Andrew Mariados: A Rising Tennis Star
Andrew Mariados is a junior at OHS, and is an internationally competitive tennis player. Journal co-editor, Olivia Woodson, learns about the ins-and-outs of what it takes for Andrew to be at this high-level of competition.
Pixel Journal: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into tennis.
Andrew: I got into tennis when I was fairly young--about 4 or 5 years old. I had tried other sports like soccer and football, but tennis was my favorite because I loved the satisfaction of hitting the ball each time, and I loved the fact that I was out on the court by myself and I didn’t have to depend on anyone else. It felt nice to be totally in control of what was happening on my side of the court, so win or lose, initially that was still what appealed to me.
PJ: What is your training regimen?
A: Now, tennis and training have become pretty time consuming, and my training regimen is fairly intense. During the week, I wake up very early, usually 5:45 or so, and I have three hours of tennis at an academy followed by an hour of fitness, and a half-hour of stretching and flexibility. In the afternoon I’m usually in class, but I try to get to the local tennis courts and practice serving for a half-hour, and then I’ll do an extra half-hour of conditioning. The weekends vary depending on whether or not I have a tournament, but I’d say I typically end up investing at least 30 hours each week doing tennis-related development, whether it’s on or off court.
PJ: Where is your favorite place you have traveled for a tennis competition and why?
A: My favorite place has to be actually a really tiny island in the French West Indies called Martinique. It’s a small island off less than half of a million people, but it was great because the ocean was everywhere and that’s where I got my first international ranking points. I was traveling with my academy, so I had no parents there to help me out, and I felt good about the fact that I was able to be independent and still have success without a ton of outside help.
PJ: What has been your biggest challenge balancing tennis and OHS?
A: The time commitment to both tennis and OHS is extreme. My biggest issue is that sleep has been really emphasized to me by my coaches and trainers, and that means that I need around 9 hours of sleep each night, so I have very little time in the day and almost all of that needs to be dedicated to tennis and school. I’ve gotten better about managing my time by learning how to be more efficient and still having a bit of time for a quick conversation with a friend or a little relaxation time at the end of the day. Staying on track with my goals has also been difficult, since there are always setbacks, and it can be tough when friends are going out or getting together and I can’t join them because I have these commitments.
PJ: In your opinion, what is the hardest part about tennis and why?
A: Tennis, in my opinion, is probably the most infuriating sport, second only to maybe golf (I golf a lot in the summer, and it can drive you absolutely crazy despite still being a lot of fun). You’re all by yourself out there and it’s actually illegal in the sport to receive any coaching or outside advice while on the court. All you can do is rely on yourself and try to believe that you can win, and when things are going wrong that can get pretty difficult. Despite this, it’s also the most satisfying feeling when you’re in a tough match and you pull through the win and you think to yourself, “I did this. This was only me, and that’s pretty cool.”
PJ: Why are you passionate about tennis? What makes it special to you?
A: I’m obviously a bit biased, but I’ve always felt a huge attraction to the Wimbledon tournament. The players are required to wear all white, everything is extremely official and traditional, and it’s one of the only sporting events in the world that doesn’t have any sponsors. My family has had me watching Wimbledon pretty much since I was born, and I’ve always been totally enamored with it. Getting to Junior Wimbledon has always been a huge goal of mine, and while this would be extremely tough, being out there every day on the training court and having that dream in your mind pushing you further is really motivating, and each day I’m very thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to do what I love.
PJ: What are your plans academically and within your sport after you graduate?
A: After I graduate OHS, I would love to play for an Ivy league school or Stanford. College tennis is a great way to develop a tennis game with all the high level players, competitions, and great facilities. I also think it would be really nice to start off in college with a good group of friends around me on the college team, because there are tons of kids at some of the big schools and I feel like it would be pretty easy to get lost and feel a little lonely in such a huge environment. Getting a good relationship with some of my teammates and just developing my game from there would be a great opportunity.