Haverford School’s Sunny Yu is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
A senior, Sunny Yu was slated to play No. 1 singles for Haverford this spring. He played No. 2 singles as a junior, posted a 9-4 record, and won a deciding three set match at EA to keep Haverford’s streak of 10 consecutive Inter-Ac titles alive. Yu was undefeated in doubles play as a sophomore and freshman at Haverford. Ford head coach Antonio Fink said, “Sunny is a great competitor, and a great leader.”
Q: What were your goals for this spring season? What did you work on most in the off-season?
A: I was really looking forward to competing this season and just wanted to play like I trained. I knew that if I kept to my training and played with passion on the court I would be fine and succeed. In the off-season I worked really hard on playing more aggressive and moving into the court more to finish off points.
Q: Who are your favorite tennis players? Do you try to pattern your game after any of them?
A: My favorite tennis player is Nick Kyrgios. I think he has one of the best forehands and serves on the tour and his attitude in team events is spectacular. I based my off-season a lot on his play style and tried to play similar to him. He plays incredibly aggressive and with that he has become a major threat on the tour.
Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you currently working on the most?
A: I think the strongest part of my game is my forehand. I like to utilize my forehand as much as I can, running around shots in the middle and trying to get a good angle for my forehand. With that being said, I think there is a lot of room for improvement in my backhand and volleys.
Q: Last spring, you won a deciding three set match at EA to keep Haverford’s streak of 10 consecutive Inter-Ac titles alive. What is your sharpest memory of that match – can you share it with us?
A: I think it had to be just winning the match. Though no one told me that the match was the decider, I could tell from the vibe that it was. This inspired me to keep fighting and seeing my teammates’ response and excitement when I won will always stick with me as a highlight of my career.
Q: You mentioned that this three-set match against EA was your best match of last spring. What was working particularly well for you that day?
A: The match was an intense one with a lot of energy surrounding it. I like the high stake matches, so I came out with real energy to play my best and I think I did. I think I was just playing really consistently that match and it kept me in for those really long points.
Q: Who have been your top tennis mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: I’ve learned a lot from all of my coaches. Our team coach, Coach Fink, has really challenged us on our effort during matches and especially during practices. This really helped us through a lot of hard times, especially last year, where our rank in the Inter-Ac was up in the air. Coach Fink also really understood the idea of the team mentality and keeping the doubles teams together and our entire team as a unit supporting one another always staying to watch everyone play.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.
A: I finish class and get a Propel. Typically, I try to re-grip my racquets and that is about it. I normally try to keep it as much as any other day to try and not overthink or add too much unneeded pressure.
Q: What is your favorite tennis venue, and why?
A: Probably our spring break practices. Last year especially, it was really nice to get the team together and practice with each other every day. It allowed us as players to bond with each other, and it was really beneficial for our team performance as a whole.
Q: What is your favorite academic subject at Haverford School? What do you think you might like to major in at college?
A: My favorite class I have taken in Haverford so far has to be Social Psychology, which is an elective seniors can take for one semester. In college, I plan on majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship.
Fun facts – Sunny Yu
Favorite book: Slaughterhouse Five.
Favorite author: Stephen King.
Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones.
Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting.
Favorite athlete: Fred VanVleet.
Favorite team: Toronto Raptors.
Favorite place to visit: Alaska.
Person I most admire: Roger Federer.
Family members: parents Min Yu and Weihong Fu, brother Haitian Yu.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
