On gameday, Oak Park High School girls tennis senior captain Niyati Guram is on the court right away, on the balls of her feet and ready to play. When Guram is finally on a break, it’s clear that she’s disciplined, organized and ready to take on what’s being thrown her way.

Guram’s tennis journey began at a young age, and has been a big part of her life since. 

“I started playing tennis when I was seven, because my dad plays tennis and he wanted me to play,” Guram said. “I started at the Westlake athletic club, and then afterwards I had a few coaches. But throughout my life my dad has mainly been my coach, until now.” 

For Guram, one of the most valuable aspects of being on the school’s team is the friendships that have resulted from it. 

“Being on the team has been a really good experience of getting to know everyone, and a bunch of my good friends I met on the team,” Guram said.

Having competed since she was young, playing for the OPHS team has also had an unexpected benefit for Guram: the massive amount of match practice it gives her, which helps her outside of school as well. 

“It’s just been great to have so much match experience,” Guram said. “Usually I’ll just play tournaments on the weekend, but with this, I play, like three sets, twice a week.”

Playing such a great volume of games is a tough feat, so battling burnout and maintaining a passion for the sport is vital for Guram, who relies on organization to manage each aspect of her life. 

“I think it’s really important to have a schedule and stick to it: from this time is tennis, this time is school time, and just trying to keep them separate has been really helpful,” Guram said. “And  taking breaks when I need to. I try and practice every day, but if something’s going on, I’ll take the day off.”

When asked about her strategy on the court, Guram echoed a similar principle: consistency is key. 

“I try to be more consistent,” Guram said, referring to her playing style. “That’s my goal. Recently, I’ve been working a lot on my serves, and I think that’s been working really well: I’ve been getting a lot of free points on that. I do prefer my backhand, so trying to take advantage of that shot, trying to hit angles and using the full court.” 

Unlike most players on the team, who play singles outside of school and doubles within, Guram is primarily a singles player on the school’s team and a doubles one at outside tournaments. 

“When you’re by yourself, I feel like that’s a lot of pressure and it’s really easy to get negative with yourself,” Guram said when asked which game she prefers. “It can be really hard when you’re, like, out there on your own and, like, you have a tough match or whatever because you have your coach and your teammates to support you, but in the end it’s you playing the points and hitting the shots. But I feel like having a partner, it’s just more fun.”

To battle anxiety, Guram adopts a mentality useful not just for tennis, but also in day-to-day life. 

“I just try and focus, one point at a time, not thinking too far ahead, and I feel like that’s really helped me,” Guram said.