University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Lea Ma
February 19, 2021 | Women's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Before she became a Georgia Bulldog, Lea Ma saw the world through tennis.
The Dix Hills., N.Y., native played in the junior versions of all four Grand Slam events. She represented the United States in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She played in events in Colombia, Paraguay and Brazil, as well.
Ranked No. 31 in the ITA's preseason rankings and playing at the No. 2 singles spot for the fifth-ranked Lady Bulldogs, Ma, a second-year freshman, is very appreciative of her opportunities to play on tennis' most hallowed courts and experience all the different places and opportunities that she has. Georgia opens SEC play on Sunday when it hosts No. 19 Tennessee at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
During a recent Quick Chat, Ma talked about playing around the world, her early days in the sport, playing at Wimbledon, fishing, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: When did you get started in tennis and when did it become one of your big passions in life?
Ma: I started when I was about 5; my older sister played tennis and we had a court at our house in New York, so I was just following in her footsteps. As I got older, I started to get better. My sister ended up quitting but I kept going because I ended up really enjoying playing the game.
Frierson: When did you were good and good enough to have a future in the sport beyond junior tennis?
Ma: Honestly, I don't remember much tennis from when I was younger. Maybe when I was 12 or 13, when I was invited to train at the USTA facility where the U.S. Open is played. My parents started to put me in more practices and they thought that I really could do something in tennis.
Frierson: Who was the first player that you looked up to?
Ma: (Caroline) Wozniacki, just the way she competed on the court no matter what was going on. I really admired that, and how she reached No. 1 in the world without winning a Slam.
Frierson: Traveling the world playing the junior Slams and playing in all the other places that you did, are you ever amazed at where the sport can take you?
Ma: I've been to so many places and it's such an honor to be able to travel to all these cool places. I know some people don't have the opportunity so I didn't take that for granted.
Frierson: What was the one place that blew you away the most?
Ma: I really enjoyed London. My brother-in-law was showing me around there and I really enjoyed it there. Also, Wimbledon is probably the nicest place I've ever played at.
Frierson: I've played tennis my whole life but I've never played on grass. Can you describe what it's like to play grass-court tennis?
Ma: There's a warmup tournament before Wimbledon and it's called Roehampton. I played my first match there and I was like, I'm never going to be able to play at Wimbledon like this. But apparently the grass there was not as good because they're old cricket fields or something.
When I get to Wimbledon (for the 2018 junior event) and I practice there, I'm like, this is not that bad. I played my first match and I was getting used to it, and then I played Clara (Tauson, the top-ranked junior in the world at the time), and I ended up beating her. That gave me a lot of confidence that I could play on grass. It's super quick and it's super short points, and if you make the first serve you win like 90% of the points.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Ma: Nothing creative, but I like fishing and people think that's so weird [laughs]. I grew up fishing a lot with my dad, it's just something that we do and I really enjoy it. In my free time, if I could fish that's what I would do. On a boat, on a dock, my dad and I just did it all the time.
Frierson: What's the best or most memorable thing you ever caught?
Ma: I caught a shark off a boat in South Carolina one time. It was a battle. My arms were burning — I actually caught two that trip and it was probably the best time I had fishing with my dad.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Ma: I'd say me and Meg (Kowalski), she's my doubles partner and we crack a lot of jokes, especially when we're playing. It's always a fun time playing with Meg. I'd say we're pretty funny together.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Ma: That's a tough question. I'd probably go somewhere like Bora Bora, with my sister. We've always been talking about going somewhere like that.
Frierson: I did one of these interviews with women's basketball's Sarah Ashlee Barker earlier today and she also said Bora Bora, as have many other people I've interviewed. What is it about Bora Bora?
Ma: [Laughs] Have you seen the pictures of Bora Bora? That place, it looks incredible. It's just something I want to experience in my lifetime once.
Frierson: When you think of home what comes to mind?
Ma: I lived in New York for most of my life and then I moved to Florida (to attend the IMG Academy in Bradenton), but I loved it in New York — my whole family was there. I loved it especially when it snowed. When it snowed, that was the time to be outside. I was always with my brother doing stuff outside.
Frierson: Growing up on Long Island, was the city a huge part of your life or was it sometimes like a world away?
