HOLLAND – Aiden Sin faced a gauntlet last year at No. 1 singles.
The Holland tennis player played extremely well to earn the top spot for the Dutch and hung in a lot of tight matches with some of the state’s best players.
It was an extremely tough but, in the long run, extremely rewarding year for Sin.
Now with a year at the top under his belt, Sin is using that experience to win those tight matches.
“Playing tough matches, you learn that you can play out of your mind – the best tennis you have ever played – and still lose. You have to stay steady,” Sin said. “Confidence is important. It is good when you have it and playing well brings that to you even if you are losing, but playing well. You start thinking you have a chance and that boosts your confidence even more.”
That confidence has already been on display, particularly in a recent win over Holland Christian.
“Aiden has worked tirelessly at improving all aspects of his game. The biggest change I see in Aiden this year is a boost in his confidence. He is ‘match tough,’ which comes from all of the USTA and ITA tournaments he’s played,” Holland coach Kyle Kreps said. “Having a year of experience playing No. 1 singles has been helpful too. Aiden knows a lot about his opponents and has been able to go into matches with a good gameplan in mind.”
That game plan is to stay as grounded as possible.
“Something I really learned was to stay more steady, but not be afraid to hit the ball, he said. “Recovering off my serve is something I have improved on. I had a big serve, but I would get caught (flat-footed) when they returned them.”
Those are the kinds of adjustments that makes the difference between reaching No. 1 and excelling at No. 1.
“When you put in the amount of time that Aiden has, it’s clear why he looks so comfortable on court,” Kreps said. “He knows how to problem-solve on court and is confident in his ability to figure out a player’s weakness and then gameplan around it.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland’s Aiden Sin builds into one of state’s elite tennis players
