DURHAM, N.C.– Ellie Coleman’s junior year of college tennis was poised for success, as she had already achieved impressive feats on the court and was one of the hottest Blue Devils on the court.
She was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, boasted 10 singles wins and 12 doubles victories. Her singles play was particularly strong, winning nine out of her last 14 matches, including five out of the last six. Coleman’s momentum seemed unstoppable — until an unexpected injury derailed everything. For many athletes, a season-ending injury is the ultimate test of resolve, and for Coleman, it was a challenge like no other.
Reflecting on her injury, Coleman said, “It was definitely unfortunate timing. I felt like the year was going well, getting into the main part, going into conference season. It is the longest injury I have ever dealt with. I have had small injuries here and there, but nothing to that extent. It was definitely hard to get through knowing because the team season is something that’s really important to me and I really enjoy it. And so having to miss a lot of that was definitely unfortunate.”
Before suffering an unfortunate injury in early February, Coleman was ranked as high as No. 74 nationally in singles, before finishing the year at No. 102, and in the Carolina Region, she was ranked No. 17.
One of the standout moments of her season came when she opened with a thrilling 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Ohio State’s 16th-ranked Irina Cantos Siemers. She also claimed a solid, 6-1, 6-4, win over No. 93 Madeleine Jessup of Princeton, and won five out of her last six singles matches of the year.
The setback provided Coleman with an unexpected perspective on both her career and her relationship with tennis. Before her injury, her focus was intensely driven by performance, competition, and success on the court.
However, being sidelined forced her to step back from that fast-paced environment and reflect on her journey.
“A lot of people would say this coming back from an injury, but I think there’s just an amount of gratitude for the sport that comes from being forced to be out,” said Coleman. “Just any day I get to step on the court at all is a great day and then anything more than that is a bonus.”
Now back in action, Coleman is…
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