For senior and business administration major Charlotte Côté not finishing the tennis season was the toughest part of her junior year.
Côté missed some time at the end of last season with an ankle injury but still managed an impressive year. She had a singles record of 4-3 and a doubles record of 6-3 playing alongside teammate and fellow senior Alexandra Johansson.
Before her season ended, Côté was on a three-match winning streak in doubles play and won two in a row in singles competition. Some notable wins for Côté were against the 22 ranked University of Tampa and 15 ranked Florida Tech.
Côté started playing tennis early in life when her dad put her in a camp at the age of 5.
“I started being really good and I kept training, did the sports study at school, and I participated in tournaments,” said Côté. “When you are good at something you want to take it to the next level.”
Côté was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The first time she left home was when she came to NSU in 2011. She chose NSU because of the competition. The Sharks are in one of the toughest conferences in women’s Division II tennis in the Sunshine State Conference.
The SSC is a powerhouse when it comes to women’s tennis. Four teams in the conference are ranked in the top 10 nationally. Barry University is the defending national champion and top-ranked team, while, Florida Southern, Lynn and St. Leo are 10th, fifth and third respectively. NSU was ranked as high as 21st last year but, due to several players’ injuries, the ladies finished outside of the top 25.
But after some intense rehab over the summer, Côté has been cleared to travel and is happy to be back with the team.
I sat down with Côté and got to know her a little better.
What brought you to South Florida?
“Florida was my first choice. It’s only a three-hour flight from home, and I wanted to go someplace warm because I grew up in the cold but, mostly, it was to play in Florida. If there is a place you want to be to play tennis, it’s down here because we have one of the toughest conferences in Division II tennis.”
What was the toughest part of leaving home?
“When I came to the U.S., I didn’t know English and it was a really big challenge for me to make my way around. I wasn’t able to communicate properly with everybody because I still thought in French and it took me a little longer to come up with answers. Some people just didn’t try to get to know me because they thought I was ‘too foreign’ for them but being part of the tennis team helped me a lot. There are a bunch of foreign girls on the team. We come from different cultures and nobody judges each other because we are not American. Everyone accepts that we come from different backgrounds.”
Who was your favorite tennis player growing up?
“Maria Sharapova. When she first started playing, she was really young and I looked up to her because she was winning all these great tournaments. She has the same kind of game as me. She has a lot of power from the baseline, controls the points most of the time, and she’s aggressive.”
What are your goals for this season?
“Honestly, I had a really good season last year. I don’t know how many wins I had but I had a lot. I want to keep that going, work as hard as I can and just never give up. I have a lot of tough matches because our conference is really good… Barry and St. Leo are really good so I would like to beat them. I just never want to leave the court feeling that I didn’t play my hardest. I feel like if I always give 100 percent, there will always be a good outcome.”
What is your favorite part of playing tennis?
“I love the competition and I like the feeling of playing for a team. That’s what I was missing when I was in junior leagues. In Canada, I played for myself, but playing on a team is so much better because I feel like I contributed to something. I love running off the court after winning and giving my teammates high-fives. Doubles is probably my favorite part because I got to play with my best friend, Alexandra Johansson, last year. Chemistry on the court with her is just amazing and we are just out there having fun.”
What’s next for you once you’re done at NSU?
“I want to go to grad school in either Spain or London and get my MBA. Most likely Spain, so I can learn Spanish and so I can work at a tennis academy. Tennis is a really big sport in Spain.”
Anymore tennis in your future?
“It will always be a part of me. … I will always be involved with tennis either working in tennis or as a coach. I will always be around the game.”
What do you like to do when you are not playing tennis?
“I like working out and, of course, since I live in Florida, I love going to the beach. There is so much to do down here so I like to hang out with my teammates and do activities with them. Really anything as long as I am outside all the time.”
