Every sport has their ‘greats,’ for tennis there is Venus and Serena Williams or Roger Federer making history with every move. Tarleton has its own greats or history makers, one of them being Martha Makantasi. Makantasi is a junior electrical engineering major who started at Tarleton in 2020. Through her rich background in the world of tennis, she has learned the meaning of teamwork, perseverance, and how her experience serves as a stepping stool for growth.

“When coming to Tarleton, I was trying to find a university with similar weather to Greece, this was also their first year of D1 tennis, so I really wanted to be a part of this new environment, and the engineering department was really strong and offers many opportunities,” Makantasi shared as her reasons for attending Tarleton. 

Makantasi has been playing tennis since she was 11, which can be considered late as many players start during early childhood as early as three or four years old. However, her late start has not affected her playing style, ranking 842 in the International Tennis Federation. 

“It’s pretty interesting to leave and be part of a team where people come from different countries because you get to learn their way of living and it’s pretty fun when you get to hear like ten different languages,” Makantasi explained. 

Before coming to Tarleton, the help of her coaches Dimitris Kanavarakis and Pierre Bisbikos aided her to achieve her high standing. As well as the competitive mindset she developed. 

“For college tennis, I have learned that it is really a team sport. You really have to support your team and be energetic, so the one thing I learned when I first came here is how to support my team more,” Makantasi expressed. 

Makantasi stated while living and playing in Greece, playing tennis was mostly a solo affair. While her biggest culture shock was the difference in food, her biggest tennis change was shifting her mindset to focusing on a win for the team rather than a win for herself. 

“My biggest challenge is trying to find a way to be on top of everything academics wise and tennis wise. I really want to be top of my class, but it also takes time to be top of the tennis team and keep winning, so I think the biggest challenge is finding the time to do both. Even if you’re great on the court, you have to have balance,” Makantasi stated. 

One thing student athletes are told is to focus on being a student first, as an electrical engineering major the time commitment may be even more so than on the court. Enduring her busy schedule, Makantasi has pushed to make progress in her everyday life. Head Coach Elianne Douglas-Miron has also assisted in lifting her experience as a student athlete through tough talks and inspirational speeches to putting balls in the court. 

“Individually, my most successful season was my freshman year. I did great and only had a couple of losses in both doubles and singles, I was named student athlete of the year and that was great. As a team, the best year was my sophomore year since we got to win conference champion. This year feels different since I am an upperclassman, but me and the girls that came in with me will get to learn what that means,” Makantasi expressed. 

Hailing from Greece, Makantasi spent the first six years of her tennis career, competing in other countries thanks to her mother enrolling her in competitive tennis. This has propelled her career at Tarleton, going 2-1 at the UTEP Invitational in Nov. 2022. Makantasi also played a vital role in the University of Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinal Classic by competing as the number one player in the tournament and went 2-1, with wins over New Mexico State’s Anna Pinieva and UIW’s Sofia Franco Salcedo. 

“Starting tennis was kind of hard because I had to reach a level that the other players were already at, it felt like playing catch-up. So I had to put in a lot more work and effort than others to work through this, thanks to the help of my coaches, dedication, and my mom driving me to the practices back and forth everyday. So, we thought it was a really good decision to transition into playing competitively,” Makantasi stated. 

Makatasi continues to push forward on and off the tennis courts, for her next semester she plans on getting all A’s and getting the championship ring. She thanks her parents for being her role models through mental fortitude to overwhelming compassion. In her future, she plans on continuing down the electrical engineering career, hopefully exploring an entrepreneurial side as well. 

This athlete is someone who loves her craft, has grown through unexpected experiences and is attempting to manage her educational and athletic career. Through tennis, she has learned how to support her teammates while being successful herself. Look forward to the next season where she will display this overwhelming tenacity.