Margarita Sadovnikova rarely stops smiling. But don’t let that fool you. On the tennis court, she’s coming after you.

 

The tennis-loving Sadovnikova currently lives in the Philadelphia area, about 5,000 miles from where she grew up in Russia. She coaches at La Salle University and plays every opportunity she has.

 

“I love the competition,” said Sadovnikova, who grew up in Russia. “The way tennis challenges you and makes you figure it out on your own. I play singles a lot, and I love that aspect of it. You’re out there by yourself and nothing is owed to you. You earn everything you get.”

 

That attitude of hard work and “figuring it out” has paid out in a big way for Sadovnikova. Attending Youngstown State University was an incredible adjustment after living in Russia for so long, and in nearly every case, she didn’t have anyone but herself to lean on.

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She became close with her tennis teammates through those years, but needed to adjust to the language barrier and the physical distance between her and her family.

 

“Tennis helped me grow up in those situations,” she said. “I think it made me tougher. It taught me about hard work and balance.”

 

After a successful college career, Sadovnikova wanted to stay involved with the game, so she accepted a coaching job and began the next step in her life. Coaching was an immediate fit.

 

“I love coaching just as I love playing,” she said. “Coaching allows you to connect with players and make a difference to them.”

 

After watching her hit a few balls, her players are also quick to listen.

 

Sadovnikova, 26, is an active player, competing in many of the high-level tournaments throughout Middle States. This includes the Aronimink and Cryan Tournaments, two of the more popular events in the area.

 

She’s been a key member of the Sears Cup roster — part of USTA Intersectional play — for the past three years. She won the 2018 Cryan Tournament, adding to her deep trophy case.

 

“Really, I just love playing tennis,” she said. “Anything I can do to play more, I want to do it.”

 

Balancing it all, Sadovnikova is now studying for her Masters of Business Administration, hoping to expand her skillset and dive even further into the tennis industry. She plans on playing and coaching as much as possible in the upcoming years, trying to learn at each opportunity and make the most of everything in front of her.

 

She lives by the same advice that she gives to almost all of her players:

 

“Play with a passion, and get outside your comfort zone,” she said. “When you hit the wall, it’s easy to want to stop. If you can find a way to keep going, you never know what you can achieve.”

 

To Learn more about Adult Tournaments in Middle States, Click HERE.