College Champ Starting Her Pro Journey, Dasha Vidmanova Ep260

Welcome to the Functional Tennis Podcast. I'm your host, Fabio Molle, and I bring you insights and lessons from players, coaches, parents and experts who are ingrained in the world of high level tennis.

This week, I'm joined by US College's number one female player, Daria Vidmanova. Daria has won the NCAA singles titles, doubles titles, team titles. She had an amazing college tennis career. She was born in Moscow, raised in Prague, and Daria shares her path from junior tennis to dominating college tennis and now stepping confidently into life as a professional.

We dive into how the college environment shaped her game, the challenge of transition to the pro level, and what keeps her motivated as she chases her next goal on tour. Before we get started, a shout out to our podcast partners, asics. I should actually be in London today with Asics. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it. But Asics today we're launching their gel challenger 15 shoe. It's not a shoe I've worn before, even mentioned here before. I've seen it recently in photos.

It looks great, which is always a good start, but it's meant to be highly comfortable shoe aimed at the amateur player and at a slightly cheaper price point also. Hopefully soon I'll get a pair. I'll try one out. I'll provide some feedback here, but if you want to know more right now, head over to asics.com to check it out or head over to the Asics Tennis Instagram page. Okay, here's Daria. Dasha. Welcome to the Functional Tennis Podcast. How are you? Thank you. Yeah, I'm good.

Doing pretty well. Great to be speaking to. I think my first question to ask you is, I need to know your secret to becoming the singles champ, doubles champ, team champ of the NCAA ita. What's your secret? How did you do it? I don't know if there's a secret, really, but I was just. I got better in college. I mean, I practiced a lot and I think the environment helped me a lot in Georgia. The coaches and I mean, we had a really great team all four years that I was there.

So just the people that I practice with every day, it was a good environment to get better. And then in college, obviously every weekend we play two matches. So it was a lot of practice, a lot of matches. So it was just a good environment to grow as a tennis player and get better. And I did. You did. You definitely did. And just going back just before you went to Georgia, was it always college tennis for you or did you want to go pro? Was that an easy decision or hard Decision?

No, I actually wasn't going to go to college. But my last year of juniors, I started playing the pro tournaments and I guess I realized I wasn't like fully ready. I think I was, I don't know, I was 17 and I got all those wildcards in check for the bigger tournaments and I wasn't doing that well. So it got a little routine, I guess. So I started looking to colleges and then I committed very quickly. It was kind of a last minute decision.

I visited a few schools and then within a few days I committed. And then I came actually earlier than I wanted to initially. I came in January. So. Yeah. And from college, what was your long term goal from day one in college?

Was it then to go pro at the end of this or was it we'll wait and see? No, when I went to college my first two years, I wasn't sure completely. I was looking for internships. I was thinking that maybe like I should work and find a job after college. So tennis was more like. I didn't really like it, to be honest. It just got very. It was like a lot. But playing with the team, for the team, it became more fun again. So I kind of started enjoying it again.

And after my junior year, that summer I started playing a few tournaments and then I got my ranking. And then after that I was kind of okay, might as well try it again for real this time. Play for a few years after college. So ever since my junior year I kind of wanted to play after. But before that, not really.

So did you start winning more matches and then you realized I'm actually liking this again or do you remember the act was an actual day where you said, okay, I actually want to play tennis after this? I think I just. That summer when I started playing the pro tournaments, I realized that the level like that I have is good enough to play those pro tournaments because I haven't played a tournament like three years. But I kind of realized that like the college level is good.

Like the people that I'm playing in college and then the people that I'm playing in pro is. There's not like big difference. So the first tournament that I played, it was a 15k in Dominican and I made the final and I already had like the 10 points to start the ranking. So I was like, okay, like, you know, like might as well play the summer and see. And the summer went really well. I got it up to like 3, 300.

So I was like, okay, like if I can do it in five months, then maybe like if I Keep playing for at least couple years and give myself, like, this time to really, like, train and play. Then, you know, just see where it goes. Do you put down playing the pro tournaments, getting your ranking up, and, you know, playing players who are, you know, they're not. They're playing for their life on the pro tour. They're not playing for fun.

Or do you put that experience and your college tennis together to why you became a successful college tennis player?

