Marta Krakowski has two worlds, and the connection is tennis.
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The only child of Polish immigrants, the Elgin sophomore speaks her parents’ native language at home. On Fridays, after tennis practice, she goes to a Polish school for three hours of language practice.
Both generations, though, are fluent in tennis.
Krakowki’s dad, Andy, took up the sport when he came to the U.S. in his 20s. He passed on his love of tennis to Marta, starting her at age 7.
“He’s my coach,” Krakowski said. “He’s always watching and correcting.”
Job well done, dad.
Coming off a sensational freshman year that saw Krakowski go 24-0 before state, she’s a clear-cut No. 1 for Elgin with the graduation of four-time state qualifier Dahlia Keonavongsa.
“The biggest thing is not everybody is going to be up at her level — she has to challenge herself,” Elgin coach Phet Rattana said. “She is so much above most everybody else. Not only on my team, but the area.”
Krakowski is, indeed, now on an island for Elgin.
Keonavongsa was her mentor, and she was also her practice partner. Now it’s up to Rattana to hit balls with his No. 1. Krakowski has to follow her own lead and push herself.
On top of that is the challenge of playing at No. 1 singles. Krakowski was kept at No. 2 all last year.
Krakowski dropped her first match this season to Jacobs’ Haley Steinkamp, but hasn’t lost since.
“It’s definitely a little more pressure,” Krakowski said. “I have to be awake and more consistent and hit the ball harder to keep points shorter.”
Krakowski received a bit of a rude welcome to playing against the elite at state last year.
Unbeaten coming in, she fell ill that week. Struggling with sickness, she dropped her first match at state. Krakowski doesn’t make excuses.
“It was an experience to see how they play,” Krakowski said. “I just wasn’t playing my best tennis. Losses are good for you. I wasn’t expecting to go undefeated.”
Krakowski’s bread and butter are her ground strokes, with impeccable footwork that puts her in proper position.
It’s her serve that she’s worked to improve. She had more double faults as a freshman than her coach would have preferred, and she needed to tweak her second serve.
“My serve was inconsistent,” Krakowski said. “I’m trying to work on placing the ball. I need to end points as quickly as I can.”
Krakowski, who started to play USTA at age 9, works with her dad at Prairie Stone Sports and Wellness Center in Hoffman Estates.
The two keep at it daily, and even did so during a trip overseas this summer.
Visiting Poland with her parents, Krakowski practiced with her dad on clay courts close to her grandparents’ home.
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“The ball goes a little slower on the clay courts, so I have more time to react,” Krakowski said. “I try to be more consistent, do what I do over here. We put more time on my forehand, changing things up a little bit.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for The Courier-News.