Fourteen-year-old Matthew Popa loves to be on the tennis court. He started playing the game when he was just three years old and says it was the sport for him. “I love to compete,” Popa said. “I love running around and chasing the ball down. I mean competing is so much fun.” Secret to his success Popa’s game has come a long way since CTV News Calgary named him Athlete of the Week in 2012. He’s now the third ranked U14 tennis player in Canada. Recently he won the U14 National doubles title and finished third in singles. He says he found success because he’s a good student of the game. “Just listening and staying disciplined, that’s all it takes.” Hard worker Matthew’s coach at the Osten and Victor Alberta Tennis Centre is Alec Morarui. He says Popa is an extremely hard worker and has been an awesome student to work with. “The number one thing is he’s a really good performer,” Morarui said. “When it gets tough — say you’re in a tie breaker at six-all — he’s able to find that top level. That’s really going to help out in matches along the way. He’s going now to play U16 Nationals, and his goal is to play some college tennis and maybe some pro.” Went to Spain Popa found that toughness in his game when he lived in Spain. He and his family moved there during the pandemic where he could train outdoors. He says that experience made him a better player. “If I didn’t go there, I wouldn’t have learned to dig deep in points and to stay in the point. I learned a lot from there.” The future Popa says he’d like to keep playing tennis for a long time and has some lofty goals. “My goal is to be in the top 10 in the world, but to achieve that goal I have to keep listening to my coaches and to stay disciplined and work hard in practice.” “I think I can get there if I work hard. It’s possible.”
