By Emma Bonanno – Staff Reporter 

Law sophomore Cora Aitkenhead has started out the 2026 girls tennis season strong. 

Aitkenhead has a 11–0 record so far at #4 singles, consistently winning her matches with confidence. She sets the tone for her team and proves herself as one of the top competitors early in the season.

“My season so far has not only been going very well as far as scores, but has been an absolute blast,” Aitkenhead said. “I’ve really enjoyed improving and playing singles, and I think this season I have become really close with some new friends and even closer with old ones.” 

Akeinhead’s impact goes beyond her undefeated record, as her leadership and character have also stood out. Head coach Mr. Kulenych praised Aitkenhead’s dedication and presence on and off the court. 

“Cora is everything a coach wants in a player – she is a leader, she works hard every day to get better, and she is relentless when she gets on the court,” Kulenych said. “Off the court, she is an amazing teammate, always rooting for and supporting the other players and giving the younger players someone to look up to.”

Aitkenhead has clear goals for herself as the season continues, focusing not just on winning but on improving her overall game.

“My goals for this season are to improve my technique and perfect my placement, while also becoming more consistent and playing well no matter the varying level of my opponents,” Aitkenhead said. “By perfecting things like my placement and ground strokes I’ll have more control over my opponents allowing me to win matches more easily.”

Aitkenhead’s impact has also been recognized by her teammates. Junior Courtney Russo has seen how important Aitkenhead has been to the team’s success this season.

“This season, Cora has been a huge asset on the singles line up,” Russo said “There have been times where Cora has secured the win for the team which is so needed, and Cora’s insane record this season truly shows the kind of player she is.”

As the season continues, Aitkenhead looks to build on her record, refine her game even further, and remain a key leader both on and off the court for her team.

“I think my biggest challenge was adapting to the switch from singles to doubles,” Aitkenhead said. “Playing varsity doubles as a freshman was a great place for me to start and get to know the sport as it was my first year playing tennis. I knew that I would be a singles player eventually, but when I got thrown up to singles at the start of this season it was a whole different ball game of running, more strategy, and self-dependence, but I’ve adjusted well. I’ll be honest, the running from my soccer season has definitely translated to the tennis courts.”