This past September, all of Port Washington’s eyes were on the U.S. Open. Not for the big names, like Novak Djokovic or Naomi Osaka, but for Schreiber junior Theadora Rabman. Rabman was participating in the US Open Junior championship, in both singles and doubles, opening local eyes to the tennis star. While Rabman wouldn’t win any trophies that week, her performance there cemented her as a top tennis recruit, and is one of the proudest in her career.
“I am most proud of participating in the Junior U.S. Open and being given the opportunity to play in the Indian Wells tournament, where I got to play a girl who is ranked top 80 in the world, and even had two match points against her,” said Rabman.
Now, Rabman has another major accomplishment to be proud of. On Jan. 23, she announced her commitment to play collegiate tennis for the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, ranked second in the nation by the International Tennis Association. While she had plenty of options, Rabman had no doubt UNC was the right choice.
“The decision wasn’t that difficult because I’ve always seen UNC as a dream school since I was young. so I was really excited to be offered a scholarship there, it just felt right,” said Rabman.
Her tennis career began when she was young, and her commitment over the years has made her one of the most prolific athletes in Schreiber’s history. Rabman began playing varsity-level tennis as a seventh-grader, two years before even beginning high school. She would be a part of the team as it won the Nassau County and Long Island championships in 2019, and placed second in New York in the singles as a freshman. In the spring of 2021, she would win the Girls 16 Easter Bowl National Championship, and this fall, Rabman drew national eyes in the U.S. Open Junior tournament. In the singles tournament, she would lose in the opening round after a tough draw against the top seed, but in doubles, she and partner Ariana Anazagasty-Puroo would win their first match before falling in the second round. Thea’s collection of accolades has led her to become the third-ranked tennis recruit in the nation, according to Babolat, a tennis equipment company that also ranks tennis recruits.
Being such a highly touted student-athlete has drastically altered Rabman’s high school experience. She frequently would need to miss classes, coordinate with teachers and travel in order to continue her pursuit of a tennis career.
“My tennis career has completely changed my high school experience in many ways,” said Rabman. “It requires a lot of traveling, communication with various coaches and teammates, and the ability to adapt to new environments, people and challenges.”
These constant twists and turns, while certainly difficult, have all been worth it for Rabman. Her commitment to tennis will allow Rabman to continue playing the sport she loves at her dream school, and has also shaped her as a person.
“I think that in the past few years being an athlete has caused me to improve not only my tennis skills, but my social skills, independence and overall maturity,” said Rabman. “Being so involved in tennis requires a lot of responsibility, so I would definitely say it has shaped a lot of who I am as a person today.”
