Since both the University of Oregon women’s tennis team finished their last match of the 2022-2023 season, the players adhered to an 8-hour off-season practice schedule, with three days of practices and two days of lifting each week. The reduction in training hours gave the players time to rest, study, and socialize in Eugene before school let out for the summer. The female Ducks plan to enjoy the break, while also maintaining a busy individual tennis schedule in preparation for the 2023-2024 tennis season.
Here’s what a couple of the returning women’s tennis players will be up to this summer break:
Jo-Yee Chan
Jo-Yee Chan, the UO women’s tennis powerhouse No. 2 doubles player, departed Eugene Airport on June 16th with 24 other student athletes. The group heads to San Rafael de Brunka, Costa Rica with Courts For Kids — an organization that facilitates the construction of sport courts in rural areas around the world. Chan joins Russel Soohoo, a fellow freshman tennis player from the men’s team, in the 10-day service project. The athletes will learn from the community and work together to build an outdoor basketball court.
“I think this service trip will be an eye-opening experience,” Chan said. “Also, I think it will contribute to the way I look at things on the tennis court. Sometimes I can take for granted how lucky I am to be surrounded by all of the resources, staff and support at the UO and in the U.S.”
Following the trip, Chan will return to her home in Atlanta, Georgia, and train for a bit before heading abroad with her family. She will be visiting relatives in Amsterdam and Switzerland. While in Europe, she does not anticipate playing much tennis. However, she plans to remain active by working out, lifting and hiking. This break from tennis and emphasis on cross-training is something Chan has recently prioritized as a college athlete.
“The things I do off of the court positively affect my physical capacity on the tennis court,” said Chan. “Cross-training improves my mobility and strength as a player. And tennis-specific weight room workouts really help out with my game, injury prevention and overall health.”
Chan, who suffered from a couple injuries this past season, said this summer she wants to return to her peak strength and health that she had in fall 2022.
A couple of things Chan learned from her first season as a Duck, was that she also wants to be more “aggressive and free” on the court. Whether that means coming back from a deficit or powering through long rallies, Chan wants to maintain her momentum and mindfulness on the court.
“I struggled mentally with this aspect of my game. Sometimes the long season made me lose some of my competitiveness and will to fight back from deficits,” Chan said. “But my supportive teammates encouraged me to stay loose on the court. This summer, I want to learn how to stay in tight battles and keep my energy high throughout the match.”
In addition to tennis, Chan is an avid photographer and uses this hobby as a form of artistic expression. During her Europe trip, she intends to capture moments, people and nature with her camera. The photos will create lasting memories, similar to the one’s she made this past season. As Chan heads into her second year she looks forward to welcoming the new players and strengthening her relationships with current teammates.
Uxia Martinez Moral
Since Uxia Martinez Moral secured her 100th career victory and earned her second all-Pac-12 honorable mention, the rising senior has been studying, practicing tennis and playing intramural co-ed soccer.
A native of Galicia, Spain, Martinez Moral will remain in Eugene for half of the summer before heading back home. With help from the UO Athletic Department, Martinez Moral has accepted an internship position at Volunteers In Medicine Clinic, an affordable and accessible health care clinic for underserved community members in Springfield, Oregon. At the clinic, she will be helping out with administrative and desk work, alongside a fellow student-athlete on the women’s volleyball team.
“If I am lucky enough, I hope to also be a translator at the clinic, since there is a large population of Spanish-speaking patients,” said Martinez Moral. When the neuroscience and psychology double major is not working at her internship, she plans to be exploring Oregon with friends and on the court with her coaches.
“Similar to last summer, I am excited to stay in Eugene for part of the break,” said Maritnez Moral. “I enjoy practicing here with coaches and going to the rec. I feel that my training in Eugene prepared me well for last season, so I hope that that will be the same case for this upcoming fall.”
Martinez Moral will return to Galicia for the second half of the summer after her internship ends in July. She said she looks forward to reuniting with family and friends since she has gone six months without seeing them. Despite going to school over 5,000 miles from her home, she has maintained a strong relationship with her former tennis coach, Lago Fernández-Reija. Fernández-Reija runs Real Club Tenis Coruña, the tennis club that Martinez Moral trains at in Spain. She expects to have a lot of people to play with over the summer, and she anticipates the possibility of traveling to some regional tournaments with Fernández-Reija, if he has the time.
Her focus this summer is to continue her high-level of play that she maintained throughout the 2022-2023 season. She said that prioritizing conditioning practice over the summer is one of her main goals.
“This past season, when I was playing more competitive teams, I felt that I had good starts to the match. But, then my really good opponents would fight back and test my fitness in the second set,” said Martinez Moral. “I want my fitness to improve so I can maintain my high level of play and stay competitive throughout the entirety of the match.”
Martinez Moral will return to Eugene in the fall for her final season as a Duck. She will lead the team with the support of incoming fifth-year transfer, Nina Geissler.
Here are some of the women’s summer tennis-related favorites:
To stay hydrated in the summer heat do you drink Gatorade, Powerade or Pedialyte?
Gatorade: Chan
Pedialyte: Martinez Moral
Is your practice playlist mostly rap, country, or alternative?
Rap: Chan
Alternative (Spanish music): Martinez Moral
On your off-days are you going to the beach, mountains, or staying in bed?
Mountains: Chan
Beach: Martinez Moral
