University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Q&A With Women's Tennis Player Chanelle Van Nguyen
When did you start playing tennis?
I started playing tennis when I was a little over six years old. My parents were watching television and they saw Diane Sawyer interviewing a professional tennis player, Chanda Rubin. This is where they got idea of me playing tennis. That summer my parents brought me to a local tennis club and I was competitive and wanted to beat everyone from the first day. I also improved very quickly. The coaches were greatly impressed and saw my natural ability.
Did anyone specifically influence your decision to pursue tennis competitively?
Like I mentioned, I was just super competitive from the beginning and I wanted to keep getting better and better. I live close to the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida. I started training there at a really young age and this is where most of the pros train. There was one coach in particular who really saw my talent so I started a very difficult training program twice a day when I was 10 years old.
What role does your family play in your success?
Throughout my whole life, my family has supported me with tennis. When I was younger, they would drive me to tournaments around Florida and as I grew up they would take me to tournaments around the nation and even the world. Then when I was 13 years old, the National Training Center provided coaches and paid for my travels since I was on the U.S. National Team. I also began going to boarding school.
Who was your role model growing up?
I admire the top pros and I like watching them. The Sony Ericsson Open (now the Miami Open) used to be at my training center so I would watch the pros and see how they acted and played at tournaments. But I never had a specific person that I looked up to.
Growing up, did you find it tough to stay away from home for long periods of time? How does this affect your academic and social life?
I went to a boarding school starting in the seventh grade at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton. I also took online classes with Kaplan University. The boarding school was about an hour from my house so I would get to see my parents every weekend. But I did miss out on things like prom, field trips, and summer camps. Even here in college it is weird to hear about other students’ high school experiences. It is much different with tennis. Tennis is a very individual sport that causes you to travel and train on your own.
If there was a professional career that you could mimic, who would it be and why?
I don’t have many role models as of now because many of the people that I have competed with are professionals. I know I have the potential to do what they are doing too. I want to be the best that I can be and I know how hard the pros train. I know what it takes to get to their level.
What do you think has been the largest impact or benefit from your tennis career?
I learned to be independent and disciplined on the court from the very beginning. This discipline also translates off the court. I try to be professional at all times.
Are there any negatives to pursuing a sport at such a competitive level? Do you have any regrets?
It is really tough on the pro tour. As a pro, you cannot have a side job. You have to travel full time, you have to pay for coaches, new racquets, and clothing. Unless you are with a federation or an agency, it is very hard financially as well. I also hear that it is lonely on tour especially at the early stages of professional tennis when you have to travel to random places. The bigger tournaments such as the U.S. Open are awesome because you are treated very well and have great benefits. But, you have to get through the early stages first. Many people tell me how difficult it is and I have seen it first hand.
Can you tell us about some of the sacrifices you have made in order to pursue your career as a collegiate tennis player? Do you think you make less sacrifices in college?
I have had to make a lot of sacrifices. I would say most of the sacrifices I had to make occurred during my middle and high school years. I don’t have any friends in Miami because I didn’t go to school there. It is hard to meet people where I live because I spent most of those years dedicated to traveling and training for tennis outside of Miami. I don’t have many friends who don’t play tennis. But it is cool because most of my friends are from all around the nation and the world. My best friend Kyle (McPhillips) is from Ohio and I have known her since I was 10 years old. She had a similar childhood to me. I missed out on the high school experience but I have also been able to represent my country and travel around the world. I also received a full scholarship to UCLA and have been fortunate to win an NCAA title. College is more fun and laid back. College is also nice because we travel and have dinners as a team. We also hang out with other athletes and go to classes together. This is why I wanted to go to college because I feel like I missed out on high school. I couldn’t give up the college experience.
If you were not a tennis player, what other sport would you have liked to pursue?
I would have liked to pursue soccer. But I am very competitive and soccer is a team sport so I feel like I would want to take the ball from my teammates all the time.
Did you always plan on attending college? What made you choose UCLA?
Since I was with USTA from age 10 I thought I was just going to go pro. I never put an emphasis on attending college since the National Training Center wants you to go pro. I didn’t really consider college because I didn’t know much about it until my junior year of boarding school. I learned that college coaches were signing letters to recruit me. When I was 12 years old at a USTA training camp with Kyle, we took a visit to UCLA because one of our friend’s had a Mom who wanted to see the campus. When I visited, I said if I ever go to college I would go to UCLA. I loved the idea of living in Los Angeles. I didn’t even look or take visits at any other schools.
You are known as a fighter out there on the court. Where does that desire to never give up come from?
The desire to never give up probably came from my Dad. He is from Vietnam and fought in the war. He had to fight a lot when he was younger and really enjoyed karate. I am also really competitive and I have always been that way.
What is your greatest accomplishment in your career?
My greatest accomplishment would probably be winning the Junior Orange Bowl in the 16s. It is really cool because Federer also won this tournament along with other top pros. It is one of the biggest junior tournaments in the world. Also, winning the NCAA title at UCLA was also an amazing accomplishment.
What is your favorite tournament to compete in?
I would say just all the junior Grand Slams.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Who do you enjoy spending that time with?
I spend a lot of time with my boyfriend. We have traveled to South America and Spain together. I also enjoy hanging out with my teammates. It is nice because we can all easily relate to one another and are mostly on the same schedule.
What are your future goals and ambitions?
I am finishing up school next winter quarter. I want to go pro and finally make money and see how far I can go.