Recruiting Profile
Five-Star Chou Overcomes Health Obstacles to Achieve Goals
by Rhiannon Potkey, 11 September 2024
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Being away from the court was all the motivation Dylan Chou needed to play college tennis.
Chou was forced to take some time off from the sport at age 13 because of a left arm injury. His two-handed backhand was his best shot before the injury, but he had to switch to a one-handed backhand once he healed. Chou struggled to adjust and grew frustrated losing to players he used to beat.
Five-Star Dylan Chou Has Committted to William & Mary
© Contributed Photo
One more hurdle was thrown in Chou’s path nearly a year later. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes the digestive tract to become swollen and irritated. Chou was losing weight and couldn’t keep food down. He had to take nine more months off from tennis as he went through tests.
“After that was when I really started to miss tennis,” Chou said. “I really wanted to come back and try to play for as long as possible. I just wanted to be on the court competing again.”
The five-star senior from Richmond, Virginia will see his career extend at least through college. He has committed to play at College of William & Mary in nearby Williamsburg.
Chou began corresponding with the William & Mary staff early and the coaches came to watch him play at national hard courts in Kalamazoo last year. He made his official visit to campus in March.
“In the beginning of the process, I really didn't know what I was looking for, and I was lucky enough to talk to just a lot of different coaches, a lot of different places,” Chou said. “When I started talking to Coach (Jeff) Kader, we had some great conversations, and I really liked his vision for the program, and also his individual plan and vision for me.”
Chou started playing tennis when he was 8 years old. His father, Jimmy, who played at Wake Forest, introduced him to the sport. Chou also played basketball until he was 12 before deciding to focus only on tennis.
“I liked the individuality of tennis,” Chou said. “I really like how when you're on the court, it's just you and it's only you out there. You can't really blame anyone but yourself when you're out there. I like that responsibility of it.”
Chou attends Douglas Southall Freeman High and boasts a 4.0 GPA. He’s done in-person schooling his entire life.
“My parents gave me the opportunity to try to do online, but I felt I have a really good training group at home in Richmond and there's a lot of you guys to play with,” Chou said. “I also really like going to high school in person and having all my friends in high school and playing high school tennis. I found a good balance between it, which has made it enjoyable.”
After he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Chou adjusted his diet to eliminate gluten and dairy and found medications that have helped alleviate his symptoms.
Chou is No. 1 in Virginia on the Head Recruiting List
© Contributed Photo
“I’ve definitely seen a big change from that,” he said. “My stomach doesn’t hurt as much anymore and I have more energy. It’s been a big positive.”
Throughout his up-and-down journey of youth tennis and dealing with the adversity of injuries and illness, Chou knew he could always count on his father to guide him.
“He's definitely one of my biggest mentors, not just on the tennis court,” Chou said. “He helped me a lot going through both of those greatest hurdles in my road so far. He started me off in the sport, so he kind of helped me learn the foundations and stuff. I’ve been lucky to have a lot of really good coaches in my life. But my dad has been there from the start.”
Outside of tennis, Chou enjoys spending time with friends and watching movies.
“I really like the Oceans franchise and the Rocky movies, and now the Creed series,” Chou said. “I probably watch the Creed movies every couple months. I just really enjoy it.”
Chou’s determination to play college tennis drove his rise back up the rankings once his medical issues caused him to plummet. Convincing college coaches of his ability was a rewarding experience that taught him valuable life lessons.
The mental toll of his struggles made him consider quitting the sport. But he’s happy he persevered and gained a healthy perspective of how much tennis means to him.
“It's definitely a relief to have committed. During the beginning of the process I was a little overwhelmed, a little stressed out. But I felt like once I got into it, it started to become fun,” Chou said. “Everybody was telling me, ‘Just enjoy this process. You only go through it once.’ But afterwards, it was definitely a weight off my shoulders.”
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About Rhiannon Potkey
Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two
decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many
sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories.
Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national
events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches.
Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You
can reach Rhiannon by email at
[email protected].
