Arizona's Kayla Wilkins 'gives every ounce to becoming the best she can be'

Kayla Wilkins knows that a little tweak to her serve, her footwork, her grip on her racket or even her strategy can make a huge difference during a match.

That’s why this summer, while playing in tournaments across country, Wilkins watched replays of her matches at night and made adjustments the following day.

Wilkins never takes a night off. Not on the tennis court. Not in the weight room. And certainly not when she’s hitting the books.

“She (fits) the motto of what I am looking for in a player to a T: Head, heart, and hustle,” said UA women’s tennis coach Ryan Stotland, who calls Wilkins a dream player. “She gives every ounce to becoming the best she can be.”

Wilkins says its all about “competing, giving it my all here in college, representing this program and doing big things here.” She’s won 40 singles matches and 32 doubles matches heading into her senior season as a Wildcat.

During freshman season, Wilkins played on the squad’s No. 1 doubles team. Her name has been etched into one of the top singles spots since her sophomore year, when she earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12. On the academic side, Wilkins earned Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll and was an ITA Scholar-Athlete last year.

Just as the Wildcats have gotten incrementally better as a program since Stotland has taken over, so has Wilkins. Stotland has corralled back-to-back Top 25 recruiting classes with 2021’s at No. 17 by Tennis Recruiting Network with blue chip Midori Castillo-Meza and five-star recruits Mary Grace Armistead and Parker Fry. This year’s freshman class includes blue-chip recruit Reece Carter as well as former University High School star Tanvi Narendran.

Wilkins will lead the Wildcats into their spring season. Vocal leadership didn’t come naturally at first. Wilkins describes herself as “much more on the quiet side.”

“I think I came in and I was just like very much committed to working hard every day. Giving it my all, day-in day-out. Competing as hard as I could every match, and I think I was leading more with my actions at first,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, I have done a better job at being able to lead with more of a voice and I think the coaching staff has definitely helped me grow and to become more of a vocal leader.”

Stotland has noticed a difference, on and off the court.

“She uses footwork and her brain to beat people,” Stotland said. “Her game has evolved each year and this year we are already working on getting her a different style to make her even better and so she can adapt to anything. Kayla has the ability to do anything because she is a special person with a huge heart.”

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Wilkins admits she’s always looking for an edge. She watched the five-plus-hour match between eventual U.S. Open winner Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and she took away lessons about “the fight.” Stotland brought back tips of his own. He was part of Fabrice Martin’s coaching entourage at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“It doesn’t matter the score, time on the court, it’s just incredible. The fight, the constant effort they’re giving it’s like 1,000% every point. (They) never back down,” Wilkins said. “For me like that’s something that’s always important to me having that fight and, and passion every point so I think like seeing them do it at such a high level is really incredible. …

“Every match is so different. Every opponent so different. You can play even the same person twice but playing them different days, different conditions, everything and it’s how you can problem solve in the heat of the moment.”

And for Wilkins, there is nothing like being a Wildcat.

“I love this school, this program,” Wilkins said. “I really want to do accomplish big things while I’m here. I want this team to accomplish big things. … That’s why I go out practice hard, compete hard. It’s this program, being Wildcat. It’s given me so much so that’s why I want to give back.

“Ryan just really cares about each individual. On the court, off the court he gives his all every day. He just really wants the best for everyone — for the team, for the program. Being surrounded by that and that passion every day really inspires you to give the same. It’s that excitement, that passion that’s what makes me want to give my all every day and I think inspires the team to do the same.”

Drop shots

Wilkins donates her racquets to the Tucson Community Tennis Program. “It takes a special person to do this and not only consider it, but to do it,” Stotland said.

Stotland brings back different drills and techniques after going to the Grand Slams each summer. This year’s notes include a “a brand-new doubles philosophy, how they’re setting up and how they’re repositioning themselves.”

Stotland traveled to New York for the U.S. Open juniors, which helps with recruiting. “They get to see that I have credentials,” Stotland said. “That’s just a big-time thing that other college coaches don’t usually get to have.”

The NCAA will move individual championships from spring to fall starting in two years. Stotland’s strategy stays the same for now: fall remains part of what he calls the “whole development offseason, even though it is still matters.”

“We try to use the fall since it’s individual as development, because our end goal is to win as a team,” Stotland said. “Obviously, we love having individually ranked players, but I would trade that for a team any day. This is our offseason. We treat it like that. This is all about learning. This is the time to take those losses. We’re going to go play the best tennis we can. Not always expect to win everything in the fall, which is OK and develop. That’s where we get better in the spring. That’s kind of how we see it.”