University of Tennessee Athletics
Tenika McGiffin's Path to Tennis
January 08, 2021 | Women's Tennis
Every athlete that competes with the Power T on their chest has a different story as to how they fell in love with the sport in which they compete.
For some, they grew up playing that sport their whole life and for others like Tenika McGiffin, they found their calling by playing a multitude of sports.
“I probably played every sport under the sun,” McGiffin said. “I guess back then as a kid, I had the energy to do that. I don’t know how my parents had the energy to take me to all of the sports.”
As a young athlete in Brisbane, Australia, McGiffin’s parents enabled her to explore just about every athletic interest she had.
“I played a lot of Aussie sports: cricket, netball, touch football,” McGiffin said. “I even played a bit of softball, which is really big over here (in the U.S.). I played basketball, soccer, which in Australia we call ‘fútbol.’ I played everything and I’m so thankful that my parents allowed me to do that. I think it helped in so many ways. I participated in gymnastics too.”
While McGiffin played just about every sport available, there was one sport that held a very special place in the McGiffin household.
“I got involved in cricket at a really young age,” McGiffin said. “My older brothers, my dad and my whole family played cricket. I was out in the backyard as early as I could walk and we were just playing cricket and enjoying the summertime. That was when cricket was really big in Australia. I guess I started when I was four of five years old and just followed it from there.”
Cricket is a family affair for the McGiffin clan. Peter, Tenika’s father, and her brother Steven both competed in the professional ranks in England. While Steven still plays professionally in Australia, Peter has found himself as a professional cricket coach.
Tenika’s mother, Leisa, was also an accomplished athlete who represented Australia in both indoor and outdoor volleyball.
Having grown up in a family full of athletes, it is no question that McGiffin has become a fierce competitor on the tennis court.
“We’re always so competitive, so competitive in anything,” McGiffin said. “Growing up in a family that’s super sporty and super competitive, I think it’s helped me to have a real grit and determination mentality. I think that’s helped with my mentality off the court as well.”
The senior holds a 44-42 doubles record and earned Fall ITA Doubles All-American honors with a second-place finish at the 2019 ITA Fall National Championships.
“Growing up in a family that was super competitive, we would have competitions about anything and everything, whether it’s in the backyard playing backyard cricket or arguing about the rules,” McGiffin said. “Anything that we could win at, we would compete: ping-pong, pool.
“I think it is kind of become a part of me and who I am. I have a very competitive nature. I think it’s helped me because it’s in all aspects of my life. It’s on the tennis court, in school, and education. It’s helped me be super competitive with myself. If I can compete with myself to be better each day, then I will eventually trend upwards and get better.”
“I think it is kind of become a part of me and who I am. I have a very competitive nature. I think it’s helped me because it’s in all aspects of my life. It’s on the tennis court, in school, and education. It’s helped me be super competitive with myself. If I can compete with myself to be better each day, then I will eventually trend upwards and get better.”
McGiffin’s competitive edge has been noted throughout the ITA’s Ohio Valley region as she earned the Ohio Valley Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. Off the court, her competitive drive to improve herself in all facets of being a student-athlete placed her on the 2020 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
“To narrow it down just to tennis was a really tough decision, just because I love team sports,” McGiffin said. “I guess that was probably the hardest decision choosing tennis, because it is such an individual sport. The older I get, the more I realize the fact that you play for your team, especially in college. Coming here, it’s all a team aspect, which is something that’s new to the sport, being from Australia.”
When McGiffin is not in the middle of competition, she can regularly be seen supporting her teammates.
“As a kid growing up, I never really thought that tennis would bring me to America and I would be traveling around the states, seeing all these places and meeting all of these people from all of these different countries, especially since I picked up tennis pretty late, for what it’s generally supposed to be as a tennis player.”
McGiffin found tennis after watching the 2007 Australian Open. After six months of asking diligently for tennis lessons, eight-year old Tenika got her wish and picked up a racket.
McGiffin found tennis after watching the 2007 Australian Open. After six months of asking diligently for tennis lessons, eight-year old Tenika got her wish and picked up a racket.
“Now, I’m here in America. From that first tennis lesson, I would never have thought that it could have brought me here to Tennessee and meet all of the people that I have,” McGiffin said. “To be able to get a degree here as a Tennessee Lady Vol, it’s crazy to think that a sport can take you so many places.”
McGiffin will graduate with a degree in Kinesiology in May of 2021. After graduation, she plans to use her extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for spring sport athletes in 2020 at UT and pursue a master’s degree in sports management.
“I knew once I chose tennis over cricket, that I was going to stick with it and that I was going to have no regrets,” McGiffin said. “I’m so glad that I did choose tennis because I’m here now as a Tennessee Lady Vol and the experiences that tennis has brought me have been life changing and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
McGiffin begins her fourth spring season in Orange and White on Sunday when the Tennessee women’s tennis team competes in the three-day Duke Winter Classic in Durham, North Carolina.
