Mariia Vainshtein was a rising star in Ukraine’s youth tennis world when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of her country in February 2022.

At 13, Mariia had already been playing for eight years at that point, appearing in her first competitive tournament at age nine and the national championships two years later. 

She was getting ready for school that morning when her mother ushered her into the family’s basement in Odesa. She’d spend much of the next week there, before fleeing to Moldova with her mother and sister. Her father had to stay behind. 

With just three months left in eighth grade, Mariia landed at a charter school in Mill Basin. As the only new student, she got a lot of attention, but had to overcome a major language barrier to make new friends. She knew some basic grammar and vocabulary, but that was it. 

“It was very hard to learn how to speak fast and which words to use,” Mariia said. 

Just a few months later, Mariia stepped into the halls of James Madison High School in Midwood, and back onto the court. This June, she graduated as one of the school’s most decorated athletes. 

A four year starter on the tennis team, Mariia led James Madison to its first win at the New York City Public School Athletic League Championships in 46 years in fall 2024 — and took home the Individual Singles title, too. This year, Mariia and her teammates came just short of defending their title, finishing second in the team event as Mariia lost a tight tie-breaker. 

Mariia Vainshtein’s dedication on the court helped make her one of Brooklyn’s top high school tennis players and a key part of James Madison High School’s historic championship run.Photo courtesy of NYJTL

Mariia’s impressive resume also includes victories in the singles and doubles events at the annual Mayor Dinkins Cup, a NYC metro-wide tennis tournament put on by New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL), including a title in the U-18 female doubles event last month.

Behind these accolades was a rigorous schedule that took Mariia and her parents to practices and matches all over New York City and beyond on many nights and weekends. 

Before her junior year, Mariia got into NYJTL’s highly-competitive “Scholar Athlete” program, which accepts 100 students based on athletic ability, academic performance and financial need. Over 230 kids showed up for the first of two tryouts held this summer, said Udai Tambar, NYJTL’s president and CEO. Mariia is one of 22 Brooklyn students in the program. 

At least three times a week, Mariia commuted from Mill Basin to the Cary Leeds Tennis Center in The Bronx after school. During the summer, or in lead ups to big tournaments, this number would increase to four or five. 

“I used to get out of school at 2:45 and then barely make it to practice at five,” she said. After two hours of tennis and one hour of fitness, it was time for the journey home for dinner and late-night homework sessions. 

Now, Mariia drives to practice. Before, it was a bit more hectic 

“My mom picked me up from school, brought me my tennis bag and lunch, and drove me to the train station — which is like a two-minute drive — and I would eat my lunch in the car while she was driving,” Mariia said. 

Mariia Vainshtein is one of 100 student athletes selected for New York Junior Tennis & Learning’s competitive Scholar Athlete Program, which supports young players through tennis instruction, academic guidance and college preparation.Photo courtesy of NYJTL

Summer practice sessions involve up to six hours on the court and two hours of fitness training, and Mariia admits that the long days in the hot sun really test her. But her love of the game pushes her to show up even when she’s exhausted.

“When I play, it’s like a safe space for all my thoughts,” she said. “Whenever I’m having personal problems or troubles, I go play tennis.”

Her mom and dad — who split time between Odesa and NYC — also push her when she’s feeling burnt out, with both support and a little bit of discipline. After a poor practice, Mariia, who hates fish, recalls her dad buying her the most pungent fish he could find for dinner. She’s not sure that method did much to motivate her, however. 

While Mariia graduated from James Madison, her long summer training days are carrying on without interruption as she prepares to try out for the Babson College tennis team. 

Despite her stacked resume, Mariia will have to carve out a role for herself on Babson’s competitive squad, which dominated the NCAA Division III New England conference this year and made it to quarterfinals in the national championship. 

Mariia would have been a shoo-in on other college rosters, but she had her heart set on Babson College for its strong entrepreneurial and pre-law programs — plus, she received a full academic scholarship. She plans on studying business and legal studies to prepare for law school. 

Mariia Vainshtein, 17, practices at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in The Bronx, her home base as a participant in New York Junior Tennis and Learning’s Scholar Athlete Program the last two years.Photo by Brennan LaBrie

While her parents have told her they’d like Mariia to focus on her academics, she says their actions are already exposing how they really feel.

“They told me I’d better be here every day practicing for the tryout,” she said. 

Mariia said she was close to quitting tennis before joining the Scholar Athlete program, as her family was struggling with daily court fees as high as $150. 

The Scholar Athlete Program was created to “bridge the gap” between talented young players and the high costs of playing tennis, Tambar said. The program also aims to offer a “holistic” preparation for success on and off the tennis court, he added. Participants not only receive up to 15 hours of tennis and fitness instruction a week, but also curriculum on life skills, college and career guidance, test preparation, and mental health support. 

Mariia exemplifies the type of student athletes the program aims to send into the world, said Robert Cizek, Associate Director of High Performance Juniors & Adults at NYJTL, adding that she is more than just one of the program’s standout tennis players. 

Mariia Vainshtein, 17, practices at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in The Bronx, her home base as a participant in New York Junior Tennis and Learning’s Scholar Athlete Program the last two years.Photo by Brennan LaBrie

“During the time I’ve known her, she’s grown a lot as a person; she got a lot of confidence from being here training and connecting with a lot of people from different backgrounds,” he said. “One of the main things that she learned was to problem solve and to deal with adversity.” 

Cizek is confident about Mariia’s future, in both tennis and life. 

“She’s going to achieve more great things, and inspire other people to do the same,” he said.