This is an article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
After four years on M-A’s tennis team, senior Connor Bae will soon wrap up his high school career with the Bears. From competing in tough matches to hanging out with teammates after tournaments, tennis has become one of the biggest parts of his time at M-A as well as his personal life.
Before tennis, Bae played baseball, basketball, and soccer throughout elementary school, but eventually lost interest in all three sports. It was not until sixth grade, when a family friend introduced him to a tennis coach, that he found the sport he now plays.
Tennis was already around Bae growing up, as his dad and his friends played casually all the time. “Other than my family friend introducing me to tennis, my dad and his friends also played a ton,” Bae said.
Bae’s passion for tennis ballooned during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since there was not much else to do, he spent most of his time playing tennis. “My love for the game is pretty big,” Bae said.
Even though Bae loves playing tennis, he’s never really been interested in watching it professionally. Instead, he enjoys competing and improving his own game. To train for tennis, Bae stays active in many different ways, including cycling, long-distance running, mountain biking, and playing ultimate frisbee.
In his freshman year at M-A, Bae played singles on the JV team before getting moved up to varsity doubles during sophomore year, where he stayed for the rest of his high school career. Outside of school tennis, he has also competed in solo tournaments and UTR flex leagues, which are player-run tournaments with different doubles partners.
One of Bae’s favorite parts about M-A tennis is the team environment. “I’m always excited to go see my teammates play, and play matches myself,” he said.
The 2024-25 season was Bae’s favorite. The team made a solid CCS push while also growing closer to one another. Some of his favorite moments came after tournaments when the team would go out for food together, in particular going to Jamba Juice and the mall after a tournament in Cupertino with teammates and his doubles partner, senior Rafael Pierres.
In his own eyes, his biggest accomplishment during high school tennis was earning PAL Second-Team All-League Doubles honors with Pierres.
Although tennis became one of his favorite sports, Bae admitted the sport was difficult when he started. At first, he struggled with learning how to hit the ball consistently and stay focused during matches. Later on, the mental side of tennis became the hardest part. “Tennis taught me how to keep a good mindset on and off the court,” Bae said.
