BOTHELL — Monica Kwong needed a break from tennis.
After reaching the state tournament in her sophomore year — after playing since she was in elementary school — the Lynnwood star decided she wanted some time away from the sport.
“She’d played year-round up until then and I think she just burned out,” Lynnwood head coach Rob McMains said. “After that, she stopped playing and didn’t pick up a racket again until the (next) season started.”
Kwong returned to the court to play for Lynnwood her junior year. Now a senior, she is eager to show that even though she’s no longer a year-round club player, she can still get back to state.
“I know this is my last chance to show what I’ve got,” Kwong said. “I want to step up as an upperclassmen and prove to the underclassmen that a team can always rise up.”
Several factors went into Kwong’s decision to abandon club tennis. Schoolwork, a desire to spend time with friends and exhaustion each played a role in her decision.
“I just wanted to focus on my studies,” Kwong said. “That’s why I had to step down from club. It’s hard to manage class time and club. I still enjoy playing during the season, I just don’t think it’s something that I would do for the rest of my life. It was a really good rest for me. I’ve been playing since elementary school and I haven’t really gotten free time to hang out with friends.”
Rather than force his star to keep playing tennis, McMains encouraged Kwong to take time off.
“I told her to take a break after her sophomore year,” McMains said. “I felt like, you want to enjoy what you’re doing and I don’t think she was having fun. She loved playing with Cristina (Borsan), her partner, but she wasn’t necessarily having fun playing tennis. Why continue to train year-round if you don’t have that passion for it? She comes out in the spring because she loves being on a team and she loves tennis.”
It was her competitive drive, and love for her teammates, that led Kwong to return her junior year.
“I enjoy just playing because the power and strength that comes with hitting the ball just feels good,” Kwong said. “It’s not something that will make me tired all the time. I just really like the way I hit the ball and how I interact with other people. It’s a competitive thing.”
However, it was a bit of a rough return for Kwong. An injury sustained during a physical education class sidelined her for the first few matches of her junior year. As a result of the injury, she was never able to get back to where she had been before.
“I think between being hurt and not having played in the offseason, she just never got to where she hoped to be,” McMains said. “It was kind of a frustrating year.”
Despite no longer playing year around, Kwong is still a tough matchup for Lynnwood’s opponents. McMains said having a player of Kwong’s ability is invaluable to the Royals.
“She’s a human instructional video,” McMains said. “If you want to see how any shot should be done, she can do it. We just stop practice and say, ‘Watch this. This is how it’s done.’”
Kwong was inserted into Lynnwood’s No. 1 singles slot as soon as she came to the Royals as a freshman. However, Kwong prefers doubles.
“It’s less pressure than singles,” she said. “I feel like I need someone there with me on the court. Sophomore year at state, Cristina (Borsan) was my partner. I’d known her for a year. I just feel really comfortable having someone with me on the court, backing me up as I play.”
McMains has had Kwong play singles in the regular season, then switch to doubles in the postseason, which isn’t unusual in high school tennis.
The pair are still undecided about how to approach the conference and district tournaments later this season.
“She’s got the mentality of a team-sport athlete,” McMains said. “She loves being on a team, she loves the team aspect of getting to know new people. She does not like to be the center of attention.”
Kwong made an immediate impact for the Royals, posting an 18-6 record as a freshman and finishing third in the district tournament, making her an alternate to state. In 2014, she went 11-3 at singles in the regular season, before teaming up with Borsan to place sixth in doubles at the state tournament.
Heading into her senior season, Kwong was 35-12 in singles matches and 14-5 playing doubles.
“She’s a great kid,” McMains said. “She’s the best player in Lynnwood High School history. There’s no doubt about it.”
McMains said Kwong has a drive this year that wasn’t evident a year ago.
“I think now, as a senior, she’s realized, ‘Hey, this is my chance. I’m going to make the best of it,’” McMains said.
Kwong, whose brother Daniel played tennis at Jackson, wants to go out on top — and she wants to bring her team along with her.
“My goals are to get a lot of team wins and, I guess, to get back to state, either doubles or singles,” Kwong said. “It’s my last year so I want to prove something and make the best out of it.”
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