Yeah, I think even the, like, the college itself, all the matches, it's like everybody is trying very hard because it's a little bit different when you play, like, for the team. Like, even if, like, you're injured or you're in pain, like, sometimes you just gotta still play because there's, like, other people that are kind of, like, counting on you.

So I guess that experience and then there's a lot of, like, moments in college tennis, especially when it's like, three all and you're like, last match on. There's a lot of pressure. And in Athens, we have a lot of people that come watch. So I feel like those big moments in college, like, really help you prepare for the pro tour, where obviously, when you're playing more for yourself, but it's also, like, pressure, and then it's a kind of different kind of pressure, I guess.

But I guess the experience from college is really helpful for the pro tour. But also, yeah, I guess they complement each other because they're a little bit different. We had. Our last guest was Alex Kochevic, who was a successful college player. Now he's, what, top 80 in the world? And he talks. He talked a lot about our main point, about how, you know, when you hit the pro tour, you got to get used to losing. You were probably winning every week.

Multiple times a week you were winning, and all of a sudden you hit the pro tour. And plus, you don't have those crowds there. So you're in the middle of nowhere playing that you're probably lucky. You're probably in the more in challengers, where there's a few more people there. But how have you adjusted? Yeah, I guess that's true. You're also by yourself a lot more than obviously, in college. So you go to, yeah, like a random 75 somewhere in America.

And then if you don't do well and you lose, you either have to go back or go to the next one. And it's definitely different than college in that way, I think. Well, I'm just, like, starting still. I haven't even done, like, a full year yet. So I haven't really, I guess, experienced, like, when you, like, lose three weeks in a row, first round. But I'm sure I will at some point. I mean, it's inevitable, unfortunately, because it does happen.

I do think I'm prepared for that mentally, but, I mean, I wouldn't know until it happens, obviously. But, yeah, I guess until I do, like a full year at least, I couldn't really talk on that. We report back in a year and are you going to get, like. Do you have in your head. I'm going to give pro tennis, like, two, three, four years or it's like, look, let's just take it, like, month by month or year by year.

No, Yeah, I mean, definitely, like, at least few years in my mind, but there's, like, goals that I would want to, like, achieve, like, every year, and then to kind of, like, progress somewhere. But, I mean, so far it's been pretty good. I mean, I've been moving up the ranking pretty quickly, and I know it's not going to go up like that all the time because now I also have some points to defend from last year. But, I mean, last year, in five months, I went up, like, so quickly.

And so just, I guess for each year, I'm like, this year I want to make, like, quality, so Grand Slam and, like, next year, maybe top 150. So just like. Yeah, take it week by week, tournament by tournament, and see. But obviously, if, like, I'm not gonna. If I'm not 150 by the end of the year, I'm not gonna, like, quit. Yeah, yeah, I understand that. Yeah. The process, it can take, like, different times, so at least few years and. But I also don't want to be, like, 26, still playing, like, 15Ks.

That's definitely not what I want. So that. That. Some people love that, though. That is tough. And do you speak to any of your Czech mates from similar age group? Did any of them go pro instead of go to college tennis? Would we know of anybody? Yeah, there's definitely a lot of people that are, like, either one year or two years younger than me, but they didn't go to college, like Bara Polizova or Shalkova, you know, but they're all, like, around my age, but a little bit younger.

They're all around, like, 100 something right now. Yeah, it's not like we really talk, but I obviously follow and I know what they play. I know they made the Slams, and, yeah, they're doing pretty good. Yeah. Okay. Nice. Yeah. It's just interesting it gives you a target as well. Tell me, from your level of college tennis, so from being a champion there to the, to the lower levels, what's the main difference?

Do you see if you play somebody who's, I don't know, 60, 70 in their level, what do you do better than them? Well, college ranking, it's, it's a, it works very like in a strange way because you only get the ranking if you beat someone who is already ranked. So it's not really by points or anything, it's just the wins that you have. So if you play one and two, it's easier to get the ranking because you play those people all the time.

If you're playing like three, four or five, then usually don't play people that are ranked. So it's kind of a little bit. I don't think it's very accurate necessarily. But I mean to answer your question, yeah, it's just a lot that goes into that ranking. Like if you do well in the fall, like when I won NCAS in the fall, I'm probably not gonna anywhere even if I lose just because like I want NCAs. So it's just the, their ranking is like really hard to say.

