March 19, 2002
Sarah Witten arrived at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1999 as one of the women’s tennis team’s newest recruits. She quickly became adjusted to a hectic life of balancing class work with the demanding practice schedule of a Wildcat student-athlete. In the fall of 2001, Sarah was forced to make another adjustment when her younger brother Jesse came to campus to join the close-knit Kentucky tennis family. While Sarah welcomed the arrival of Jesse, UK has welcomed a new era of top-ranked tennis, of which the Wittens are an integral part.
The Naples, Fla., natives grew up Wildcat fans and jumped at the chance to come to the Bluegrass to pursue college degrees as well as careers on the hard court. The pair has certainly made the most of its opportunities at UK. Both Sarah and Jesse have been instrumental in the success the men’s and women’s tennis squads have enjoyed this year, while also racking up some impressive individual honors.
Although Sarah claims she could beat Jesse all the way up until he was 16, and Jesse claims that Sarah patterns her game after his, the two are both proving they can handle the intense pressure of intercollegiate tennis.
“Sarah has always been a tough competitor on the court,” Jesse said. “I have not been surprised at all to see her accomplish the things she has been able to accomplish.”
Sarah is in her third season as part of one of the best doubles teams in the nation. In 2001, Sarah, along with partner Carolina Mayorga, reached 10th in the national rankings, and so far in 2002, the pair is ranked No. 3. Aside from being an excellent doubles player, Sarah has proven to be a threat in singles with her No. 44 ranking. With her help, the women’s tennis squad is ranked 11th in the country, the highest ranking for the UK women since the 1980’s.
Jesse has had little problem handling the transition from junior tennis to the collegiate game. Jesse is the nation’s fourth-ranked singles player and, along with partner Johan Grunditz, is also ranked No. 48 in doubles. Jesse competes at the top of the lineup for the men’s tennis team, which has broken into the Top 10 for the first time in nearly a decade.
“It is great to have Jesse here at UK and it is even better to see him excel,” Sarah said. “He has handled the jump to college tennis extremely well.”
The brother-sister duo made history earlier this year in Los Angeles at the All-American Championships when they became the first brother and sister pair to compete in the same Grand Slam event. Jesse advanced to the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament, while Sarah, along with doubles partner Carolina Mayorga, won the consolation bracket of the championship after reeling off three-straight wins over top 20 opponents.
“Jesse and I have really enjoyed the acknowledgments that we have received as a brother and sister pair,” Sarah said, “but getting the tennis programs here at Kentucky the recognition that they deserve has been even better. UK tennis is quickly becoming a national powerhouse and we are happy to have something to do with that.”
Regardless of what others have told them, the siblings claim to have many distinct differences when it comes to their tennis games. However, there is one detail surrounding tennis where Sarah and Jesse see eye-to-eye, they are both reaching for a common goal… a national championship.
