Estela Perez-Somarriba’s title defense falls short with loss in NCAA tennis championship
When Estela Perez-Somarriba first arrived in Coral Gables, she didn’t speak English very well and worried about how it might affect her academics. She didn’t know what her career with the Miami Hurricanes was going to hold, but she wanted to “leave a mark” on the program, at least with her work ethic, even if she couldn’t always control the results.
She leaves South Florida as one of the most accomplished athletes in Miami history, despite a loss in the women’s tennis singles championship Friday in Orlando. Perez-Somarriba won a singles title in 2019, became only the 17th player to make multiple national-championship matches and finished tied for the most career wins in NCAA tournament history.
“Honestly, it’s been a dream,” Perez-Somarriba said, her voice quivering after her final match as a Hurricane. “I try not to focus on results, awards — stuff like that. I basically just try to focus on enjoying the moment and trying to get better every single day, and I think that’s what I did, and honestly, it’s been a pleasure.”
Perez-Somarriba jumped out to an early lead in the opening set by breaking Emma Navarro on the Virginia Cavalier’s first serve opportunity, but Navarro regrouped and rolled to a 2-0 (6-3, 6-1) win at the USTA National Campus.
Navarro broke Perez-Somarriba’s serve six times, and Perez-Somarriba only even faced three game-point opportunities while she was serving.
“She was using different paces, especially with her forehand, throughout the whole match, and that kind of threw me off,” Perez-Somarriba said. “I tried to change the tactics a little bit, but it didn’t work, obviously. She, I think, played pretty solid. She rarely made unforced errors and, credit to her, she had a great match.”
Navarro, the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, only loss one match all season — to Perez-Somarriba in April — and avenged it to win the third national title in program history.
Perez-Somarriba was aiming to become the first two-time women’s singles champion since Virginia’s Danielle Collins, who won titles in 2014 and 2016, and is now the No. 40 player in the world.
It was a goal Perez-Somarriba had in mind when she decided to use the extra year of eligibility granted because of the COVID-19 pandemic to return to Miami for the 2021 season, although it wasn’t all she came back for.
When she made her decision to come back, Perez-Somarriba said she viewed the extra senior season as one more chance to improve before she turned pro. The 22-year-old Spaniard viewed this season as a bridge year before she takes the next step in her career, and it was important for her to get to really finish her senior year after the 2020 season was cut short before the NCAA tournament because of the coronavirus.
“Obviously, it was important for me to finish my career like I always thought I could,” Perez-Somarriba said. “I’ve had a great time with my teammates, I’ve learned a lot from them and I think I still improved things about my tennis. Given all the uncertainty going on, it’s been great for me because I’ve still developed my game and my personality, on and off the court. It’s been a pleasure and I’m very, very happy that I made that decision, honestly.”
Perez-Somarriba plans to return home to Spain in the next few weeks and start her professional dreams. She’ll be based out of Madrid — her hometown — and start playing in International Tennis Federation tournaments, although lingering COVID uncertainty has made it difficult to plan too many specifics.
After an all-time career with the Hurricanes, Perez-Somarriba feels ready to for the next chapter.
“When you’re surrounded by the right people, the journey becomes the dream, honestly,” Perez-Somarriba said. “That’s what happened to me, and that’s what I wish for other players and student-athletes.”
