by The question is as challenging as any Julieta Pareja may encounter on the tennis court.
“I really enjoy the basketball one,” she remarked. Naturally, Diversity Day follows. It’s difficult to pick just one from Season 1 because there are so many excellent ones.
On a recent morning, Pareja spoke one-on-one on Zoom about her love, which is perhaps second only to tennis: she is a huge admirer of the venerable NBC sitcom The Office. She has seen every episode numerous times, and occasionally she needs a little Jim and Pam to help her relax when the demands and expectations of life and sports become too much.
Pareja’s effectiveness at her job, the tennis court, during the past 12 months has been nothing short of extraordinary, even though The Office is a nice diversion.
Aprecocious abilityPareja, who was discovered a few years ago by the top trainers in the US Tennis Association, has soared to the top of the ITF World Junior rankings this year, reaching the position that everyone wants to be at: No. 1.
A book could be written on all of her achievements, but here are a few: She advanced to the quarterfinals of the previous Grand Slam, Roland Garros, and finished as a finalist in both the singles and doubles divisions of the Wimbledon girls competition in July.
Despite not turning 17 until February, Pareja has already won three significant junior events this year, including the coveted Indian Wells event in March. As a result, she is now ranked No. 1 in the ITF rankings.
Earlier this month, Pareja placed fourth at the USTA Girls Nationals in San Diego, but her season was so good that she was granted a wild card into the Open women’s draw. She will face No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina on Monday morning, West Coast time, and is expected to win the Open girls tournament beginning on August 31.
After working with Pareja for two years, USTA national coach Thierry Champion observed, “You could see that she just breathes tennis when she walks on the court.” It is nice to witness her humility and natural ability.
Soft-spoken and courteous, Pareja is the youngest of three tennis-playing siblings (Raquel and Antonia all played collegiately). She seems unimpressed by the extraordinary success she’s had this year and considers her answers before responding to any questions.
Having gone to Calavera Hills Middle School and then Carlsbad High for a year, Pareja stated, “I approach every tournament the same, just trying to do my best and not expecting to win the title or anything.” Having that (No. 1) rating is certainly wonderful and indicates that hard work pays off, but I never consider a ranking aim or result.
However, much more has to be done.
Pareja’s racket adventure started like many younger siblings’: she followed Raquel and Antonia to their practices and competitions and caught the bug to play herself.
Julieta began receiving coaching from her mother, Adriana, and others at the age of four at Carlsbad’s Kelly Park and Poinsettia Park. Adam Peterson of Anaheim is currently her primary coach, with assistance from USTA coaches Champion and others.
Adriana claimed that when Juliana was younger, there was no “lightbulb moment” that revealed her talent.
Adriana, a Colombian native, stated in a recent phone conversation that she has been a late bloomer who is simply improving day by day and year by year. It was simply about having fun, living in the now, and not thinking about how much potential she might have.
The mother-daughter relationship has always been incredibly strong. Adriana is the one Julieta depends on for support, empathy, and anything else a budding tennis star could possibly require. She also travels to every event with Julieta.
At Wimbledon, Pareja remarked, “She’s always there for me and so helpful, no matter what.” She helps me stay grounded and focused on the important things.
Champion gives Adriana a lot of credit for Julieta’s achievement and has seen the mother and daughter together a lot.
Champion claimed that Julieta’s family takes excellent care of her, which is why she is in such good health. Adriana is incredibly humble and appreciative of the adventure she and Juliana are on, and she asks all the appropriate questions.
Pareja’s style is fluid; she is technically sound but doesn’t overwhelm you with huge serves or devastating forehands. Her mental tenacity has grown to be a significant asset, and her right-handed strokes are fluid and smooth.
For instance, the audience at Wimbledon this year loudly opposed her when she faced home-nation British players Hannah Klugman and Mimi Xu in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages. However, Pareja stayed composed and defeated both in the decisive third sets.
“It was incredible to reach a Grand Slam final, and it was really beneficial to play such difficult matches to get there,” Pareja said. She laughed as she said, “It will be nice to play a Slam at home now at the U.S. Open.”
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Last year, Pareja nearly made her U.S. Open professional debut; she advanced to the last qualifying round before losing. In front of a New York audience that enjoys supporting underdogs, particularly young Americans they have never heard of, she will play former Wimbledon winner Rybakina on Monday.
Even though Pareja’s present appears to be quite promising, her future is even more promising. She is unlikely to play collegiate tennis because she has already signed a contract with On, a sportswear company that has customers like Ben Shelton and Iga Swiatek.
Pareja could earn $110,000 simply by qualifying for the Open main draw if she decides to keep the money and forego her college eligibility (the NCAA rule prohibiting players from taking prize money if they wish to play collegiate tennis is being challenged in numerous lawsuits and is probably going to be overturned in the coming years).
Champion stated that Pareja has to gain some strength and will undoubtedly keep getting better at choosing shots and advancing toward the net. However, Pareja appears composed and prepared for whatever comes next in a sport that frequently devours its young.
According to Pareja, I simply love every aspect of it and try not to get sucked into what other people are saying. I enjoy traveling, playing, and competing; it’s exhausting but a lot of fun.
