and go play matches with them. If I can practice during winter break and during the summer, that’s what I do. Maybe when I was younger [I thought about pursuing more], but tennis requires a lot of practice.
How can soccer help with tennis and vice versa? Do you see overlap between the sports?
Yeah, a lot. Soccer comes naturally to me. I go on the field and I see the game really well. I think I translate that to tennis. I play my best when I’m free and flowing. That translates really well. In junior tennis, you don’t really get a team or that team spirit. To be able to work with a team, it’s a skill. Soccer did that for me. The last thing, obviously, is fitness. Soccer is a lot of footwork, a lot of running and that translates on court.
Your dad also has a competitive background, as well. Growing up, was that part of your childhood, that competitive nature?
I guess so. I personally love to compete. Ever since I was young, I’d try to compete in everything. I’d play with my cousins, who were older than me, and I’d always try to win, try to win. Even my sisters, we’d play Mario Kart and I’d give it my best. We’re not too competitive, obviously we all like winning and all like sports, so it did make an influence. My family did their own thing, their own sports. My sister did competitive dancing, but none of them did it in college.
What drives you and motivates you now?
I enjoy the process. I’m super grateful. Everything is there for us. We get food, housing, free education. This is awesome. To be able to study and to compete and to practice at the highest level and to be the highest version of myself, that’s what drives me everyday. I’m just trying to do as best as I can. I’m really happy I get to do that here in this environment.
What goals do you have for the rest of the season?
I want to win Big 12s. I want us to make it to the Sweet 16 of NCAAs, as well. We have a great team, we’ve had a good year and we keep getting better and better every match. I’m optimistic we can make that happen.
After tennis and school, what’s next?
I have a couple options, for sure. I think I’m going to try the pro circuit for a bit and see how it goes. I’m studying physiology and medical sciences, so medical school is definitely an option for me. I’m really close to sports and athletics, and I love that kind of stuff. I’m seeing an orthopedic background so I can help athletes get back to their game as well as being in medicine.
Is there anything we didn’t touch on that we want to include?
Coming to college, I didn’t have a lot of offers. I used my opportunity at Cal St. Fullerton to do the best I can everyday and see how far I can go. People always told me I had a lot of potential, but potential is nothing if you don’t make it happen. It’s progress. The good year I had this year, it started from my freshman year, as well.
I feel like that’d be fuel.
It did fuel me. You see your friends getting into other schools and it was fuel for me. I wanted to prove myself out there.
HEAD COACH RYAN STOTLAND
She transfers last season. When you’re looking at her, what made her such a fit for you?
The development piece. She was known as someone who really wanted it. She may not have had the results going into college or at Fullerton, but I knew, from everyone I talked to, that she wanted it and that’s really what she was trying to strive for. I love developing players and I knew that she was an athlete. I love working with very athletic people and that’s the style I like. She fit the mold of the person and the player that we look for.
Do you like multi-sport kids? Is that something you strive for in recruiting?
Yes. I love multi-sport kids. We have another one in Belen [Nevenhoven], who plays basketball and tennis. I love people who grew up in a team environment in tennis plus other skills, and I think that translates really well. I’m always looking for that. Obviously, nowadays, it’s highly specialized, and I think that’s the wrong path for the way it should work. I always look for athletes. My style is more aggressive and coming forward, so I kind of need people who can do what we’re trying to do. She was a perfect fit. She’s a great person. I didn’t know she’d develop that quickly and obviously that’s been a really nice surprise. She’s put in the work, she’s a really good listener and she’s done all the things we’ve asked her to do.
How has she elevated the program in her one season?
She’s capable of being a top-20 player, which is very, very hard. Off the court, her professionalism, the way she takes care of her body, the way she understands that she wants it and always is trying to learn something new. She’s really inquisitive and she loves to learn. That’s been a really big thing off the court. She’s trying to become a bit of a leader already and understands, ‘This team can go as far as I push them.’ On the court, she’s one of the most elite players and athletes we have in the game right now, but off the court, she’s a great leader. She puts all of us together and our culture is amazing with 11 ladies who do the right thing everyday. It’s a pretty cool environment.
What don’t we know about Josie that you’ve learned about her?
The thing people probably don’t know about her is how intelligent she is. She’s trying to be a doctor. She has a 100 percent in every freaking class you can think of. She’s like, ‘Organic chemistry is tough,’ and then we look at her grade and we’re like, ‘Holy cow. You have a 100 percent. What do you mean it’s tough?’ All of her professors – she does everything off the court extremely well. She’s one of the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet and she just wants to learn. I think that’s the coolest thing about her. She’s not even close to reaching her potential because she still wants to get better.
