Carol Zhao isn't your ordinary college student. She's an international level tennis player, a world-class singer/guitarist, and YET manages to take out time to ace her grades at the Mecca of colleges: Stanford, where she's currently pursuing a B.S in science, technology, and society. This Beijing-born Canadian player is all of 20 and is already turning heads on both the college circuit and the pro tour.
In a classic comeback story, she led the 15th ranked Cardinal to their first NCAA win since 2013, bagging the national 26th position in the ITA singles ranking in the process(despite only joining the team in late March, preferring to concentrate on the pro tour).
Exceptional 2015 Season
Earlier this year, she'd bagged the coveted no. 1 national singles ranking, a no. 2 national doubles ranking, along with a gold in doubles with Dabrowski at the Pan-Am Games.
In 2015, she won 15 out of her last 16 matches and reached the NCAA Singles final (becoming the first Canadian since 1998 to achieve that), and also has a record of being a three-time ITA All-American. In what is believed to be her last ever college match, she suffered a rare loss, but still ends with a phenomenal 76-16 W/L record, and a mindblowing 38- 14 record against nationally ranked opponents.
In her sophomore year, she played all matches at the number one spot, was an ITA All-American in singles and doubles, captured the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships crown, and along with Taylor Davidson, earned the prestigious title of 'Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year' (Stanford's first since 2006) after triumphing in the Pac-12 championship, after which they finished the year off as ranked No. 2 in America.
You can watch highlights of her record-breaking 2015 season here:
In 2013, Zhao was named Tennis Canada's Junior Player of the Year. She's a nine-time Canadian national champion, including U18 national singles and doubles champion at the age of 15. She was also formerly ranked no. 9 in the world as a junior, and won the 2013 Australian Open doubles title.
NCAA Team Final
The Stanford team, lacking Zhao, got off to a rough start in the 2016 NCAA season, but mounted a phenomenal comeback once she returned from the professional tour (their record this year was 14-1 when Zhao was in the lineup). In the finals of the NCAA Championship, Stanford overturned a 3-1 deficit against Oklahoma State to clinch it 4-3, in what could be remembered as one of the greatest fairytale revivals of the tournament.
Throughout the season, the Cardinal powered through various higher ranked seeds in No. 2 Florida, No. 10 Michigan, No. 6 Vanderbilt and No. 12 Oklahoma State, gaining a bit of confidence and self-belief every step of the way. You can check out the highlights from the tectonic win here:
And the reactions to the win here:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
In February 2016, Zhao made her Fed Cup debut for Canada against Belarus. In 2015 at the Rogers Cup, she reached the quarterfinals in women's doubles with compatriot Sharon Fichman. Zhao has also won 2 ITF doubles titles in the past.
On her Fed Cup debut, in what could be considered as one of the greatest initiation 'speeches' (a tradition for debutants) ever, she enchanted the audience with a mesmerising cover of Coldplay's "Yellow".
By leaving Stanford before finishing her degree to pursue a pro career, Zhao is following in the footsteps of a more seasoned Cardinal, none other than 2013 NCAA singles and team champion: Nicole Gibbs, who's already made a name for herself on social media and on court, due to her fiery personality, and her ability to speak her mind without overthinking the consequences. Gibbs is a vociferous supporter of women's rights and anti-gun laws and has been publicly applauded by Billie Jean King for the same.
Excerpts from Zhao's interview:
Ayushi Thakur(AT) : Firstly, congratulations on the NCAA win last week. What did this win mean to you? At the beginning of the semester, did you ever feel that this was possible?
Carol Zhao (CZ): Thank you! It was definitely a very special moment and a memory that I will cherish for a long time. I took some time away from the team earlier in the year to play on the pro circuit and it’s just been such an enjoyable journey to witness the growth on both an individual and group level and be able to contribute to the team victory.
AT: You're reaching the end of your career at Stanford, right? What are your plans for after that? Turning pro?
CZ: I’m finishing up my junior year now, but yes, I will be turning pro after that.
AT: You're 20 right now. Have you ever felt that if you'd not gone to college, and instead straightaway joined the pro tour, it would've been more advantageous for you? Do you have any regrets?
CZ: It’s always easy to think about what could or would have been, but at this point in my life and career I’m really just looking forward to the next stage! I leave Stanford with nothing but amazing memories and valuable lessons.
AT: What do you think are the advantages of college tennis? How has it changed you? Was it tough to juggle between good grades and tennis? Would you advise youngsters to take up college tennis?
