Women's Tennis: After 6 years in the pros, back to school

Imagine coming back to the University as a 24-year-old. All of your friends graduated four years ago, and the campus you knew as a student in 2003 has changed dramatically. This is the situation that sophomore Neha Uberoi found herself in after returning from life as a professional tennis player. Originally a member of the Class of 2006, she will now graduate in 2012.

For those who think of the University as an unchanging “orange bubble,” in reality, much has changed in the six years since Uberoi left school for the Women’s Tennis Association tour. There are the little things, like the fact that the Forbes College dining hall no longer has trays for food. And there are the bigger things, like the two huge dorm complexes — Whitman College and the new Butler College — which changed the face of campus. The construction of Whitman was somewhat saddening for Uberoi, as she has fond memories of the tennis courts that were once there.

“Whitman was constructed in the time I left until now, so now there’s this gargantuan building there,” she said. “It’s really sad for me, because I learned to play tennis where Whitman is standing. This memory of mine was destroyed.”

But not everything at the University has changed for the worse. There is much more diversity in the classrooms, Uberoi said. Additionally, the Forbes food staff still remembers her from her tennis days as the girl who always arrived at the end of dinner.

You might wonder what it’s like coming back to campus as a 24-year-old sophomore, but Uberoi says that it’s not nearly as bad as one might think. Though initially fearful of what others would think, she has come to realize that the age gap is both small and insignificant. In the grand scheme of things, she said, she is only two years older than some seniors, which is a rather small difference.

In addition, her experiences away from school have helped her as she has re-adapted to college life.

“The added maturity [from life on the WTA tour] really helps me compete with the students here because [they] are so smart,” Uberoi said. “It was quite tough this past semester, but now I feel that I’m finally settling in.”

Uberoi always knew that she wanted to go to the WTA tour and planned on leaving college early to attempt a professional career.

From a young age, she played tennis six or more hours per day, five to six days a week. She gave up school for tennis, studying in the afternoon and at night.

“[Going pro] was always a decision I had in mind,” Uberoi said. “Tennis was a major goal of mine since a very young age, so it was something that I had planned. [My goal] was to stick my foot in the door at Princeton and then try my hand at the tour.”

At Princeton, Uberoi was named Ivy League Freshman of the Year during the 2003 season, as well as an Ivy League Outstanding Performer. She promptly went pro after the end of the school year.

On tour, Uberoi competed in singles, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 196 on Jan. 29, 2007, as well as doubles with her older sister Shikha. Together, the two reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 107 on May 22, 2006. In 2005, the two sisters reached the finals in tournaments in Kolkata, India, and Guangzhou, China. Playing on the WTA tour was a memorable experience, Uberoi said.

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“[The WTA] tour was a whirlwind,” she said. “It was an amazing experience with really high highs and really low lows.

I’m so blessed to have been able to do that and to travel to so many places. It’s definitely a high you can’t get anywhere else.”

Back at the University, Uberoi still plays tennis, but not nearly as much as she used to. She played in a charity exhibition during a school break but does not see herself returning to the tour.

“I plan on stepping away from my tennis identity and going to a new portion of my life,” Uberoi said. “[My plan is] not to compete professionally, but I’ll still play.”

She also coaches tennis for local children, which has been extremely rewarding for her.

On campus, Uberoi has forged a new identity.

Along with some friends, she founded the Sikhs of Princeton student group, which recently held its first event.

She is also a contributing photographer for The Daily Princetonian and has taken a position as a sophomore officer in Charter Club.

Uberoi has few regrets about her decision to return to school.

“I’m really happy here, and I’m really excited about the next two years,” she said. “It was a very hard decision ... It took a lot of courage on my part, but I’m glad I did it.”