Lindenwood alum Patricia Gonzalez brings Spanish heritage to the courts

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month taking place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in the United States, USTA St. Louis is featuring tennis player Patricia Gonzalez.

From Barcelona, Spain, Patricia Gonzalez has carried her love for tennis all the way from western Europe to the United States. While Gonzalez initially grew up playing soccer, an injury led her to switch things up.

“I had a bad injury from soccer and decided to start (playing) tennis since my family played it,” Gonzalez said. “There is a really good level in Spain, so I saw myself pushing to work harder than other people my age.”

Her passion for tennis started as an on and off relationship, but it strengthened over time. After high school, she secured an athletic scholarship from Lindenwood University in St. Charles.

“My tennis journey has been intense and rewarding. I started playing when I was 14 years old and had some breaks along the way,” Gonzalez said. “I started improving quickly and became part of Club Esportiu Laietà in Barcelona, Spain. When I turned 17, I earned a scholarship to play at Lindenwood University and moved to the U.S. when I turned 18.”

Keeping her family values close to her heart, Gonzalez’s Spanish heritage molded her to become a dedicated and disciplined player.

“My family gave me a lot of freedom and opportunities to learn tennis from friends and then having my own coaches,” Gonzalez said. “Discipline is a key element that they teach in Spain, so when the coaches push my limits, no one quits. You just put your head down and work through it as a team.”

Gonzalez not only takes inspiration from her family and coaches, she harvests motivation from Spanish tennis legends as well.

“Toni and Rafa Nadal inspired me a lot since I spent summers in Mallorca, the island they are from. (It is) about 20 minutes away from their academy,” Gonzalez said. “(I got) to see Spanish players like Pablo Carreño Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Marcel Granollers, Feliciano López, Marc López and many others.