University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Vivian Wolff
April 11, 2019 | Women's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Vivian Wolff plays in the No. 4 singles spot for the undefeated Georgia women's tennis team. It's fair to say that things are going well for the sophomore from Frankfurt, Germany.
In 18 singles matches completed this dual-match season, Wolff is 17-1. In 10 singles matches in SEC play, she's 10-0; overall, since the fall, Wolff is 25-3 in singles. So, yes, things are going well. But it's not just singles. In doubles, Wolff and junior Elena Christofi are 10-0 in SEC play at the No. 2 spot and 11-0 overall.
During a Quick Chat before practice Wednesday, Wolff talked about playing well, staying humble, seeing the world through tennis and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:Â
Frierson: I know you've traveled plenty and trained in Atlanta, so it wasn't like you just showed up from Germany to go to school, but has the experience been about what you expected?
Wolff: I think so. I think the experience has definitely helped me grow as a person, and mentally and physically I think I've gotten much better. My tennis has improved a lot and mentally I've improved a lot, which is pretty much what I expected.
I didn't expect it to be ... in the beginning it did kind of hit me hard because I was still a little bit like, college is going to be fun and it can't be too hard with school and tennis and I know that Georgia is a really good program and they want the best for you.
Frierson: It took you a little while to figure out how to balance everything?
Wolff: For sure, it took me a couple months.
Frierson: What do you miss most about home, other than being able to see your family and friends anytime you want?
Wolff: I grew up in Frankfurt, so it's very urban, and I do miss being able to just walk outside (in a big city) and walk across town and visit with friends; I miss eating the food there, too. It's like a different world — America and Europe are very different.
Frierson: A lot of the student-athletes from Europe and other countries that I've talked to have commented on how they've gained weight when they got here because the food here is so different: there's so much more sugar in things and portions are frequently much bigger.
Wolff: Well, if you go to McDonald's every day it's obviously not going to be good for you. But if you know how to eat, I think it's fine. You can eat bad food in Europe, too.
Frierson: Who's the funniest person on the team?
Wolff: Not including myself, I would say ...
Frierson: If it's you then you can say it's you.
Wolff: Well, it's a tie, actually. I think me and (Lourdes Carle) are the jokesters on the team.
Frierson: How valuable is that when you spend so much time together training and traveling?
Wolff: It makes the traveling and the training more fun and easygoing. Even if we're going through a tough time as a team, having that jokester to lighten the mood is definitely essential for every team; it makes life and travel easier.
Frierson: When the team is having the season you all are having, how do you keep your egos down and keep humble?
Wolff: I think we're all very humble as a team so I think that's not a problem. The thing is with getting your ego up is you can get caught unaware by an opponent, so it's important to stay humble and just keep doing what you're doing.
Maybe at the end of the season when we're completely done we can boast a little bit, but right now it's very important that we stay focused.
Frierson: But that has to be hard when you haven't lost an SEC match, Meg (Kowalski) is destroying everything in her path and everyone else is playing very, very well, too.
Wolff: It's a nice feeling, for sure, but it's also important to stay humble.
Frierson: It's a tricky thing because so few people have a season like Georgia is having and you want to be able to enjoy this special thing that's happening, but you don't want it to cost you anything.
Wolff: Exactly, you have to find a good balance.
Frierson: What has improved the most in your game from last season to this season?
Wolff: I think physically I got stronger and my foot speed has improved, too. Mentally, as well, when I get into a tough situation I embrace the challenge instead of getting down on myself if my tennis is not working as well as it should. I always somehow manage to find a way to grind it out.
Before I came to college, if my tennis wasn't working I would get frustrated and maybe mentally lose the match. Here the coaches taught me to always find a way and to always trust your game as well, even if it's not working.
Frierson: It seems like you've played tennis all over the world, so what is the most interesting or beautiful place you've played, a place where you knew you wanted to go back on your own one day to visit?
Wolff: Oh, I've been almost everywhere in Europe, California, Florida — I loved L.A., that was a really beautiful place to train and I definitely would go back there. I think Switzerland is beautiful, too, and I'll definitely go back there.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do, or something creative you wish you could do?
Wolff: When I was a kid I really was obsessed with dragons, so I was teaching myself how to draw dragons. It's pretty much the only thing I can draw (laughs). I love to play video games, too, I've been playing since I was like five, the same age as when I started tennis.
Frierson: What's something you've learned about yourself as a student or a person, not just a tennis player, since you got to college?
Wolff: I definitely grew as a person and I learned that I am a very easy-going person; I treat life like ... I don't take everything too seriously and I try to keep it lighthearted — I like to enjoy life. Before, I didn't really do that; before I was like, tennis, tennis, tennis, and now I've learned to enjoy other aspects of life: friendships and just hanging out more with friends.
Tennis is definitely part of it, but there are other things to life and I learned that here, for sure. And I think that also helped me grow as a person.
Frierson: I remember reading around the time I went off to college that there's more to college than just books, and that's so true.
Wolff: Right, exactly. There's more to college than just tennis and books
Frierson: The things you're going to remember in 20 years might be winning a title, but more likely it's going to be some funny or silly moment with your friends and teammates away from the court.
Wolff: Yeah, for sure. Before college, it was just tennis for me and sometimes books and here it's like I've learned to step out of that bubble.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
