Staff Column: A Look Back Down the Memory Lane of Junior Tennis

February 27 , 2026
By Goran Vukovic – Competitions Coordinator

My tennis journey began when I was three, funnily enough as part of Tennis BC. While vacationing, my parents took me out to some courts, and let’s just say I was already hitting a heavy topspin ball that was rising above the service line… Well maybe not, but this was my first step towards becoming a ‘rising star.’

I bounced around some other sports the next few years before returning to tennis, and began training in group and private sessions. At 9, I received a wildcard spot to Outdoor U12 Nationals. I played my heart out, but lost in the second round to a kid named Felix Auger Aliassime. It was probably my most significant match (at least the coolest one!). But I barely remember how I played or what I felt on the court. I’m sure I felt nervous. I’m sure I desperately wanted to win. But what lingers now isn’t the emotions or the scorecards, it’s simply the fact that it was one small piece of my journey. It was just another match, one of hundreds, that shaped me. And whether you win or lose, no single match determines your future.

One match at provincials, at nationals, or beyond didn’t determine how good my relationships would be, what I’d do after high school, how successful I’d become, or even if I’m liked. When I played, I remember carrying a multitude of emotions, from love and passion for the sport, to anger and sadness, betrayal even! I cared so much. I feared losing, and that ate me alive during so many “key” matches in my junior career. It got easier as I got older, but matches still felt heavy. I just wanted to impress myself, make my parents proud, and win every single game.

Tennis felt like it was my whole life and held up everything that mattered. It was almost all I cared about. I cried about matches lost so many times, and celebrated many wins. But looking back, I can barely remember the matches that stressed me out. Nor the high-pressure matches I won painting lines with slap forehands! At the time, they felt like everything, but none of them mattered on their own. It was the collective experience of winning and losing that made me who I am today. All the matches I’ve played from when I started playing at 6 to when I stopped at 17 really shaped me. They taught me how to handle the ups and downs, and that made me an athlete who is hardworking, persistent, and resilient.

So my advice is to take the good matches, the bad ones, and the ugly ones win or lose and appreciate all of them. Build on each one. It’s frustrating to lose, and wonderful to win, but win or lose they all shape who you are, and the journey really matters more than immediate outcomes. Athletes are athletes for life, regardless of results, UTR, or WTN points!To those of you who are working towards or will be competing in provincials and nationals next, please take away this one thing: whatever happens results-wise, you have a long road ahead of you. You’re the future of tennis in this province. You’ll inspire other people to play, someone is looking up to you, and you matter so much more than the score of your match. Work your hardest and play for yourself. One day you too will be running every red light on memory lane!