CZ: The college experience has exceeded all of my expectations, and most conspicuously in my growth as an individual. I’ve had amazing moments individually and with the team on the tennis court, but my time here has really shaped the ways in which I view the world and has exposed me to so many amazing people.
It’s definitely challenging to manage both worlds at once, but the process also arms you with tools that prepare you for the next phase of life academically, professionally, and socially since it is a microcosm of the world in some ways. I’m not going to say college tennis is for everyone, but I can say from my experience personally that it’s made me a more well-rounded person who feels more equipped to handle the demands of the tour.
AT: What are your end of year goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
CZ: I’m excited to dive into the pro tour and try to make an impact in the rest of 2016. Short-term I want to get into the qualies at Slams as soon as I can, and in the long-term hopefully I can be one of the top players in the world. Most importantly now though is to keep making improvements in my game and enjoy the process.
AT: 2014 was a peak year for Canadians. What do you think was the reason for that, and why have those players been in declining form recently? What do you think of their chances to medal at the Rio Olympics? What do you think is the major reason for the lack of tennis coverage before 2014 in Canada?
CZ: Canada is still predominantly a hockey nation, but in the past decade or so the development of tennis has been quite large. It takes time to produce players, so I think in general it’s important to keep in perspective the success that Canadian tennis has had over the past few years. It’s still a relatively new sport in Canada and for there to be so much increase in exposure and interest is just a testament to the strength of the results produced.
AT: What do you think is the major problem with college tennis and how would you improve it?
CZ: I’m not sure I would frame it as a major problem, but I’m still on the fence with the sudden-death deuce point idea. It’s definitely made the game more entertaining (and nerve-wracking) for the spectators, but I think still neglects a major component of the game. Winning (or losing) long games has a direct impact on the match and ties in a lot of other aspects (fitness, mental toughness, etc.). But at the same time, creating that one-point-wins-it-all atmosphere is also good practice under pressure. So it can be looked at both ways, I suppose.
AT: Run us through your schedule on a regular college day?
CZ:
A Tuesday this quarter:
8-9am - Workout/conditioning with the team
9-10:20am - Lecture on Decision Analysis
10:30-11:30am - Extra hitting with Lele, our head coach
12:00 - 12:45pm - Lunch with a friend
1:00 - 1:30pm - Training room with our athletic trainer, Brian
1:45 - 4:15pm - Team practice
4:30 - 5:00pm - Massage
5:30 - 6:00pm - Dinner with roommate
6:00 - 8:00pm - Lab for a class on Neuroplasticity and Musical Gaming
8:15 - 10:30pm - Recording studio time with some friends - work on a demo of a song I wrote last year
10:30 - Midnight - Listen to Biology lecture in dorm room and try to stay awake
AT: As an international level sportsperson, are you comparatively recognised more often on the Stanford campus/given any preferential treatment by teachers?
CZ: Not at all! That’s actually one of my favourite aspects of Stanford. Everyone around you is just as successful in their field as you are in yours, if not more (usually more). There is a huge presence of mutual respect on campus, whether you’re an athlete, musician, artist, whatever it is. The mindset for the most part, is definitely, “How can I learn from those around me and the cool things that they’re doing” rather than focusing on yourself. I just found out one of my friends from freshman year is a world champion pianist, and it literally took me two and a half years. People are very humble here, for the most part.
AT: What does your usual diet consist of?
CZ: I try to stay pretty healthy and eat balanced meals. I’m not a picky eater at all, though, so it’s pretty easy for me to eat what’s available at the dining hall that day.
AT: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
CZ: I’m big into music; playing, writing, singing, listening, jamming…I try to do as much as I can when I have time. And then a lot of the normal stuff; shopping, movies, friends, and sightseeing. I really enjoy being a tourist.
AT: How competitive is the NCAA circuit, is the level tougher or easier than the ITF level?
CZ: I’ve been fortunate to play at the top of the lineup for most of my career at Stanford, so the competition at that spot is usually pretty solid. There is definitely a spectrum, of course, just like at the ITF level.
AT: Who motivated you to take up tennis? Who was your idol while you were growing up?
CZ: It was pretty self-motivated, to be honest. I was never pushed or forced to go into it, which I’m thankful for. It was a pretty natural progression for me growing up. My favourite player was (and still is) Justine Henin!
AT: And that concludes our interview. Thank you for taking out some of your precious time to speak with us. Good luck for the rest of the season!
One thing is for sure, with Zhao's exemplary tennis skills coupled with her amiable personality and exceptional mental strength, it won't be too long before she makes her presence felt on the professional tour. Keep an eye for this youngster, she's destined to do great things!
You can find Carol Zhao on Twitter @CarolZhao95.