Get to know: Özlem Uslu

Özlem Uslu 
Gebze, Turkey
Freshman

1. How did you first get involved in tennis?
Through a family friend who was my first tennis coach. He came to our house one evening and said that he was going to start coaching tennis. He noticed that I was a very active person and advised me to start playing tennis to get rid of my energy. I had no idea what tennis was until I started playing when I was 7 years old.

2. What has been the best advice a coach has given you?
One piece of advice that a coach told me that impressed me a lot was to live in the moment no matter what.

3. Who do you model your game after?
I like to take Maria Sharapova as an example because her stance, positivity and struggles on and off the court impress me a lot. I think that in some aspects my game is similar to her's.

4. What led you to hold dual citizenship in Turkey and Bulgaria?
I was born and raised in Turkey. The reason I have dual citizenship in both Bulgaria and Turkey is that my mother and father were born there and then moved to Turkey.

5. What was your favorite moment as a part of the Turkish national team?
I am very proud to be apart of the Turkish national team. It's important to me that I do my best and play hard for my country. My favorite moment was playing in the ITF World Junior Tennis finals and earning fourth place. I was proud of myself for how I played against the best competition in the world and enjoyed supporting all of my teammates.