When sophomore Grace Klutke decided to try her hand at tennis, it was a good decision. She was undefeated her freshman year at Whitfield School and continued her accomplishments this past fall, winning a medal at State.
When did you start playing tennis?
When I was 8. Both my parents played a little, and so did my older brother, so I decided to pick up the sport. Initially I took lessons at Miller Tennis Academy, and now I’m at Core Tennis Academy.
Do you play year-round?
I play for Whitfield for the fall high school season, and I play in tournaments the rest of the year through my academy with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Do you just play singles?
I do doubles also, but there are more singles tournaments, so I concentrate on that. It’s fun to have a teammate on the court, though. This past summer, my doubles partner and I won both district championships we played in through the USTA.
How often do you practice?
Usually I hit five times a week for two hours with my academy, and then I also take two private lessons a week for an hour each. During the high school season, I practice at Whitfield every day and continue my private lessons.
Tell me about being undefeated.
I really kind of just took it one match at a time. I didn’t focus on being undefeated and just worked hard with my team.
Any other major accomplishments?
I won Districts and got into Sectionals my freshman year, but didn’t make State. And then this past fall, I made it all the way to State and won third, which was a huge accomplishment because I worked so hard to improve from last year.
Do you want to play in college?
I would love to keep playing. It’s definitely my goal.
