Texas women’s tennis sophomore Carmen Herea didn’t look like the future No. 1 singles player when she began her collegiate career. 

The Romanian started her freshman year outside the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings and fifth in the Texas lineup. But within a season, she exploded onto the scene, quickly climbing the order. Herea appeared first in the lineup in two matches and finished the year ranked No. 37. She built on that momentum as a sophomore, climbing all the way to the No. 2 spot. 

Herea’s breakthrough came on March 1, when she defeated the former No. 34 player, graduate student Célia-Belle Mohr. That win, combined with the former No. 1 player, senior Reese Brantmeier, losing her match, secured Herea the top spot in singles. 

For Texas women’s tennis head coach Howard Joffe, the speed of Herea’s ascent was difficult to predict when she first joined the program. 

“When Carmen was recruited, I couldn’t have possibly foreseen her in the top half of our lineup,” Joffe said. “A year and a half later she’s playing No. 1 (in our lineup) and is the No. 1 player in college tennis.”

Part of that growth came from adjusting to a completely different tennis environment after arriving in Austin. In Romania and other European countries, players are responsible for finding their own coaches and support staff. In college tennis, those resources are already in place. 

“It’s just crazy at Texas, how many resources we have and how much help we get from everyone,” Herea said. “It’s much harder back in Europe because you have to do it alone.”

The structure of college tennis also differs from the professional circuit. Players still compete in singles and doubles matches, but each result contributes to a team score rather than just an individual record. 

“Tennis is a very individual sport,” Herea said. “People (in Europe) don’t really understand how tennis can be a team sport … and it’s kind of hard to understand or get into it.”  

Even so, competing in college has still strengthened Herea’s connection to her home country. 

“People at home are watching what I’m doing here, and they’re proud of me,” Herea said. “I see their support, because every time I do something here, even for college tennis, which technically wouldn’t matter for back home, for Romania, they still care about it, and they’re still talking about it, and it’s out there.”

That support has followed Herea through her breakout college career, and so has her competitive edge. However, she said learning when to ease that intensity has been a learning curve. 

“You just have to pick your battles and know when to push yourself and when to be hard on yourself, and when to give yourself some grace,” Herea said. “I think giving myself some grace wasn’t really a thing when I came to college. That’s something I really had to work for.”

But whether in Romania or Austin, one thing that hasn’t changed is the passion Herea brings to the court. Beneath her sharp, competitive exterior is a player who hopes her energy inspires others who may be watching. 

“You go out there, you have fun, you feel powerful, they’re gonna feel it,” Herea said. “Tennis is my passion, and I make sure people know that when I go out there.”