Sophomore Makarova overcomes injury-plagued freshman year

A meteoric rise is nothing new for Natasha Makarova.

From her days as a junior tennis player in San Diego to her still-short time as a player for the women’s tennis team, Makarova has improved her game every step of the way. Named the most improved player in San Diego in 2006, and jumping from the bottom of the lineup to No. 1 singles this season, Makarova is unquestionably a rising star.

Makarova, a sophomore, developed her love for tennis from her mother, Luda, who was quite an accomplished tennis player herself. Luda was the No. 1 singles player in the Soviet Union and played on the 1982 Soviet Union Federation Cup team. Makarova, however, was not initially drawn to the sport.

“I started in group lessons when I was 10,” said Makarova, “and not competitively. After a certain while, it got integrated and I started playing in a little competition and I was kind of successful. I don’t know what changed but I hated it when I started, definitely not love at first sight.”

Gradually, Makarova began to play more and more tennis, and by the time she was in high school, her ability had placed her on the national stage. Makarova was the CIF San Diego champion in 2006, and had previously been the second ranked girls tennis player in the tennis hotbed of southern California. Her national ranking in 2005 had risen to as high as 12. The sacrifices she made to achieve this success were tremendous.

“It was a huge commitment,” said Makarova of the junior tennis circuit, “but I loved playing junior tennis. It was tiring because you had to go away every weekend. We would drive all over, and most of your friends came from junior tennis. I gave up my social life in high school. Everyday after school, I spent more hours at the tennis center than I did at home, unless I was sleeping. I wouldn’t even stop at home, I would go directly to tennis.”

The rigorous routine extended beyond the school year.“Summers were strictly tennis,” Makarova continued. “During the summers we would practice five hours a day.”

Makarova’s commitment to the game offered her a variety of options when it came to her future. “I didn’t really ever consider going professional,” said Makarova, “those players that are [planning on going pro] play more of the international circuit. When I was in high school, my goal was probably to get a full ride to a school.”

Fortunately for the Lions, Makarova found out about Columbia, and made an official visit to the campus.

“It’s hard to say why exactly I came to Columbia,” said Makarova, “but when I came on my official visit, something about the campus just felt right. I was also a big fan of Ivy League academics, and my family originally lived in Montreal, so I missed the cold weather. It seems foolish now, but I wanted to go somewhere where it was colder.”

As soon as Makarova arrived on campus in the fall of 2007, however, she met with a bit of a surprise. She was recruited by Rob Kresberg, who stepped down from the position during that summer. Makarova said that she struggled at first to adjust to the college game, which varied greatly from the junior ranks with which she was so familiar.

“It was a hard transition,” continued Makarova. “In junior tennis you would have a couple of easy matches to get comfortable with the tournament and the setting and it would get progressively harder, but in college all of the players are so tough there’s no easy wins. You have to be on every single day, there no room for injury, or not feeling your shots.

Makarova had a solid freshman season, playing primarily at No. 5 and 6 singles, and winning a match at No. 3 singles against Seton Hall in straight sets in the spring. Makarova, however, was not content with her progression and took it upon herself to improve over the summer.

“I was kind of injured freshman year,” said Makarova, “I was dealing with health issues from transitioning to college. It was hard on me. I couldn’t play at the level I was playing at before in juniors.”

Makarova, however had another reason to train hard over the summer as well. “My younger sister is a phenomenal junior player,” said Makarova, “so I have to stay in really good shape so I can train and practice with her. I wasn’t playing at the level of junior tennis and I wasn’t happy about it. I had to keep up with my sister, and keep it up in order to feel good on the court like I did [when playing juniors].”

When Makarova returned to campus this fall, she came back a tremendously improved player. Her opponents noticed, as did head coach Ilene Weintraub, who constantly cites Makarova as being among the fittest players on the team.

“Natasha is an extremely self-motivated player,” said Weintraub. “She is one of the strongest players I have ever coached, with a tremendous commitment to her fitness. She is the fittest player on the team.”

Weintraub praised the effect Makarova’s work ethic has had on the whole team.

“Natasha is an example to the whole team, with her tremendous improvement. She shows the team that if they commit, play hard and with
determination, the results will come. She is a great example to the team.”

Despite playing No. 1 singles at an Ivy League school, Makarova is not content with where she is.

“I’ve played a lot of matches, but I don’t have a defining moment,” said Makarova. “I’m still not back at the level where I am comfortable.”

Head coach Weintraub however, is confident that Makarova will continue her tremendous rate of improvement. “If she continues to improve, there is no telling what she can do.”