Written by Emma Chiao

After standing under the sun for hours, the tennis ball is finally hit out of bounds at match point, declaring one player the winner. For junior Julia Pham, that is what the end of a typical match looks like.

Pham has been playing tennis since she was eight years old and is currently ranked number one on the girls’ tennis team and number 20 in NorCal for girls’ division. Pham started tennis at a young age because her mother wanted her to maintain her health. “I started playing because when I was that age, I was overweight and I had asthma,” she said. “My mom wanted me to start a sport where I enjoyed it and I could become healthy, so I started tennis.”

Pham attributes much of her success to the school team. “The team is a great motivational factor,” she said. “Because when you’re on a team, you’re not just playing for yourself, but also for your teammates, your coach and you’re playing to represent your school.”