2024 Northwest Herald Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Huntley’s Will Geske

Huntley’s Will Geske burst onto the scene as a freshman last spring and emerged as the area’s best in a strong bunch of underclassmen, winning the Fox Valley Conference No. 1 singles championship in his first high school season.

Geske didn’t fly under the radar in his follow-up campaign, yet still remained tough to beat.

The Red Raiders’ hard-swinger once again rose to the top of the FVC, scoring a 6-2, 6-3 win against Dundee-Crown freshman Aarav Shah, another up-and-coming area ace, to earn his second straight conference crown.

Geske became one of two local singles players to qualify for the IHSA Class 2A Boys Tennis State Tournament, along with Shah, and went 2-2 despite facing some of the tourney’s top draws. It was the second year in a row Geske qualified, and he’ll look to make it three in a row next season.

For his achievements, Geske is named the Northwest Herald Boys Tennis Player of the Year, selected by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Geske is a repeat winner after winning as a freshman. Prairie Ridge’s doubles team of Cole Palese and Tim Jones and Jacobs’ doubles team of Augie Nelson and Soham Kalra also were considered.

Geske answered a few questions from Northwest Herald sports writer Alex Kantecki about his standout sophomore season and what he’s up to this summer.

What will you remember most about your season?

Geske: The memories I made with my teammates. Every match we went to, we always had fun. We just always had a good time. We have a really young team, and I think our team is only going to get better next year.

What’s it like playing at state?

Geske: It’s really competitive. I had to play the 3 to 4 seed and 9 to 16 seed. They were tough, but I still feel like I can hang with them. Hopefully I can get to the point where I can get a seed and win against those tougher seeds.

What is the most memorable match you had this season?

Geske: I would say my last match at state against [Edwardsville’s Colton Hulme, a 9 to 16 seed]. It was a tough battle [a 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 loss]. I had a very good first set and then the second and third sets were super close. I started losing it physically, I started cramping, and it was emotionally grueling.

Who is your funniest teammate?

Geske: Probably our only senior on the team, Ishaan Trivedi. He’s always cracking jokes, playing funny music and he just livens the mood.

What’s the hardest part about tennis?

Geske: The hardest part about tennis is the mental battle that goes on between players. At the end of the day, we all have very similar strokes, it’s just who can out-mentally battle their opponent.

How did you start playing tennis?

Geske: My grandpa gave me a free tennis lesson when I was 4 and I just kind of stuck with it. I started playing big tournaments when I was 10.

What do you like most about tennis?

Geske: The satisfaction of winning drives me. Every time you hit a good shot, the adrenaline rush you get after feels great.

Who is your biggest hero?

Geske: Rafael Nadal is my biggest hero. I love playing on clay, I train on clay. I love his mental toughness and drive. I was really disappointed he didn’t do well in the French Open.

What are some of your favorite movies?

Geske: I like “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter.”

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever visited?

Geske: I was born in China, and we go back and visit. I haven’t been back since [the pandemic], but I’ve been to the Great Wall of China, which was really cool, and I saw some of the temples.

Do you have any big plans for the summer?

Geske: I’m playing a bunch of tournaments. I’m playing in the Northern Illinois Championships, and I hope I can win that. I’m also playing the USTA Midwest Closed [Junior Championships and College Showcase], which is another big tournament.

What is something you worked hard on to improve this season?

Geske: This high school season my serve improved drastically. I would like to continue improving that, getting it more consistent. I’ve gotten a lot more power on it. Just my consistency can always use improvement. I’m more of a power player, so that’s something I’m always striving for. My return is sometimes on and off, so just trying to get everything more consistent.

What would be your perfect meal?

Geske: I love steak and potatoes.

What is your dream job?

Geske: My dream job would be to become a doctor. I like helping people, and that would be a very satisfying job.

Do you have any rituals or superstitions?

Geske: I always have the same dynamic warmup. And during the match, just like Nadal, I set up my water bottles in a particular way. He lines them up perfectly with the labels facing one way. I don’t always do that, but I line it up kind of like he does.

If you could hang out with anyone in the world right now, who would it be?

Geske: It would definitely be Nadal. It’s kind of sad that he’s getting too old to play, but he could give me pointers on how to be as consistent as he is and how to train as hard as he does. I went to see him play in the Cincinnati Open and got to watch him train. There was a mad rush to get his signature. Everybody was throwing things at him, their shoes, their hats. It was a crazy cool experience.

Who are some of your favorite musical artists or bands?

Geske: Right now I’m listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole.

What are your goals for your junior season?

Geske: This year I didn’t get to win sectionals. I didn’t play my best, so my goal is to win sectionals and make it to Day 2 of state. Hopefully I can go a lot farther.