Grace Min, a 16-year old from Lawrenceville, will be competing for the first time in the qualifiers for the upcoming Wimbledon Junior Championships, which runs from Saturday through July 4 in London. The qualifying rounds will be held Thursday and Friday.
The Georgia native ranks 11th nationally in her classification and trains at the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla. She played in her first Junior French Open at Roland-Garros in late May, where she fell 6-2, 6-3 to Monica Puig of Puerto Rico in the second round.
Min answered some questionsas she prepared for the upcoming tournament.
Q: What are your goals for your first Wimbledon?
A: As far as goals go, I don't really have any specific ones result-wise. Hopefully I'll be quite comfortable on the grass by then, so it's just a matter of enjoying the experience and competing my hardest. I'm three (spots) out of the main (draw) right now so getting in is going to be a close call. It would be great if I got in, but getting through qualies (qualifiers) could also build a great deal of confidence. It's out of my control and I'll be happy to be in London either way.
Q: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of your game right now?
A: I would consider my forehand a strength. Also, I like to come in to the net and slice. I think that kind of variety can be used as an advantage. As far as weaknesses, it's hard to pinpoint because every aspect of my game is capable of improvement. A lack of a strong "strength" can definitely pose as a weakness, so I still need to really focus on improving my forehand.
Q: You’re a rising junior and ranked 11th nationally in your class. How happy are you with where you are in terms of your career and accomplishments?
A: I'm happy that what I've accomplished has allowed me to be where I am right now. But there are still a lot of firsts left for me, including Wimbledon, so there's always that air of new excitement. A lot of things still feel very new to me, so I have a lot more to look forward to than to look back on.
Q: You’ve got Wimbledon in these upcoming weeks but what are you looking to after that in terms of landmark tournaments and accomplishments?
A: After Wimbledon, I'll play a few more pro circuit events in the States. Hopefully, I can gain points there and keep building my WTA ranking. National Hard Courts are in August and the winner gets a wild card into the main draw of the women's U.S. Open. I'll be preparing for that and then of course, the U.S. Open itself in September. As an American, you always want to do well at the Open. It's definitely one of the tournaments I look forward to the most.
Q: What are your long-term ambitions?
A: Playing professionally on the (WTA) Tour. Keep building my WTA ranking. Top 500 ... 250 ... 100 ... 50 ... etc.
Q: Finally, what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
A: I'm double-jointed in my left thumb. I can speak gibberish.
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