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Erika Matsuda never even thought college tennis was an option.
Growing up in Yokohama, Japan, the rising junior always thought professional tennis was her next step out of high school. With those intentions in place and no knowledge of the English language, the University of Washington was nowhere near her radar.
It wasn't until she started learning English and began having phone calls with Head Coach Robin Stephenson that collegiate tennis became an option. And a highly favored one, at that.
Her first year at Washington was challenging, with the language barrier making for a rocky start in conversations with her teammates. With time — and a lot of practice — Matsuda now feels like she can talk to her teammates about anything, and has a much easier time understanding conversation.
One main worry while being recruited to UW was the Duolingo English test that was a required piece for attending the University of Washington.
Matsuda communicated those concerns to Coach Stephenson, who encouraged her that she could do it, and that there was a spot for her on the team if she wanted it. Since then, she has never looked back.
"I have no regrets coming to UW," Matsuda said. "Being here has been one of the best moments of my life. I'm just having fun with the people around me."
HEAD COACH THOUGHTS
"I am so incredibly proud of Emat and how far she has come in her first two years," Head Coach Robin Stephenson said. "I remember when we were recruiting her, she was so worried about her English and how she would do academically. She has come into UW and has gotten a 4.0 almost every quarter. That is just a glimpse into her dedication and work ethic and how she goes about everything. She has made a huge jump with her tennis and that's all credit to her and her mindset and her commitment to be the best that she can be for the team. Emat is someone that can will herself to do most anything and when she sets her mind to something she is a force. It has been so much fun to see her continue to flourish in this environment on and off the court and I know the best is ahead for her. She has some big goals for herself and the team and she has a quiet confidence and poise about her that spreads to those around her. Emat has a lot of pride in being a Husky and we are grateful that she chose to be here. She is a huge part of our success over the past couple of seasons and will continue to lead the team to new heights in the coming years."
HUSKY ROLE MODELS
Matsuda made a sizable jump in the lineup from her freshman to sophom*ore year, going from primarily No. 6 singles to playing on the Huskies' top court in one year's time.
With that jump came added emotions and challenges, but Matsuda noted that pressure wasn't a predominant feeling she had while competed on court 1.
When matches got tough midway through the year and she needed some guidance, she turned to Husky alum Hikaru Sato.
Sato, a 2023 graduate who played her final two seasons at UW after a three-year stint at Washington State, led the Huskies at the No. 1 singles spot her final season in college.
As a fellow international student and more specifically, a fellow Japanese native, Sato was able to provide words of encouragement for Matsuda as she competed as a sophom*ore against some of the Pac-12's top players.
Watching Sato play at No. 1 singles her freshman season was what inspired Matsuda to want to compete on the top court.
"I really wanted to play No. 1 singles because of Hika," Matsuda said. "I remember watching her matches on court 1 and thinking it was really cool. It was one of my biggest goals for college tennis to play 1."
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) June 6, 2024?????????? ?????????????????? // ?????????? ??????????????
All we've gotta say for this one is YEAH, EMAT??
>> https://t.co/6NfYV4dXft #GoHuskies x #BetterTogether pic.twitter.com/cTZ5N4YkgV
THE BEST OF 2024
One of the best moments of her sophom*ore campaign, in Matsuda's eyes, was clinching an important match late in the season.
"Pac-12s, first round, when I won singles," Matsuda said, when asked about one of her favorite moments of this season. "It was a really awesome memory for me. I didn't have much confidence during that match. I doubted myself a lot and felt like I wasn't contributing much to the team going into that match, so I'm glad I won this one."
DUAL-SPORT ATHLETE
When not playing tennis, Matsuda takes her athletic abilities anywhere she can. Lately, the golf course has been a form of meditation for her, and a good opportunity to try out a new sport and a new form of physical activity.
"I like trying new things," Matsuda said. "Before coming to UW, I only played tennis because I was so scared about getting injured. I spent all my time playing tennis and didn't try many new things so now I want to try them all."
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