Sauk Valley Media Athlete of the Week: Dixon’s Grace Ferguson

Dixon junior Grace Ferguson wrapped up another great season of high school tennis at the Class 1A State Girls Tennis Tournament on Oct. 19.

The Duchesses’ No. 1 singles player and three-time state qualifier went 4-0 to win the Rochelle Sectional on Oct. 14.

Ferguson has been voted the Sauk Valley Media Athlete of the Week by readers for the week of Oct. 9 through Oct. 15 and answered a few questions to help us get to know her a little bit.

How old were you when you first began playing tennis, and who introduced you to the game?

Ferguson: I was two years old when I started playing tennis. My parents started taking tennis lessons when they moved to Dixon, so they enrolled my older brother and I in lessons too when we were old enough.

What is your favorite thing about tennis?

Ferguson: I love seeing how I can manipulate the ball and make it go exactly where I want it to go on the court. I also love seeing all my hard work pay off in a match. It’s really rewarding to see myself correctly use a skill that I’ve been working on for a while.

What aspect of your game has improved the most from freshman year to now?

Ferguson: I think the amount of power I have now has increased tremendously since my freshman year. I have worked on getting stronger so that I can hit harder shots.

Which part of your game do you think is the strongest?

Ferguson: I think my forehand is my best shot. I think it’s the easiest for me to control and rely on in a match.

What would you say was the highlight of your season? This could be a team accomplishment, an individual accomplishment, or just a fun memory with the team on or off the court.

Ferguson: I think winning sectionals was the highlight of my season. It was very exciting for me. It was also very exciting to see my teammates excel this year. Seeing their accomplishments is always very rewarding.

What superpower would you like to have, and why?

Ferguson: I think having the power to become invisible would be the one I would be most excited about. I think it would be cool to sneak around and go anywhere I want without anybody knowing.

What’s your favorite movie?

Ferguson: “10 Things I Hate About You.”

What is your perfect meal?

Ferguson: Chicken parmesan with fettuccine pasta and green beans.

What is your favorite class, and why?

Ferguson: Medical Biology is my favorite class because I love learning about anatomy and the different organs in the human body and their functions.

You get to have dinner and talk tennis with three players, past or present. They can be professional players, college players or former area standouts. Who are you picking, and why?

Ferguson: I would choose to eat dinner with Frances Tiafoe, Iga Swiatek, and Novak Djokovic. I admire all of these players tremendously and would be curious to learn more about them personally. Frances Tiafoe has such a unique playing style that is so fun to watch. Iga Swiatek is so impressive to watch because she’s so young and has made it so far in her career at such a young age. I love watching Novak Djokovic because he continues to impress the world with his amazing skillset. He is such a well-rounded player and is still so successful despite being one of the older male professional players on tour.