Athena Leung Nga-lam’s tennis story began when she “first picked up a racquet at five,” at a community school sports programme. It was a single, bright moment that revealed agility coaches would later praise. It would also set her on a steady climb from playground courts to representing the city.
In Primary Four, she began professional training and joined a Hong Kong junior team. Athena described being “thrown into an English-speaking environment” with coaches from abroad and international school teammates.
It was a shift that “forced me to adapt and build resilience,” the Jockey Club Ti-l College student said. It was an abrupt change, but one that pushed her to grow quickly, improving both her game and confidence.
Representing Hong Kong in mainland Chinese competitions three times proved formative and humbling.
“Watching top professionals, like Coleman Wong, I have learned what it takes to pursue a dream: the sacrifices, the single-minded focus,” the 17-year-old said. These encounters with elite players gave Athena a clearer picture of the discipline and dedication the sport demands, and they deepened her appetite to excel.
A defining chapter came with clay court exposure at Roland-Garros, where she played in the Junior Series several years ago.
Accustomed to Hong Kong’s hard courts, Athena had to learn fast.
Clay made the ball bounce slower, she said, giving her more time to do what she wanted to do. That slower bounce encouraged a spin-oriented style and greater tactical control – qualities that have become the teenager’s trademark.
“Perhaps it’s destiny that I attended several months of targeted training at the Hong Kong Sports Institute before Roland-Garros,” Athena recalled. “The concentrated period on clay courts taught me not only new strokes but how to read opponents’ styles and adapt mid-match.”
Off court, Athena is passionate about supporting the community. As Chairperson of the Sport Association of Ti-I, she organised “Sport for All Week,” a programme that taught her how to turn good intentions into tangible inclusion.
She learned to “more thoroughly identify the needs” of participants, match activities to abilities and design for accessibility – choosing netball and pickleball because more people could join.
The desire to get involved came from gratitude and a sense of responsibility. Having benefited from community school programmes herself, Athena believes in closing the loop: creating sustainable opportunities for all.
Her “Seek Our Way” social innovation programme, supported by Hang Seng Bank, blended sports and art to encourage participation across ages. Using recycled tennis balls dipped in paint, participants served onto a giant canvas.
“The project appealed even to silver-haired women because it brought back a playful joy without demanding athletic intensity,” she said of the collaborative artwork.
Elite players’ routines and responses to pressure taught Athena that mental strength is as trainable as technique. That insight guides her mission: to nurture athletes’ physical skills and build the psychological scaffolding that sustains long careers.
This inspired her to plan a career as a sport psychologist, specifically for tennis players.
Athena is not only an exceptional athlete; she has also translated specialised knowledge and personal experience into a blueprint for inclusive sports.
Her achievements were recognised when she was named the second runner-up in the Sportsperson of the Year category at the 2024/25 Student of the Year Awards, organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
