Eleven-time Inter-Ac champions seeking their twelfth, the tennis team swings closer to their season goal with each match. They currently stand with a 4-0 record, having most recently defeated the Germantown Academy 4-3. Among the veteran members of the team, co-captain Sixth Former Adamya Aggarwal is keen to lead Fords tennis to victory.
The team’s strong lineup has affirmed Aggarwal and his teammates’ vision for the season. In fact, Aggarwal believes that this year’s squad is the strongest that the tennis team has presented in a while.
“Our team’s really young, and we have a pretty deep lineup—meaning that we’ve got really great players even in, say, lower double positions. That really helps us in matches because doubles [matches] are what win us matches, and, when we have good players, we win,” he said.
Specifically in his own games, Aggarwal also endeavors to maintain a perfect record.
“…a lot of the time it’s not just those two guys playing on the court, it’s everyone who’s supporting them behind them.”
Adamya Aggarwal ’22
“My personal goal is to go undefeated—personally, in my doubles games, and as a team in general. I’m hoping to go undefeated and improve,” he said.
But perhaps less significant than winning games is conditioning the team’s culture.
Aggarwal said, “The most important thing about leading a team is less about playing actual tennis, but more about hyping up those who are playing when you’re on the side. When your match is done, you’re watching other matches, and being as loud as you possibly can being a teammate.”
The effect of this cheering brings the entire team into a match only involving up to two teammates. Hence, Aggarwal sees to it that his teammates are on their feet at the side of the fences.
The team has circled upcoming matches against Malvern, LaSalle, and a doubles tournament at the Episcopal Academy on Saturday.
“And that’s where our camaraderie, our teamwork, comes in because a lot of the time it’s not just those two guys playing on the court, it’s everyone who’s supporting them behind them. What I try to do as captain is make sure everyone is cheering,” Aggarwal said.
The team has circled upcoming matches against Malvern, LaSalle, and a doubles tournament at the Episcopal Academy on Saturday. This last tournament will be a new experience for the current team—as it was canceled for multiple years due to the pandemic.
Aggarwal said, “Schools from across the state compete in [the tournament], not just schools from the Inter-Ac. I’ve actually never personally been to it. The general energy is that we’re excited, but it’s like uncharted territory.”
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