England native Aryana Bartlett’s tennis journey has led her to her second season at the University of North Florida.

From growing up in England and moving to Spain, Bartlett knew she wanted to end up in a place with great culture, weather, and a great team. 

Childhood Years

Bartlett started her tennis career at just five years old. Before starting, she tried many other sports such as gymnastics and ballet, but realized she was too “heavy-footed”. Her parents knew friends who had their children playing tennis, and wanted to give Bartlett a try. Once she got into the groove of practicing and playing, Bartlett has not let go of the sport since. 

While growing up in this sport, both her parents were there for her in different ways, said Bartlett. 

“There was a balance in my parents’ influence,” she said. “I come from a sports family; my dad was a world champion wrestler, and so he pushed me to be the best I could be, while my mom was supportive. She would drive me to practices; she had a much softer approach, which created a good balance.”

Seasons growing up

As Bartlett continued to play growing up, the time commitment became more consuming. She would have practice before school, after school, and even sometimes would leave school early for the sport. 

“I knew that hard work and determination comes with a price, like missing the fun things,” said Bartlett. “I learned  that at around nine years old, that is what my life would look like; it came with its sacrifices.”

With these sacrifices came great rewards. Bartlett would get to travel to Dubai, many places across Europe, and more for tournaments. The opportunities that the sport presented her were some of her favorite memories growing up. The only thing more fun than traveling was winning. 

“At ten, I won my first big tournament, and my mom said yes to anything I wanted,” she said.

Her journey to Jacksonville

Bartlett moved to Spain from England at sixteen years old. After moving there, she knew that she wanted to play somewhere warm for college. The two places she considered the most were California and Florida. 

The process of coming to America as an international student is different than normal. Bartlett had an agent with whom she would discuss what was important for her when looking for colleges. 

“I told my agent junior year of high school that I wanted somewhere that had a great culture, coach, and weather to train,” she said. 

Head Coach Catherine Dunagan sent Bartlett a message asking her to apply, which Bartlett did not see for a week or two before applying. When she did, Bartlett set up a visit to campus, and within the first five minutes, she knew that UNF was for her.

Her time as an Osprey

During Bartlett’s first season with the Ospreys, she tore her meniscus, preventing her from playing for six months. During this time, she was forced to focus on her mental and physical health while recovering. This time off allowed her to gain strength and love for the sport, according to Bartlett. 

While she has played so far, Bartlett was pleasantly surprised by the support from the community. 

“The team, environment, and loudness helps with how I play. It makes me more competitive, which I have used to my advantage,” she said. 

Goals for her future

As for the rest of her time as an Osprey, Bartlett has many individual goals she wants to achieve. She wants to have a winning record, beat ranked players, and learn from her losses when they come. 

To achieve these goals, Bartlett works with sports psychologists, watches her film of past matches, and puts in the work with her individual practices with her coaches. 

Bartlett hopes to continue her tennis career even after graduating from UNF.

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