how tennis changed my life

Welcome to Rallies & Reflections.

If you’ve found your way here, chances are we share a love for tennis. For me, that love arrived unexpectedly and at a time in my life when I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.

I started playing tennis shortly after the birth of my third child. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom doing what so many mothers do: taking care of everyone else before taking care of myself. My days revolved around schedules, snacks, diapers, school drop-offs, and the endless needs of the people I loved most.

Then something small happened.

While my two older children were in preschool a few mornings a week, I signed up for a group tennis lesson with a handful of other moms.

To say I fell in love immediately would be an understatement.

From the moment I started hitting balls, I was hooked. Tennis became the one thing in my life that was entirely mine. And I protected it fiercely.

What started as a weekly lesson quickly turned into something much bigger. I took more lessons. I practiced. I played. I watched. I learned. Then I practiced some more.

Fortunately, tennis came fairly naturally to me. I improved quickly, which only fueled the obsession. People often say it takes five years to make a tennis player. In my experience, that’s absolutely true.

By year five, I wasn’t just taking lessons anymore. I was competing. I climbed through the levels of recreational tennis, meeting incredible teammates and opponents along the way.

Eventually, I found myself on a team that won a USTA National Championship. Even now, years later, it remains one of the happiest memories of my life.

Not because of the trophy. Not because of the title. But because of everything it represented: growth, perseverance, friendship, confidence, and the realization that it is never too late to discover something that changes you.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sharing thoughts on the pro tours, Grand Slam observations, tennis news, player storylines, rule changes, and the occasional hot take. I’ll also tell stories from my own journey, because I believe tennis is just as fascinating at the local courts as it is on the world’s biggest stages.

Let’s rally. Let’s reflect. And let’s talk tennis.

See you on the court,
Jacqui 🎾