It’s 7 am and the alarm clock buzzes through the quiet apartment. Ilaria wakes up and gets ready for school, just like any child her age. Most students rest or hang out with friends after school, but not Ilaria. As soon as school finishes, she rushes home, puts on her training gear and hits the tennis hall next to her house.
Ilaria Negrii is a 7th grade student, with brown eyes and chestnut hair that stands at just 1,52 cm in height. Despite her small figure, she has big dreams and in order to achieve these dreams, she has to balance two distinct roles: the role of a tennis player and that of a student. Her determination shines through as she manages to not only be an athlete that participates in international competitions, but also a student with perfect grades.
“For me, performance means dedicating my life to tennis, competing in high-level international competitions, achieving results, training every day, constantly pushing my limits, and giving everything for my dream.” Ilaria speaks with a conviction that feels almost unusual for someone her age.
Her journey into the world of tennis started in Piatra-Neamț where she lived with her family. She used to commute long distances every weekend to Iași, where she trained. After her coach from Iași moved abroad, she was recommended a new one — Mihai Volusniuc from Vaslui. It wasn’t an easy decision to move to Vaslui, but Ilaria considers it was the right one. Ilaria and her mother moved there, while her father stayed behind in Piatra-Neamț for work.
“I think leaving home had both pros and cons. The schedule I have now, the coach, and the environment I’m in are more beneficial than what I had in Piatra-Neamț. I’ve had significant growth in my tennis game, and that’s what matters to me. On the other hand, I feel like I used to have more self-confidence. I sometimes struggle with this during matches. Maybe it’s because last school year was socially difficult. Either way, I like the city I live in now and I truly believe I’ll overcome all the challenges I’m facing.”
Now, she lives in a modest two-room apartment on the property right next to the tennis hall. The apartment was offered by the property owner, who believed in her talent. Ilaria is deeply grateful: “It’s a huge opportunity to live so close to where I train.”
For Ilaria, balancing the two roles means having no time to spare. She has a quite strict schedule. In the morning, she gets ready and goes to school. She makes sure to pay very close attention to her teachers to understand the lessons as best as she can. She then comes home, eats, and has her first training session of the day, which lasts around two hours. She takes a short break and does her homework, and then she has yet another physical training session. In the evening, she reviews what she has learned that day and goes to bed around 10 PM. This schedule also changes when she has competitions. Despite travelling often for tournaments and skipping school for a whole week, Ilaria is very disciplined and makes sure not only to write down all her lessons and study them on her way home, on the bus.
She’s not only excelling at tennis but also thriving in a demanding academic environment. This didn’t come without a cost. “It was quite hard for me to come to terms with the fact that other students have more free time than I do, because I’m also a child and I enjoy going outside or doing other activities that require more time than I have. But I remind myself that I’m working for something that could secure my future. This way, it will be easier for me to have the life I want.” When she is asked if she doesn’t feel like she is missing her childhood, she replies:” Yes, I often feel like I’m missing part of my childhood. I’m a sociable person who likes going out. Because of my limited free time, I rarely go out. And since I have quite a few friends, I only go out once or twice a month. Maybe if I had more free time, I would have more hobbies and I’d be able to socialize with more people.”
Ilaria during a tennis match
Photo source: Ilaria Negrii
Even on hard days, Ilaria motivates herself. What motivates her to keep going during difficult times is the thought that even great champions have hard moments and still overcome them. She also thinks about how incredibly hard she worked so far and how it would be such a shame to give up now. However, what helps her overcome hard moments are also her passions outside of tennis. “Outside of tennis, I’m passionate about music, drawing, reading and going out with friends. I absolutely love listening to music. If I could, I would listen to it all day and all night. I feel like it’s just me and the music, and no one can judge or scold me. Music is always there for me, and it always comforts me when I’m sad.” Her favorite bands include Gorillaz, Wallows, TV Girl, and Eyedress. She also enjoys hands-on activities like molding clay and like other children her age, she also likes video games.
She doesn’t have much time to pursue these hobbies regularly, but when she does, she cherishes every moment. Ilaria’s days are filled with physical effort, academic focus, and small moments of relaxation. She may be young, but she resembles a professional athlete in mindset, routine and even the sacrifices she has to make every day. Whether it’s a demanding training session, writing down her lessons and studying them on the go, or pushing through a tough match despite inner doubts, Ilaria is a champion not only on the tennis field, but also in her character.
She often participates in international matches, TE U14 in Ireland, TE U14 in Republic of Moldova and TE U14 in Cyprus just to name a few. She wants to continue to give her best and to keep attending these high-level competitions. For now, she takes every lesson, every test, every training as they come and considers them one more step taken towards her dreams.
Ilaria at different international competitions
Photo source: Ilaria Negrii
