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06/18/2024 12:04 PMSometimes the best tennis player can be someone who is a tactician and is calculated and quiet before making a move. For Juliana Jorens, she has utilized all of those traits to become a dynamic and dominant doubles player for the Hand girls’ tennis team.
Juliana, a junior, grew up playing soccer and did not come over to the court until starting lessons at the Madison Swim and Racquet Club, and she then later joined the Tigers as a freshman.
This spring as part of the No. 1 doubles team for Hand with partner Teagan Ariyan, Juliana compiled a 12-4 record for the season with the tandem being selected to All-SCC First Team while qualifying for the State Open. The Tigers additionally qualified for both the SCC and state tournaments after claiming the Class M state title in 2023.
“I love the strategy of tennis and what different shots can do. I have played tennis for a long time, and I actually spent time in the starting lineup as a freshman, so I got some good experience,” says Juliana. “This was our second year together, and I think we really improved. To be named All-SCC made me really proud of everything we have done and made me really happy.”
Juliana explains that having a running mate between the baselines helps to keep her grounded in her head. She explains that while keeping the lines of vocalization open and clear can sometimes present challenges, she and Ariyan found their happy medium.
“I love having my friend on the court and helping to keep me straight on the mental side of things,” says Juliana. “Playing doubles, communication can be tough at times, but I think we have developed good communication and it showed. We talked between each point and helped cheer each other up. We also talked about strategy and what things were and were not working.”
At first new to the varsity spotlight as a young and timid freshman, Juliana would get a little too tightly-wound and skittish. Yet as she ventured out into doubles action, she discovered how to truly lock in and focus on one stroke at a time.
“My freshman year, I was new to match play and would get nervous and frustrated,” says Juliana. “With a partner, she helped me to make sure I forgot about past points and focused on the current one. If you believe in yourself and that you can win, then you can do anything.”
As Juliana is always a student of the game and looking to learn new mechanics year-round, she is pretty well-versed when it comes to putting English on the ball. She has also learned to become a versatile threat by being proficient in several strokes and reeking havoc at the net.
“I have taken private lessons in the past, and my ground strokes have gotten better with a lot of top spin,” says Juliana. “I also have developed forehand strokes, and my serve, along with my motion, has improved. I do want to improve on my volleys and net game going forward.”
Hand girls’ tennis Head Coach John Gage is amazed at how far Juliana has come in three short years while all around and up the Tigers’ lineup. He adds that she is also a low-key competitor emotionally, though she knows how to turn up the heat within the confines of competition and shock her adversaries in a multitude of ways.
“Over the past three years, Juliana has been our secret weapon. We as a team used to joke that by the time she graduated, she would play in every position in the lineup, and she has come pretty close. Starting out at No. 3 doubles her freshman year, she moved to No. 4 singles, then to No. 2 doubles for a crucial qualifier that went to a match tiebreak and earned Hand a spot in the Class M State Tournament, paving the way to the finals that year,” says Gage. “A lot of Juliana's success comes from her demeanor. She is definitely not the fired up, ‘let's go’ type of player on the outside, but she is so focused, calculated, and determined to win. Most opponents don't see it and underestimate her at their expense. An incredibly consistent player, she will wear out teams with her impeccable crosscourt groundstrokes and then suddenly change it up with a down-the line-winner they don't see coming. She is truly one of the best doubles players in the SCC.”
With a year to go on her Tigers’ tenure, Juliana’s passion for tennis has already helped her decide that she will not part ways with the court post-graduation. Looking to that final foray at Hand, she is confident the girls can certainly get back on top and claim a second Class M crown in three seasons.
“It has been so much fun to be part of this team, and we work hard every day in practice,” Juliana says. “We are a real community and bonded as a team, which was great. I feel the team will still continue to be successful, and I also see myself doing tennis in college. It is such a great sport.”