North Texas Daily

After moving from Australia to America, freshman tennis player Jasmine Adam’s is making an impact as she navigates her way through the college tennis scene.

Adams recently competed in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic from Sept. 18 to 19. The Classic is a national-level tournament where the winner earns a wildcard to the 2021 ITA Fall National Tournament. This tournament has high standards for who is allowed to participate, meaning that Adams was chosen by the hosts to compete in the tournament.

“I was excited just to get in, so it was a privilege going there and soaking in all the fun,” Adams said. “It was all really exciting and I gave it my all.”

In singles, she made it to the round of 16, eventually facing the No. 4 seed of the tournament. Unfazed, Adams took her opponent to three sets, eventually losing 4-6, 6-4, 4-6.

In doubles, Adams partnered with senior Lucie Devier, who was the top North Texas player during the previous season. They won their first match to reach the quarterfinals in the tournament but were dominated in their next match against the No. 1 seed, losing 6-1.

Head coach Sujay Lama was impressed with the fight she showed throughout the matches she played.

“What really stands out about her is her competitive fire that she has,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “She just hates to lose, and you just can’t teach that.”

Lama believes that Adams’ success can be attributed to the intensity that she commits to the sport day in and day out.

“She has a passion for what we do and passion for the game of tennis, and I think that stands out,” Lama said. “She wants to be a professional tennis player and she approaches every day like she wants to be a professional.”

With Adams being a freshman at North Texas, there is a lot of room to grow and improve as a player when she looks at the higher-level players in her class. 

“I need to improve on trusting my ability in attacking,” Adams said. “Going to the higher levels, there’s stronger girls and as soon as the ball lands short, it’s gonna go away, so I have to improve that attacking side to get to that next level.”

Lama describes Adams as a fantastic teammate who is a bolt of positivity to those who may not be having the best day.

“If you watch practice, she’s the one who’s going to cheer for her teammates and lift the ones that have been down,” Lama said. “As good as she is on the court, she’s very humble off the court.”

Back in Australia, Adams played with one team for three years in a row, so moving halfway across the world to play with a completely new team was a big change for her. 

“It’s a bit different from what I’m normally used to, but over the last few weeks going away with the team, we’ve connected a bit better and gotten to know each other,” Adams said. “Going from a team that I knew really well to a team that I don’t really know yet is a big change.”

Adam’s grew up in Chandlers Hill, Australia, and signed with North Texas in November of last year.

Every member of the Mean Green tennis team is from another country besides the U.S.

“It’s a bit overwhelming at the start, but it’s definitely really exciting to see the different cultures, especially in our team,” Adams said.

Devier says that she and Adams can be capable of success if they put in the time and effort to be successful.

“We want to be All-American,” Devier said. “We need to practice every day, put in a lot of reps, and a lot of hard work.”

Image source Mean Green Sports