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Elizabeth Tuttle

FOCUS. All of Larson's focus is on her return of the ball.

Nellie Larson’s tennis journey is not just about her physical skill but also her mental resilience. Larson’s varsity career began at Mounds Park Academy in seventh and eighth grade before transferring to SPA. Now, with four years of varsity tennis under her belt, the junior is starting her third year on varsity with the Spartans.

Over time, she has built up an impressive tennis resume, including being a two-time All-Conference Honoree (2022, 2023), 2023 3rd place singles section 4A and 2022 4th place doubles section 4A. For Larson, the highlight of her career thus far was her sophomore season. “[The team] had a lot of good matches [and] good wins,” Larson said.

During the 2023 section tournament, the mental challenge of tennis became especially obvious for Larson. Larson was seeded 2nd and earned a bye through the first round. Then, in convincing fashion, she won the quarterfinals, dominating both the first and second sets 6-1. However, the intensity of the tournament picked up in the semi-finals; Larson played a two-hour match against a conference rival from Breck. Ultimately losing the match, she “took it as an opportunity to learn”. Coming back strong, she made quick work of her opponent in the third-place match and took home the bronze.

Despite a demanding schedule, Larson manages to balance preparation and fun into her practice routine. “Tennis is really a big mental game. If I think about it too much, it’ll change how I play,” Larson said. She cares about tennis but recognizes that, no matter what, bad practices and matches are inevitable. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I want to avoid doing that,” she said.

One of her pre-match strategies to manage the mental aspect of the sport is listening to music. “I don’t have a favorite [song], because whatever the last song is, I sing that for the rest of the match,” Larson said. Listening to music helps keep her mindset in top form and focus.

In addition to music, Larson accredits her team to helping her stay grounded, even in an individual sport. “It’s like you’re playing by yourself, but you’re next to and you’re surrounded by your teammates, you’re still hearing your team, you’re still cheering,” she said.

She advises young athletes to focus on their mindsets. “Remember, genuinely have fun because you don’t want to make yourself tired; you don’t want to get sick of it. Find friends who you want to play with, it’s a great activity that you can do any time,” Larson said.

Whether it’s through listening to music or finding support from teammates, Larson finds ways to keep her mind in tip-top shape. For her, success in tennis is as much about mental strength as it is physical skill, and achieving balance between the two is the key to her continuous growth as a competitive player.