In my Senior Adult tennis journey, I have participated in Intersectionals on three occasions. Without exception, each of those experiences has been absolutely inspiring. It is both an honor and a privilege to compete at Intersectionals. It is something that all female players in the adult competitive ecosystem should be striving to achieve.
For the most part, the community of players at an Intersectional event represents high-performance tennis at its finest. Every player there has invested considerable time and energy to become the best player they can be. Intersectionals is a demonstration of the art of the possible for high-level tennis performance as we all inevitably age. I always walk away from the event with a renewed sense of purpose to improve my own game.
The level of tennis played at Intersectionals is extraordinarily high, bounded only by age. Some of the players competed on the WTA tour. They serve as a model and a yardstick for high performance in tennis for all aging players. There is so much to learn about how to transform skills that were originally built on strength and athleticism of a much younger person into the realities of an aging body. There is no better example of how to compete effectively in tennis as we get older.
Senior tennis starts at a much younger age than many people seem to realize. Intersectionals is competed at 35+, 45+, 55+, 65+, 75+, 80+, and 85+. This year, the USTA was asked to consider adding a 90+ division. Intersectionals is the proof of the industry marketing claim that tennis is a sport for life.
A 35-year-old might look at Intersectionals and think they will never be able to compete with other strong players their age who have been playing all their lives. However, there is a lot of time to catch up. As demonstrated by Intersectionals, a 35-year-old player still has at least another 35 years of competitive tennis ahead of them. While many players might not realistically be able to make their Section’s team right now, that can change over a few decades.
I sincerely believe that all players in the Adult tennis ecosystem might one day realistically make their Section’s Intersectionals roster. It might take a lot of hard work and good fortune of physical health, but those are worthy things to pursue regardless of the tennis perspective.
Intersectionals is as much of a journey as it is a destination. All adult female tennis players should be working toward potential future Intersectional participation. If you ever get to compete in this transformative event, I advise you to seize that opportunity without hesitation. It will change your tennis life.
