Commitment Profile
Kawai Will Play for Illini
by Marcia Frost, 8 September 2016
| Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
After taking visits at schools from Texas to Pennsylvania, 18-year-old Asuka Kawai has decided to play for the Fighting Illini beginning in the fall of 2017.
Asuka Kawai didn't earn Blue Chip status the usual way. Since she was born in Japan and without U.S. Citizenship, she was unable to play USTA National events above level three.
"By the time I would be eligible with the citizenship, is would be too late for me to play national junior tournaments," she explained.
Still, Kawai managed to rack up some impressive statistics that put her at No. 19 Nationally and No. 1 in Illinois for seniors in the Babolat Class Rankings.
Kawai admits that it was tough for her to earn recognition under the circumstances, "It's kind of complicated because the rankings aren't always accurate - especially for me because I don't play national tournaments. I always try my best to win the tournaments that I can play, and show my full technique to others. Maybe that effort in shown!" she continued.
Kawai began playing tennis in Japan at age four. In 2013, her father took a position in the U.S. and the family moved to Illinois.
It was not the first move for the family. A stint in England had prepared her for the language change.
The Palatine, Illinois, resident trains at Schaumburg Tennis Plus along with her younger sister. Her current coaches are Paul MacDonald and John Trump.
She had previously worked with Masami Chikami, a top coach in Japan.
When asked about the difference between training in Japan and training in the U.S., Kawai said, "Mainly, the practice time. In Japan it's way longer and tougher - here it's more based on you."
Many of the matches Kawai played were in high school tennis, where she finished in the Top 10 of the Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) in 2014 and third in 2015.
As a freshman at Palatine High School, she impressed with a 26-0 record into the state championships and was known for her strong backhand. She lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Brienne Minor of Carmel Catholic.
