Game, Set, Sonia

For the first edition of Athlete of the Issue, meet the co-captain of the Lady Lobsters: Sonia Atlas!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Frederik Schutz, Yashna Patel

Issue 1, Volume 114

By Sonia Batlas

Name: Sonia Atlas

Grade: Senior

Height: 5’3”

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Date of Birth: January 30, 2006

When and how did you start playing tennis? How long have you been on the Lady Lobsters, the Stuyvesant varsity tennis team?

I started playing tennis when I was five. I used to do clinics at NYSC in downtown Brooklyn when I was really young and had friends in my kindergarten classes whom I played with. I also spent summers at a camp in Long Island, where I started playing tennis. I have been on the team since my sophomore year.

Do you prefer to play singles or doubles?

Personally, I’m more of a team sports person, so I prefer doubles, but I have played singles every year on the team.

Do you have a most memorable/proud moment with the Lady Lobsters?

In my sophomore year, we made it to the semifinals in the city, so I thought that was a really good run and season. We also beat Bronx Science, which has a really good team, so it was nice to size up to them. I also only lost matches against Beacon, so I was happy about myself.

What are the worst and best parts of tennis?

The best part is that it’s really, really rewarding when you win. Especially when you hit a good shot and have a good rally against an opponent, it just feels really rewarding, even if you lose the point to just continue that consistent battering of hitting the ball and getting the topspin that you want. Personally, I’m not a big fan of how anxiety-inducing it is to, for example, play singles, where all the weight of the game is on your shoulders. So, that’s bad. Also, the lateral movement of it got me injured pretty seriously last year.

How has being captain changed your outlook on the game?

I look more at how I can be a leader, and how my team can follow me. I think about how I can help my teammates better their game and learn the strategies, by following under someone like me that can lead in an exemplary way.

Do you have any plans to continue the sport in the future or in college?

Tennis kind of got ruined for me because I played in too many tournaments and had too many panic attacks, but I think it is something that will stick with me. I really like playing pick-up games with my friends, and this summer I have been playing with my uncle, so it is a good way that I can connect with family and friends that doesn’t have to be so high stakes. I do think that tennis is great since you can build up cardio, stamina, arm and leg strength, and build up your mentality, so it will stick with me in college, even if I don’t play that much.

Do you have any pre-match superstitions or rituals?

Not really. I have asthma, so I use my inhaler.

Do you have any goals you’d like the team to accomplish going into the season?

My goal is to connect as a team and have fun, especially since it is my final year and season. I want to be a mentor to the younger people on the team and have a season with minimal injuries. It would be nice to get into a rhythm because last year we couldn’t practice when the courts were being renovated. Overall, we just want to work as a team and win.