Izzy Antanavicius ‘22, co-captain of the Baldwin Upper School Tennis Team and previous Main Line Athlete of the Week, is both a dedicated tennis player and a diligent student.

Antanavicius has been playing for eight years, starting at the age of nine. She plays competitively all year round, playing for Baldwin in the fall and playing tennis as independent physical education (IPE) in the other seasons. IPE not only involves a ten hour practice schedule weekly, but also includes tennis tournaments.

Antanavicius’s love for tennis stems from its mental complexity, which has taught her valuable lessons that she has been able to apply to other aspects of her life. 

“It teaches me hardwork and commitment…The game itself might seem simple, but when you’re on court and playing a match, it is beyond difficult mentally. I think it has taught me a lot of life skills,” Antanavicius said.

When asked how to stay motivated during low points, Antanavicius said, “I try not to let that one day affect me. I know that there are always going to be good and bad days. I look at the positives and try to move on from it; just gotta keep going.”

One of Anatanvicius’s athlete role models is pro tennis player Maria Sharapova because, since they are both very tall, they have similar playing styles. 

Recently, Antanavicius committed to Emory University, where she found the balance between sports and academics she was looking for. She also loved the team’s nurturing atmosphere and the beautiful campus.

“I was debating between other Division I schools and Emory, but in the end decided to do Division III … [because] I wanted to focus on my education more. I decided to go to Emory for pre-med so that I could balance [school] and tennis at the same time instead of having to worry about focusing on my sport too much,” Antanavicius said.

Antanavicius’ advice for other Baldwin student-athletes, who often are very focused on their academics, is that they should “look at sports as a way to relax, a way to step away from all work and have fun!”