Junior Player Spotlight: Olivia Traynor, John McEnroe Tennis Academy

From a very early age, Olivia Traynor loved the independence and self-determination that tennis brought out of her. Even when she first started playing at five-years-old, she embraced being out on court by herself, competing and problem-solving.

Like a lot of young players, she got her start because of an older sibling. As she watched her older sister play it inspired her to try tennis for herself, and soon after, she was playing regularly at SPORTIME Lake Isle.

“I think what stood out to me about tennis was it was the only sport that I was all on my own, and I’ve always been independent,” said Traynor. “I had full control over everything on the court and was very focused at a young age, so that was the perfect combination for me. I think tennis does a really good job of preparing you for life, as it teaches you to be independent and forces you to figure things out without getting too stressed.”

Now a rising junior, Traynor still trains with SPORTIME, but is now primarily at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) at Randall’s Island, and is a member of its Home School Program. She has become one of the top players in the country, ranked 21st in the country and 5th in the Eastern Section in the Girls 16-and-under division.

“I’ve been homeschooled for four years now, and it just allows me to train a lot more, and helps me incorporate more fitness into my routine which has been incredibly helpful,” she said. “When I was going to school I didn’t have a lot of time for fitness, and I’ve been able to get a lot stronger as well as increase my stamina. Being at Randall’s Island has helped me a lot, there are so many good players there to play practice matches against, and I am able to get exposed to a lot of great players and top coaches.”

Her primary coach is Ion Efrim, JMTA and SPORTIME Randall’s Island Associate Director, and together the two have created a partnership that has produced fantastic results. Just this spring, Traynor was victorious at multiple tournaments, including the ITF J60 event in Edmonton, a USTA L2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as an ITF J30 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, bringing home singles titles in each.

“Olivia has started playing ITF events more recently and you can really see a growth in her game,” said Efrim. “She is an extremely aggressive player that wants to have the match dictated on her racquet and has a big game. She goes all out when on the court and when she is on her game, Olivia is an extremely tough player to beat.”

On her own game-style, Traynor said:

“I do try to be the more aggressive one but if for some reason that isn’t working, then I try to change the pace, go high, slice or maybe come to the net,” she explained. “Honestly, I just try to do anything that will make them uncomfortable and win points. I try to dictate play with my serves and I like to be on top of the baseline and move my opponent around. I am working on being more consistent, but also on being more comfortable coming to the net and being able to finish points off there.

One thing I am getting better at is figuring out my opponent before it’s too late. Sometimes I have a bad habit of just trying to play my game even if it isn’t working in a particular match, so being able to adjust quicker is one of my biggest goals in the short-term.”

In addition to continuing to make strides in her game, Traynor is adjusting the equipment she uses. After playing with lighter rackets for most of her life, she switched to a heavier one.

It was a major change for her, but one that has proved to be beneficial.

“It was a pretty big change for me. It was honestly a coincidence though. I had been using a Babolat 285, but wanted to try a heavier racquet so I began using the Solinco 300 in practices and then in tournaments, and I really liked it,” she explained. “I felt like it gave me a lot of control and still had the power to hit deeper balls, especially on the run, which was something I had never felt before. It’s sometimes hard to generate power when you get stretched out wide, but with the Solinco now I feel like I can even with a small swing. Once I started using the new racquet in tournaments I saw a big difference.”

And with two years remaining in her junior career, Traynor has now started looking to the future, and has begun the early stages of the college recruiting process. She is listed as a five-star recruit on TennisRecruiting.net and will be a highly-sought after player in the eyes of collegiate programs.

“I’ve started the process, and I’m just talking to a few [colleges] right now, there’s like five big ones that are high on my priority list,” said Traynor. “It’s a big summer for me with it being a recruiting year, and I know there will be college coaches at all the big tournaments. I want to make sure I stand out, and be the best version of myself when playing, and emphasize enjoying the sport.”

As she prepares for the summer ahead, Traynor wants to continue evolving as a tennis player. Despite racking up trophies and titles this far in 2024, Traynor is looking forward to focusing on the process and let the results follow.

“I’m not going to get too wrapped up in the results,” she said. But I want to focus on giving 100 percent in every match and fighting until the last point.”