UW-Whitewater tennis kicked off their 2024-25 season Sept. 6-7 with the 10th annual Warhawk Fall Invite, where a Warhawk was crowned champion in nine of the 10 draws. One of those champions was Payton Adkisson.
A senior out of Lincolnshire, Illinois, Adkisson has seen some top-notch development throughout his four years as a Warhawk. He has gone from being shown the ropes by senior team captains as a freshman, to being voted as one of those captains prior to the 2024-25 season.
Adkisson sat down with the Royal Purple to discuss leadership, sibling connections, and more.
Q: What does it mean to be a captain for the tennis team?
A: All of my teammates vote at the end of every year to pick who the next captains are going to be. It is an honor, because some of my greatest memories are coming in as a freshman and hanging out with the captains, and them showing me the ropes, the do’s and don’ts around campus, whether it’s on the court or in the classroom. I’m really excited to have a chance to do that with the freshmen and everyone on the team, keep the team culture we have established, and maybe add new things that I think will be beneficial to the team.
Q: Your sister Ashley Adkisson is on the Warhawk women’s tennis team. What is that dynamic duo connection like?
A: Obviously I’ve watched her grow up, watched her play her whole life, and going to each other’s matches, practices, everything. It is cool and nice for our parents to come up and not make any crazy trips and support just one program. The only [rivalry] we had was on our spring break trip, [head coach Frank Barnes] does a mixed doubles event the first night we get there. So we got to play last year, which was fun. Our parents got to watch us play each other, which doesn’t happen too often. She’s had a really good time, and I’ve had a great three years so far with the program.
Q: What do you specifically do in singles and doubles respectively to succeed as a tennis player?
A: I think a lot of it comes down to Frank [Barnes] giving us good drills and direction throughout the week at practice, getting us ready. There’s definitely different strategies and different aspects that Frank emphasizes and different drills benefit different people. The singles day may be easier, but the doubles day with volleys or whatever we’re doing might be tougher, so knowing what you have to work on and improving on those things.
Q: How has head coach Frank Barnes contributed to your development as a collegiate tennis player?
A: Frank is great and super supportive. I think him and [assistant coach] Grant [Thompson] have a great dynamic. Frank has everything organized, whether it’s our practice, lifts, matches, drills, practices. He just really runs a tight ship, and I feel like that’s definitely helped me and the program.
Q: What are your emotions like now that you’re in your senior year at UWW?
A: There’s a lot of different emotions. It’s crazy that my tennis career will be over at the end of this year, especially for how long that I’ve been playing for. Obviously I’m looking ahead to the future, getting a big boy job in the real world. So definitely lots of different emotions going on to start the year.
Adkisson and the tennis team wrap up the fall season Oct. 10-12 at the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia. The indoor tennis season kicks off Jan. 25 in a match against UW-Superior.
