York senior Lizzie Isyanov is the Suburban Life girls tennis Player of the Year

Lizzie Isyanov has left quite the legacy for York tennis.

The most successful girls tennis player in York history, Isyanov earned two state medals, taking fifth in 2022 as a sophomore and second place this fall.

It was a spectacular return to the court.

After missing her junior season with a stress fracture in her back, Isyanov went 29-1 this year. Her only loss came in a memorable Class 2A state singles championship, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 to defending champion Jessica Kovalcik of Plainfield North.

It capped off a career in which Isyanov posted an 89-9 record over three seasons. Isyanov, who will play collegiately at Illinois, is the Suburban Life girls tennis Player of the Year.

Here is her Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

When you look back at the final match, what stands out?

Isyanov: The match I played in the finals was definitely one of the hardest I played all season. I went into it with the mindset of just wanting to play my very best and to fight to the end while having a good time, as this was the last high school match I will ever play. What stuck out the most during was the very long points between Jessica and I, because the match ultimately came down to who made the most mistakes.

You had a 29-1 record, pretty remarkable. How do you put it into perspective? Did you surprise yourself?

Isyanov: During the season, I never thought much about my record mainly because I didn’t want to distract myself. I went into each match with the goal to try my very best, which allowed me to play freely. Reflecting on my record at the end of season was a surprise, because I didn’t realize that I had played that many matches - they all blurred together. At the end of the day too, the high school season is meant to be fun, especially because it is my senior year.

I heard you missed junior year with an injury. What was the injury, how and when did it happen, what was the recovery like and were you surprised at all at how well you did this season given the injury? How gratifying was it to come back so well?

Isyanov: I had a stress fracture in the lower left side of my back. It initially began in June of 2023, but was officially diagnosed two months later in August. The recovery was a long process as the only thing I could really do to heal it was sitting out/resting it. Once I started playing again in March, I had a set schedule where I would play once a day for 15 minutes, and I slowly began increasing the volume as time went on along with fitness days to strengthen my muscles.

I went back into practice with a much higher level of appreciation than before as I realized how much I took playing tennis and traveling for tournaments for granted, and I did not want that to be taken away from me again. A part of the reason as to why I was able to bounce back was because I am a competitive person and couldn’t stand the idea of playing worse than I did when I originally got injured. A majority of how I was able to do this season was from the help of my tennis coach pushing me, and by working hard both on and off the court to keep increasing my level. When that all payed off in the end, it was an extremely rewarding feeling.

How did you get started in tennis?

Isyanov: I started playing tennis at around the age of 3. My dad had played his whole life, so he was the one that started me with the sport. I did it along with gymnastics till the age of 7, when I quit to begin competing in tennis tournaments.

How much pride do you take in your legacy as the best player to ever come out of your high school?

Isyanov: It feels surreal having broken a high school record because since freshmen year I have made it a goal to make it to the finals of state. During season though, I told myself to take everything one step at a time as a way of blocking out both external/internal pressure, and staying as focused as I possibly could during my matches to perform well in them. There is something very special about playing for my high school because with it there is a sense of pride and representation. Having my friends, family, and even teachers out there to support me was also a truly amazing experience and made the moment even more memorable.

Coach said you’re committed to Illinois. When did you commit, what made you decide to commit there, how much are you looking forward to it and what do you plan to study?

Isyanov: I committed to Illinois in early September and plan on majoring in biology to go down a pre-med track. I am very much looking forward to it next year because Illinois is an excellent University where I have a balance of both rigorous academics and tennis. My dream has been to play Division I tennis in college since I started tennis tournaments - especially at such a big school. The coaches/team are amazing and made me feel right at home, and I know that here I can continuously keep improving and thriving as both a tennis player and person.