Life on the fly

Since graduating from Princeton in 2003 with a degree in English, Kavitha Krishnamurthy has embarked on a journey that would make Jules Verne proud.

Constantly traveling overseas hasn't been easy, but for Krishnamurthy, it's just part of pursuing her dream: a professional tennis career.

"I would say constant travel is the most grueling aspect of professional tennis. Since tennis is played year-round, all over the world, you are always on the move," Krishnamurthy said. "One week I can be in Australia, the next week in India, the next week in Mexico."

Before Krishnamurthy began playing tournaments across the globe, she found great success playing matches up and down the eastern seaboard as the star of the Tiger women's team. The accolades poured in from the beginning of her Princeton career, as she earned both the Ivy League Rookie and Player of the Year awards as a freshman.

The highlight reel kept rolling, as she competed in the NCAA singles tournament her freshman, sophomore and junior years. Still, it isn't the individual accolades she remembers the most vividly.

"Individually, I had some really memorable matches, but most of the highlights involved the team," she said in an email from Australia, her most recent location. "We won the Ivy League championship and ECACs and also got to play the finals of the ECACs at Flushing Meadows my senior year."

The Tiger alumna credits much of her success at Princeton to her head coach, Louise Gengler, who has since retired. She also remarked that the sheer number of matches a collegiate athlete plays is great preparation for a pro career.

"I think that playing for the Princeton team helped me tremendously in many aspects of my professional tennis career," she said. "You play so many matches that it really toughens you and makes you a much stronger competitor."

After an overwhelmingly positive experience with the Tigers, Krishnamurthy joined the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour and hopped on an airplane. Swept up in the whirlwind of practices and matches, she jokes that it took six months before she finally unpacked her luggage.

For now, a pro tournament victory eludes her, but Krishnamurthy has found success, advancing to the semifinals and finals of a number of competitions. She has risen in rank to be among the top 500 players in the world.

But even with her increasing success, she admits that the constant travel takes a toll.

"It's difficult not being able to see your family and friends as much as you'd like," she said. "Also, tennis is a very expensive sport, and funding the traveling can be hard. But in order to get a good enough ranking to play in more prestigious tournaments, you have to travel."

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Krishnamurthy has also found the pro tour less socially satisfying then her college career, as it lacks the friendship and support she enjoyed as a member of the Princeton team.

"On the tour, it's more isolating. Since it's a livelihood now, it becomes a bit more cutthroat," she said.

Yet, for all the hardships Krishnamurthy has encountered on the WTA Tour, her outlook remains positive. Even all the traveling has had its benefits.

"It's amazing to explore different parts of the world and become accustomed to different cultures," she said. "I have also had the opportunity to stay with families who have been so generous and kind that, by the end of the tournament, you have made longterm friends."

Krishnamurthy adds that a professional career has taught her to accept and learn from both victory and defeat. According to the WTA website, she currently holds a 26-33 singles record and is 7-14 in doubles. Krishnamurthy was forced to take some time off to recover from an injury, but she has recently rejoined the tour and is eager to compete. She is currently wrapping up matches in Australia before returning to North America.

And what could possibly be the next step for Krishnamurthy?

"I hope, in time, I get the opportunity to play in Grand Slam tournaments," she said. "I try to look at this opportunity as a learning experience, a way to meet so many new people and travel to parts of the world I would otherwise never see. Most importantly, it's a chance to fulfill my dreams."

Krishnamurthy has experienced turbulence during her journey as a professional athlete. She knows that the way to the top is not a nonstop flight and says that she plans to attend graduate school when her playing days are over. For now, though, she's eager to fly wherever her career takes her.