One Texas. One Tennis: Micah Lee

One Texas. One Tennis. is a series highlighting the many faces, voices and experiences of Texas Tennis. Everyone is welcome on the tennis court and when we’re open, we’re at our best. On courts across Texas, every player has a story and those stories show the true diversity and strength of our tennis community. Want to share your story: CLICK HERE

What began as a tentative step onto the court for Micah Lee has evolved into a transformative journey defined by resilience, community, and self-discovery. Beyond the wins and losses, Micah found a home within the tennis world through the steady encouragement of teammates and a shared passion for growth. The patience and confidence built on the court now serve as a blueprint for Micah's everyday life, fueling a drive to dismantle the traditional mold of a "typical" player. By advocating for open-door initiatives with USTA Texas, Micah is helping build a movement where tennis belongs to everyone, one welcoming first experience at a time.

USTA Texas: Take us back to the very beginning. What is the vivid memory, the specific person or the unexpected moment that pulled you into the world of tennis? What did that early version of you feel when stepping onto the court for the first time?

Micah Lee: My journey in tennis started with simply stepping onto the court and giving it a chance. I remember feeling nervous but also excited because I didn’t really know what to expect. The court felt like a completely new world, and I was still figuring out how to hold the racket, hit the ball, and understand the game. At first, I wasn’t sure if tennis would become something I truly enjoyed, but the more I played, the more I wanted to improve. That early version of me probably didn’t realize how important tennis would become. What started as trying something new eventually became a place where I could challenge myself, make friends, and grow both as a player and as a person.

USTA Texas: Belonging rarely happens overnight. Can you describe a specific conversation, a post-match tradition or a moment on the court when you suddenly realized, "These are my people and this is where I belong"?

Lee: One moment that really made me feel like I belonged was after a match when everyone came together, talked about how we played, joked around, and encouraged each other no matter the result. It wasn’t really about winning or losing—it was about knowing that my teammates had my back. I remember looking around and realizing that these weren’t just people I played tennis with anymore; they were my friends. That was when I knew the tennis team had become a place where I belonged.

USTA Texas: If we stripped away the scores, the trophies and the physical exercise, how has the tennis community fundamentally altered the trajectory of your life? Share a story of how a relationship or a lesson learned on the court bled into your everyday world (your career, family or self-confidence).

Lee: If you took away the scores, trophies, and physical exercise, tennis has still changed my life by teaching me confidence, patience, and how to handle challenges. There have been times on the court when I made mistakes or lost a match, but I learned that one bad point does not determine the rest of the match. I started applying that same mindset outside of tennis.

When school gets stressful or something doesn’t go the way I planned, I remind myself to reset and focus on the next opportunity instead of letting one mistake define me.