Ma: I would say it was a part of my life because I trained near the city, so I would go almost every day. I love New York, it's amazing there.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Before she became a Georgia Bulldog, Lea Ma saw the world through tennis.
The Dix Hills., N.Y., native played in the junior versions of all four Grand Slam events. She represented the United States in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She played in events in Colombia, Paraguay and Brazil, as well.
Ranked No. 31 in the ITA's preseason rankings and playing at the No. 2 singles spot for the fifth-ranked Lady Bulldogs, Ma, a second-year freshman, is very appreciative of her opportunities to play on tennis' most hallowed courts and experience all the different places and opportunities that she has. Georgia opens SEC play on Sunday when it hosts No. 19 Tennessee at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
During a recent Quick Chat, Ma talked about playing around the world, her early days in the sport, playing at Wimbledon, fishing, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: When did you get started in tennis and when did it become one of your big passions in life?
Ma: I started when I was about 5; my older sister played tennis and we had a court at our house in New York, so I was just following in her footsteps. As I got older, I started to get better. My sister ended up quitting but I kept going because I ended up really enjoying playing the game.
Frierson: When did you were good and good enough to have a future in the sport beyond junior tennis?
Ma: Honestly, I don't remember much tennis from when I was younger. Maybe when I was 12 or 13, when I was invited to train at the USTA facility where the U.S. Open is played. My parents started to put me in more practices and they thought that I really could do something in tennis.
Frierson: Who was the first player that you looked up to?
Ma: (Caroline) Wozniacki, just the way she competed on the court no matter what was going on. I really admired that, and how she reached No. 1 in the world without winning a Slam.
Frierson: Traveling the world playing the junior Slams and playing in all the other places that you did, are you ever amazed at where the sport can take you?
Ma: I've been to so many places and it's such an honor to be able to travel to all these cool places. I know some people don't have the opportunity so I didn't take that for granted.
Frierson: What was the one place that blew you away the most?
Ma: I really enjoyed London. My brother-in-law was showing me around there and I really enjoyed it there. Also, Wimbledon is probably the nicest place I've ever played at.
Frierson: I've played tennis my whole life but I've never played on grass. Can you describe what it's like to play grass-court tennis?
Ma: There's a warmup tournament before Wimbledon and it's called Roehampton. I played my first match there and I was like, I'm never going to be able to play at Wimbledon like this. But apparently the grass there was not as good because they're old cricket fields or something.
When I get to Wimbledon (for the 2018 junior event) and I practice there, I'm like, this is not that bad. I played my first match and I was getting used to it, and then I played Clara (Tauson, the top-ranked junior in the world at the time), and I ended up beating her. That gave me a lot of confidence that I could play on grass. It's super quick and it's super short points, and if you make the first serve you win like 90% of the points.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Ma: Nothing creative, but I like fishing and people think that's so weird [laughs]. I grew up fishing a lot with my dad, it's just something that we do and I really enjoy it. In my free time, if I could fish that's what I would do. On a boat, on a dock, my dad and I just did it all the time.
Frierson: What's the best or most memorable thing you ever caught?
Ma: I caught a shark off a boat in South Carolina one time. It was a battle. My arms were burning — I actually caught two that trip and it was probably the best time I had fishing with my dad.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Ma: I'd say me and Meg (Kowalski), she's my doubles partner and we crack a lot of jokes, especially when we're playing. It's always a fun time playing with Meg. I'd say we're pretty funny together.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Ma: That's a tough question. I'd probably go somewhere like Bora Bora, with my sister. We've always been talking about going somewhere like that.
Frierson: I did one of these interviews with women's basketball's Sarah Ashlee Barker earlier today and she also said Bora Bora, as have many other people I've interviewed. What is it about Bora Bora?
Ma: [Laughs] Have you seen the pictures of Bora Bora? That place, it looks incredible. It's just something I want to experience in my lifetime once.
Frierson: When you think of home what comes to mind?
Ma: I lived in New York for most of my life and then I moved to Florida (to attend the IMG Academy in Bradenton), but I loved it in New York — my whole family was there. I loved it especially when it snowed. When it snowed, that was the time to be outside. I was always with my brother doing stuff outside.
Frierson: Growing up on Long Island, was the city a huge part of your life or was it sometimes like a world away?
Ma: I would say it was a part of my life because I trained near the city, so I would go almost every day. I love New York, it's amazing there.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director 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.
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