In the world of sports, few shine as brightly as Francesca Saroli at the fresh age of 16. This Swiss 11th grader at Laurel Springs, with a world junior U18 tennis ranking of #519, knows more than a bit about the kind of hustle it takes to be a dual threat on the court and academically. With a racket in hand and big ambitions for the future, Francesca’s story from her home courts in Miami to international acclaim is all about passion meeting perseverance.

Falling In Love with the Game

Francesca’s story begins in Miami, where she first fell in love with all the game of tennis had to offer. While she dabbled in everything from chess to figure skating to Broadway musicals, it was the physical agility and psychological intensity that kept her hooked on tennis. For Francesca, the sport became much more than a game; further, it enhanced her spirit of determination and spotlighted her go-getter attitude.

Inspired by tennis icons like Roger Federer and the indomitable Williams sisters, Francesca knows a strong player when she sees one. Often, she’ll strategically reach out to other competitors on Instagram if she’s looking for a doubles partner: “I like reaching out to players who I know are on the tournament acceptance list and have a good game,” she mentioned to us in an interview. “Sometimes I look at rankings, other times I know players from other tournaments and so I know how they play. Then, I’ll just DM them and we’ll go from there.” It’s clear to anyone who’s on the receiving end of one of those initial messages that Francesca is friendly, takes her own game very seriously, and is ready to get the job done when it’s time for the first serve. Needless to say, of course she’s who you want on your side of the court!

Balancing Academics and Athletics

Juggling a budding tennis career with the rigors of academic life sounds like a Herculean task to most, but that’s where Laurel Springs proved to be a huge game-changer for Francesca. “Because I travel so much for tournaments, I love how I can work at my own pace,” she shared. “I can take my time to better understand something if I need to, or work ahead if I want to. I wasn’t able to do this when I was at a traditional school.” Whether she’s claiming a vice-championship at the Switzerland U16 or traveling to the south of France for a J100 tournament, her studies never have to take a backseat and always remain a high priority.

“Whenever I have free time outside of training or fitness, I work on school,” Francesca continued. “AP Psychology is my favorite class right now because I find the material really interesting, and I love my teacher as well. Actually, there is one teacher I have this year that almost feels like a friend. We email back and forth often, and she is really supportive of my life.”

Her dad, Diego, chimed in: “She also gets really good feedback from teachers after she does a project. And the feedback is fast. Sometimes, even if Francesca has a question about a math problem, her teacher will get back to her within maybe one hour.”

Francesca was candid about the initial learning curves that came with adapting to a self-driven study routine and online learning environment; but adapt she did! Today, Francesca is a straight-A student at Laurel Springs and has mastered her ability to balance it all while training at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France.

Dreams, Goals, and Aspirations

The sky is sincerely the limit for Francesca. With the goal of joining a Division I tennis team at an Ivy League school, she’s out there – day in and day out – preparing herself in any way she can. “Right now, I’m studying for the SAT and keeping my grades in check,” she said. “I’m also trying to get as high of a UTR tennis ranking as possible.” (UTR Rating is known as the world’s most accurate tennis ranking system. All players – regardless of age, gender, location, or skill level – are rated on a scale of 1.00 to 16.50, based on match results.) “My goal is to be at 9.5/10 for Division I tennis. I’m around a 9 right now, so this is the last little push!”

Her hard work is already paying off – with three prestigious invitations from Brown, Columbia, and Dartmouth for official campus visits this January. Diego smiled and reflected on their deliberate choosing of Laurel Springs, emphasizing its promise of academic excellence: “Laurel Springs isn’t just a school that lets you be flexible and forget – it’s strong enough to prepare you to go to a great college. We chose Laurel Springs because we heard if you’re organized and disciplined, you can go to the solid university or college that you want to.”

Francesca stands as a testament to where passion, focus, and determination can get you. Diego’s pride in his daughter is palpable, but it’s Francesca’s own drive that shines brightest. As she readies for the next phase in her journey, it’s clear that with her dedication, the backing of her family, and the flexible foundation from Laurel Springs, she’s positioned for success.

Life Beyond the Court

When she’s not training or competing, Francesca loves to run outside, lift weights and strength train on her own, and bake a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies. When asked if she had advice for a young, ambitious athlete and scholar like herself, she shared something simple but profound: “Keep showing up every day. You will face challenges, it will be hard, but just keep showing up no matter what.”

For Francesca, it’s not just about the triumphs. It’s also about embracing the grind, the misses, the frustrations, and getting back up – time and time again. “Time passes so fast,” she added. “One day, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.”

In the upcoming weeks, Francesca is set to compete in a series of pivotal J100 tournaments that could very well define her early tennis career. J100s are high-stakes ITF U18 events where the competition is tough and Francesca’s presented with big opportunities to further establish herself in the world of competitive tennis. From the south of France to Cyprus– the tournaments take place all over. “We’re crossing our fingers for you!” we told Francesca.

Her journey may have started with exploring a wide range of hobbies and interests, but it blossomed the moment she found her true calling. Stay in the loop with her journey, cheer on her victories, tournament and ranking updates, and witness her continuing to climb in both the tennis and academic worlds via her website. Check out her Instagram page for new posts and stories, and join us in rooting for a girl who’s showing everyone how it’s done – one ace at a time!

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