News & Features

by Colette Lewis, 25 April 2025

Special from Zoo Tennis

Seventeen-year-old JoAnna Kennedy is not your typical junior tennis player. Her 6-foot-1 inch stature sets her apart physically, while her decision to stay at home in Colorado, attending regular high school, is another rarity.

The blue chip junior, ranked No. 22 in the class of 2026, took her time during the recruiting process, but after visiting Florida State in February, Kennedy knew she had found her next home in Tallahassee.

"It was a good process, a long process" said Kennedy, who began her search last June. "I was always planning on not rushing it, taking my time. I started talking to Florida State in December; they saw me at Orange Bowl and Winter Nationals. I loved everything about it, obviously. There was nothing I didn't like. I love the coaches, team, environment, campus, weather. Everything about it I loved, so yeah, I'm super excited."

A standout player from a young age, Kennedy was introduced to the sport early by her father Mike, who played Division I tennis at Boston College, then transferred to the University of Colorado for his final three years. Promising results, beginning with Little Mo tournaments from age 8, kept Kennedy on an accelerated development path before physical changes demanded a revision in her game style.

"She was on the court with her dad all the time," said Andy Potter, now a private coach, who has worked with Kennedy for the past five years. "I was running the program at the club, so I would hit with her occasionally as a young kid, but her dad put the majority of the work in with her. He was really instrumental in developing her technique."

Potter understood that what had worked for Kennedy during the Little Mo years was not going to be effective in the long term.

"She had the growth spurt, so the game style had to change," said Potter, who credits her outstanding technique with facilitating the transition. "Number one was deciding what her game style was going to be. We really, really talked a lot about it, saying ‘hey, let's figure out what style you want to play. As an aggressive baseliner, embrace that game style, have fun with it and just flourish with it.’ All these kids are good, they can just hit a million balls, so I've always looked at separating from the pack. How are you going to stand out, how are you going to win?"

The answer to that question led Kennedy to an ambitious objective when playing a match.

"I have a goal of getting two free points every service game," said Kennedy, who is often asked if she plays basketball or volleyball. "My serve is a huge weapon of mine, probably my biggest. I use it even for serve-plus-one; if I don't get a free point, it can set up my next shot. It's helpful, knowing I can rely on my serve to get some free points."

Developing that weapon wasn't easy given the lack of competition in Colorado and the limited time Kennedy has to practice given her schedule at St. Mary's Academy in Denver.

"Some are high school boys, but mainly it's 5.0, 5.5 men in their 20s and 30s," Kennedy said of her sparring partners. "I actually enjoy playing them; they get competitive, which is fun. I have some coaches, and my dad, I still hit with him."

Despite having to squeeze in practice sessions and gym work before and after school, Kennedy is content with her busy schedule.

"I love the balance of being able to have school friends and tennis friends," said Kennedy, who is unsure of her academic major, but is considering business. "I love it. It keeps me busy, but I've been doing it my whole life and it's always worked well for me."

Kennedy and Potter both see a smooth but exciting transition ahead once she begins competing as a Seminole.

"I think having the coaches and the girls on the team to practice with every day is going to benefit me a lot," Kennedy said. "Just having the team environment, having everyone support each other, is probably going to help improve my game a lot."

"The upside in her game is what stands out to me," said Potter. "I'm so excited to see what happens at the next level because she's going to be around good players every day. She's got a great attitude, she always shows up happy; it's like a coach's dream."

As a Colorado native, it's no surprise that Kennedy loves to ski, although the possibility of injury has kept her off the slopes lately. The little free time she has is spent with her 15-year-old sister Julia, now that her older brother is away at college.

"I hang out a lot with my sister," said Kennedy, who was recently named the 2024 Colorado Sportswoman of the Year for tennis. "I have my license, so we like to drive. I like to bake, banana bread is my favorite. My sister is better at it than me, so I just follow her lead."

Kennedy's ambitions for college include NCAA championships, with the hope that her time in Tallahassee can lead to playing professionally.

"Winning an NCAA title with the team, even individually, would be a dream," Kennedy said. "And if I have the opportunity, I would 1,000 percent go pro."

With a comparable size and game style, Kennedy has chosen WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka as her favorite pro.

"I really like her. She's super aggressive, big player, big game," Kennedy said. "She's a good person off the court, so she's a big inspiration."

Kennedy, who will be playing the International Tennis Federation Junior Circuit, along with USTA Level 1 events prior to joining Florida State, is looking forward to expanding her opportunities as she prepares for college.

"I think it's so fun to go different places around the country, and with ITFs, outside the country," said Kennedy, who in February earned her first ITF Junior Circuit title in New Jersey. "Also just meeting tons of girls I think is one of the best parts. Knowing so many people from around the world almost, having so many connections, that's the best."

As for her advice to other girls going through the recruiting process, Kennedy urges patience.

"I would say the biggest thing is to reach out to the colleges you're interested in," Kennedy said. "Just keep emailing them. I would never rush to commit, if you don't know 100 percent what you want. Wait for that school, because it will come. There is a place for you."

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About Colette Lewis

Colette Lewis has covered topflight U.S. and international junior events as a freelance journalist for over a decade. Her work has appeared in Tennis magazine, the Tennis Championships magazine and the US Open program. Lewis is active on Twitter, and she writes a weekly column right here at TennisRecruiting.net. She was named Junior Tennis Champion for 2016 by Tennis Industry Magazine.

Lewis, based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has seen every National Championship final played since 1977, and her work on the tournament's ustaboys.com website led her to establish ZooTennis, where she comments on junior and college tennis daily.