But I mean, yeah, you have the opportunities to play rank people all the time. So it's just. So if you go in as one or two or in, in your team, if you can get up there in second in, in your second, third year university, then you have a much higher chance to get in the rank and if you get some good wins rather than if you play four all the time, you're never going. It's imp to get a high ranking, is it? Well, it's not impossible, it's harder definitely.

It's more like if you play in the fall, the individual college tournaments like All Americans or the NCAA tournament, that's when you kind of can get the ranking. And then even if you play lower in the season, then like you still are going to have that ranking. But. Okay. And are you going to concentrate on some doubles on the, on the pro tour? Yeah, I think I'm going to play some tournaments. Doubles, not all the time because it gets a lot, especially if I do well in singles.

Rather not have another match the same day, but definitely for a few, I will. Yeah. Nice. And during your time in college, was there any time you particularly saw a big jump in your level or was it all consistent? Was it just constant improvement or was there, can you look back and go, oh, there was a big jump there? And this is why yeah, kind of. Every year was like a little. Some small improvements, but I think the biggest one was from my junior year to my senior year.

My. Yeah, so my junior year I ended the year ranked. I think I was top five in college and that's when I started playing the pro tournament. So I kind of had like the confidence from the season going into the tournaments. So I had some like momentum going and then I did really well in the pros and then coming back for my senior year, kind of carried it on by winning ncas and then having a good season. So from.

But I think it was more a shift of a mentality for me because at that point I knew that I was gonna do it after college. So I was taking it like more seriously. Like I was practicing more and I was kind of more mindful about like what I do on the court when I am practicing and what I'm working on. So I guess those two years was like the biggest kind of improvement. So when you became more. When you committed to the game, you saw the improvement. So guys commit to the game.

And what would you tell like a 14 year old dasha now if you could speak to her. Fully, like, keep going. I don't know, it's going to work out eventually. Like because I remember when I was younger I wasn't really like 10, like I enjoyed tennis but I was never like, it was never like my dream to play big tournaments. Like it was like I was good, I was doing like well in my age group, but it never was like tennis is what I want to do.

Like it was like always like were. You a talented junior? Like one of those. Probably didn't work so hard and was just a bit more natural. Yeah, you know, I mean I practiced, I played well in juniors. I was like top 20, I played the slams, but I wasn't like number one in the world. So it wasn't like, you know, but it was pretty good. What was your best junior slam memory? Slam memory probably Australian Open.

I think it was second or third round we played, it was like a little bit bigger course so there was like a bigger crowd and I. We played third set tiebreaker and it wasn't until 10 like it was 10 point breaker, but I didn't know that. I thought it was seven point breaker. My opponent thought it was seven point breaker. So she was up like seven four and she thought she won the match but then she didn't because it was still 10 and then I won 10, eight I think or something. So that was sweet.

That's Sweet. And you're saying if you weren't, let's say you didn't play tennis, what would you actually be doing? What do you think? What did you major in, by the way? I majored in finance, but if I didn't play, I would probably still play some other sport, maybe basketball or something. I just started playing tennis when I was young, but I definitely think I will be doing some other sport because I don't see myself just sitting or just going to school and doing nothing active.

So maybe basketball or something. Sitting at a desk all day can be tough work. College tennis, who should it be looking out for? Who's next on the rise? On the rise? Well, definitely some of my teammates, probably, Probably. First one who comes to mind is Nastya Lapada. She, she's already doing, I mean great. She made final of NCAAs and yeah, she played two last year. She, she is a great player. I, I think she could play pro too if she wanted to. Don't know if she wants to.

Her, some of my other teammates like ice. She did really great last year and she's going to be a junior next year. She has two more years, so I think she can do very, very well. So yeah. And do you get asked, do juniors ever ask you for advice? What do you tell them? I'm sure being a champion, people are more inclined to come up and ask for a bit of advice. So what do you tell a young Czech junior that comes up and says they want to be like you? Nobody really asked me for advice, to be honest.

No? No, just maybe some people like to ask like generally like about college, what to expect, but not really for like advice. And I don't think I'm, I should be giving any advice because there's still like a lot that I want to do. Obviously I'm like 200, which is like good, but it's not like, you know, up there still. So I, I think I need some advice still. Well, we can get you that.

