Eddie Vo is currently in his second year attending college in upstate New York, Siena College.
Tennis SA caught up with Eddie while he was training at The Drive early last week to find out about his college experience and to take a look back at how far he has come on his tennis journey.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got to where you are now?
I have been playing tennis since the age of four and have competed in many national and international tournaments throughout my junior tennis career. In 2021, after graduating from High School I was unsure where I was going on my tennis journey until I looked into the College pathway and committed to Siena College in 2022 to pursue my academics and my tennis career.
Tell us about your college experience
In the fall of 2022, I started my freshman year at a division 1 school (Siena College) located in upstate New York. For the first few weeks I was still trying to settle into the college as it was a whole new experience for me. It was weird during the beginning as I was staying in dorms with people my age. However, I have learnt to become independent and made a lot of friends during my time there.
Being in a team environment was a different experience as it felt like I had other people to rely on. Tennis is a very independent and single sport, however, with college tennis I have received a lot of support from not just my team mates but especially the coaches. There would be many moments where I would be losing a match but my team mates would help me re-gather my thoughts and in the end I was able win those matches. In college tennis you are not playing for yourself but for the whole team which makes college tennis really special and unique.
What does your routine look like at college?
During my first year at Siena College, we would train every day before classes started so generally around 6:30 am. We would train for around and hour and a half to two hours in the morning. For lifts, we would train around two-three times a week in the gym to get stronger and to prevent any possible injuries throughout the season. Matches would normally be played on the weekends or sometimes during the week on Thursdays or Fridays. In terms of studying, for my schedule in the spring season I had some classes in the morning but also had to take night classes which would start at 7:30 pm and finish at 9:00 pm.
What advice would you give to the younger athletes that are wanting to advance in their tennis journey?
For me, what I found important was to only focus on what is present. If you focus on your past achievements, it will hold you back in your development. It is important to take it one step at a time as everyone’s journeys are different. Some individuals may achieve results earlier than others, however, you have to remember to not compare yourselves to others as everyone develops differently.
What’s next for you in your career?
After completing my four years of college and receiving my degree, I plan to travel the world and start my professional tennis career. Firstly, playing a lot of futures and then hopefully take it to the next step.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career would representing Australia in the Junior Davis Cup. The highlight of my college career so far would be winning our conference and getting to compete in the NCAA tournament against Harvard while also winning Rookie of the Year.
Latest
SA