Smith’s impact on DePaul women’s tennis

For Hannah Smith, tennis was never just about winning matches.

The graduating senior in sports said many of her fondest memories of DePaul have little to do with the results on the field. Instead, it’s the people, the early mornings, the long travel days and the routines that came with being part of a team for four years that she will remember most.

“It’s hard to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to practice,” Smith said. “But I know all my best friends will be there.”

Smith’s relationship with tennis started early. Growing up in Silchester, England, Smith said sports were always a part of her life because of her family’s athletic background. Her mother played tennis, and Smith soon became involved in the sport herself.

“We went to watch my mom play tennis, and I got my hands on a racket,” Smith said.

Her early successes took her across the world to DePaul, where she became a two-time runner-up All Big East First team selection and totaled 57 singles victories and 83 doubles victories during her collegiate career.

As the only senior on this year’s roster, Smith has become one of the team’s steadiest leaders. Coaches and teammates say this comes naturally to her — not through speeches or titles, but through small daily actions that help shape the culture around her.

“She does everything right, every day,” head coach Marisa Arce said. “She just really cares so much about the people around her.”

Smith said a lot of that comes from learning to deal with unfamiliar situations early.

Before moving to Chicago, she traveled internationally for tournaments for many years. One memory that stuck with her came when she was twelve years old and traveled alone from England to Sweden for a competition.

“It was scary,” Smith said. “But it taught me a lot about independence and adaptability.”

That mentality shows up in small ways, according to teammates.

Clara Nilsson, a freshman teammate, said Smith was one of the first people to reach out when she arrived in the U.S. from Sweden.

“She texted me before I even met her,” Nilsson said. “She just made sure I was okay.”

Nilsson said Smith constantly notices things that others overlook, whether that means checking in with teammates after practice or helping with something as simple as replacing a broken water bottle cap.

“She always puts everyone else first,” Nilsson said.

Junior teammate Helin Alvarez described Smith as both a mentor and role model during her time at DePaul.

“We call her ‘Google Mom’ because she literally knows everything,” Alvarez said.

Although tennis is traditionally viewed as an individual sport, Smith said these friendships changed the way she experienced the game.

“The team culture here at DePaul is everything,” Smith said.

Arce said building that culture has been an intentional process within the program, and Smith started working on it right away.

“She’s a natural role model,” Arce said. “She sees what needs to be done and just does it.”

Arce recalled a moment during Smith’s junior season when she repeatedly completed conditioning drills alongside a struggling teammate, despite having already passed the fitness test herself.

Although Smith still plans to keep tennis in her life after her upcoming graduation, she said she hopes to temporarily step away from competition after nearly two decades of non-stop play.

“Competitive tennis has been my life for 18 years,” Smith said. “I just want to try something different.”

She will remain in Chicago for an internship after graduation.

Still, she said the lessons she learned through DePaul tennis will stay with her long after college.

“I’ve learned to be grateful for every moment and always be there for the people around you,” Smith said.

As the team prepares for next season without its lone senior, her teammates said Smith’s influence will continue through the culture she helped build over the past four years.

“It doesn’t even feel real that she’s graduating,” Arce said. “She shows up every day, willing to work and willing to be a great teammate.”

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