But no, I think there's still like, I'm sure even the college question thing is a, is a big question that many parents, especially parents ask where they don't know whether their kid should go to college, play college tennis or not.

But do you see, is there any cut off line where a player should clearly not go to college tennis or the player should go play college tennis? Do you have any cut off line in your head? Yeah, I mean that's a tough question because it's different for everybody and like everybody I think has a different age where they're like, fully ready to play pro for years.

So if you're 17 and you're done with juniors and you're already like, at a point where you're almost making Grand Slams, then, I mean, there's definitely no point of going to college. But I mean, if you're maybe struggling a little bit on the, on the pro tour, it's getting harder, it's getting a lot. Then also you don't have to go to college for the full four years. I mean, there's always a way to go for a year or two.

And even doing like a full year, you can still play pro tournaments for half of the year. So I don't think it's bad to like, have. Go for at least a few years and just to have that kind of degree that you can finish anytime. And that experience with kind of a little bit different way of tennis where it's like a team sport, I think it's a very unique experience and it's. It really, like, helps prepare you for other things and for pro tour or whatever you want to, like, do.

I think college is a great step, but I mean, definitely, if you're already like, making or at least being close to Slams, then I mean, then probably it's not worth it. Yeah, it's tough telling parents that, you know, tough telling kids that would just want to be pro. They want to go on the tour now, but it must, I think, college tennis given players a good base. You can work on your fitness, your strength, you can work on everything. And your consistency, whatever you need to work on.

Then obviously, if you killed in college tennis in year one or two and you're beating everybody, then you say, okay, well, you're a certain level. Like, if you're doing that, so you should be okay. It's. Yeah, it. It's definitely. And what about payment? Payments?

Were you, you know, Pete, the nail stuff where players now can get paid for transfers, and that must make it more exciting where you come out of college tennis and you could be positive in a cash way that then you can use to finance a bit of your career. Yeah, it's definitely. And I think that's why there's a lot of more, a lot more players now that go to college that already have the pro ranking.

Like people that are 2, 3, 400 and like, maybe normally wouldn't go to college, they do now because they get paid, which I think is good. Because, yeah, as you said, it can definitely help for the pro tournaments and the pro career that you need to Finance, because you need a lot of money for that. And when you're around 300, you're not really making anything. So going to college for a year and getting some money, but also some experience. I think it's great. It's good.

And a couple more questions. Forehand. Where did technique come from? It's quite a bit. It's quite a unique technique. It's not one we, you know, not. And it always gets some good comments I find on Instagram with any videos we've posted. So you mean my forehand? Your forehand? Don't really know my. My forehand, it looked different. It was kind of changing throughout my like career for some reason. It always was like adjusting a little bit. But it is what it is now.

It wasn't like that on purpose, but it works. I mean, sometimes. Yeah, no, it's great. But were you inspired by anybody growing up? No, not really. Just your own natural. That's cool. When I was younger, my coach actually, he wanted it to look very different than it looks now. And it did. But then kind of just playing tournaments and when you're playing for a longer period of time and not really practicing, it kind of changes a little bit. So it did.

And then, I mean, when you're 20 already, it's kind of late to change anything. So it is what it is at this point. It's done you well up until now. So what's next on the cards?

So, yeah, there is next week there's a tournament here in America, 100K. And then just kind of depends on where I get in because with the WTAs and ITF's, it's like very last minute sometimes. So I'll try to play some higher tournaments, some 125s, maybe 250s if. But if I get in. But yeah, I think I might go back to Europe for a few weeks and then come back here and just play whatever is here around here. So yeah, you have a good base in Florida. And finally U.S. open.

Do you get a wild card into Qualities or Maine? No, no. Was that not a thing before? Where NCAA champs. But it's only for Americans. Oh, is it? So only if you're an American and win the ncaa, you get a wild card. That's pretty bad, isn't it? Well, this year they actually changed it a little bit and they actually, even if American wanted, they wouldn't give them the wild card.

They had like a little playoff thing where they chose like four best people from college and they had to play for the winner would get a main draw in the club. The finalists, the Qualys won. So that's what they did this year, only. Only for Americans also. Oh, that's so bad. Like, you know, you're. You're kicking ass over there and. Yeah, well, look, hopefully, you know, you won't have to worry about that for too much longer. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks for jumping on. And that's it.

Thank you, Sam.