King Poised For Another level
8/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Jay Hinton
TCU Athletics Media Relations
FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU senior tennis player Mia King did a two-week internship in England covering Wimbledon with ESPN this summer to help her with her major in broadcast journalism.
King, perhaps, learned more about her game than anything else in her brief stint covering the Super Bowl of tennis.
First and foremost, she realized professionals make the same mistakes she makes, but they have a better way of dealing with it. Now it's something she'll implement in her game heading into her final season of collegiate tennis.
"I came back and I had a different mindset," said King, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native who transferred to TCU from the University of Georgia. "You get to see them compete at such a high level. It's so different on TV than being there (in person). I was up close, and I got to see the different techniques and strategies. I analyzed the players, and it was good. I have a new perspective. It gave me a good clear mind.
"I think the biggest thing I took from being at Wimbledon was they miss too, and they miss a lot, and (I learned) don't beat yourself up when you miss because it happens. It's a game of errors."
With that new perspective, along with the perspective of playing in the competitive SEC for three seasons, King will tackle the challenge of playing for the Horned Frogs in the Big 12.
"I think the Big 12 and the SEC are pretty similar," King said. "I consider the SEC to be one of the strongest conferences. I'm not too familiar with the Big 12, but I'm sure it's just as strong. The teams we'll play will be tough. I think it will be a very similar competitive environment."
As a junior at the University of Georgia, King went 9-3 in singles and 10-0 in doubles. In her three seasons with the Bulldogs, she had an overall singles record of 43-15 and double record of 36-9.
"Mia brings another level of passion, energy and enthusiasm. She did a great job at Georgia and started out having a really good career there. She really wants to take it to another level," TCU women's tennis coach Lee Taylor Walker said. "She comes to us at a time when we're going to really need her senior leadership and need her to embrace that role."
King got her first action this week at the 2015 Holt Jeep $10K Fort Worth Women's USTA Pro Circuit Event at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center — the home of the Frogs — prior to beginning her senior collegiate campaign later this month.
"I haven't played in a tournament in a while, so this will be my first match play in a pressure situation in a good bit of time," she said. "It will be great for me. I am excited for the season. I need lots of matches and lots of play right now. I think it will be a good start to the year."
King remains alive in the doubles portion of the main draw with former Georgia teammate Lauren Herring. The duo will compete in the quarterfinals on the Bernard J. 'Tut' Bartzen Varsity Courts on Thursday starting at 9 a.m.
Players Mentioned
