Some students may have gone home for Easter, while others may have celebrated Passover this past weekend. For those who didn’t, it’s likely you at least made that Sunday night phone call home to remind your family members just how much they mean to you.

Sophomore tennis player Lindsay Martin prides herself on the significant role that her family plays in her life. Lindsay grew up in Milwaukee, but at a young age her family moved to southern Indiana. Once in the Hoosier state, Martin told her parents that it would be her dream to play tennis at UW.

“When I was little, I decided for myself that I wanted to play (tennis) at Wisconsin,” Martin said.

Though unsure if she could accomplish this task, her parents were there to instill confidence in Martin since she was 10 years old.

“My parents told me that you should make it a goal to play at Wisconsin and that they would help me in any way to make that happen,” Martin said.

Martin had a head start because tennis was in her family’s blood. Her father, Don, a tennis professional, introduced Lindsay to tennis at the age of 5 and continued to mentor her throughout her adolescent years. In addition to her father’s talent, Lindsay’s brother would go on to play tennis at Southern Illinois University.

Throughout high school, Martin began to steadily make a name for herself in the tennis world. She was ranked among the top 50 players under the age of 18 while enrolled at Castle High School. She amassed all-state honors each of her four years in high school and was the team’s MVP as well.

It was during her time playing on the junior circuit where signs of Martin’s dream to play at Wisconsin began to unfold.

“The circuit is basically a place where you play in a bunch of tournaments in the summer before your senior year where all of the college coaches go and watch you,” Martin said.

Martin’s love for the game coupled with her passion to be a Badger athlete was the perfect formula. The UW women’s tennis team wanted Lindsay to be a part of its program, hoping she would make her mark in the collegiate tennis world and propel the team forward.

“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect,” Martin said.

In Martin’s freshman campaign, she played in the No. 6 singles slot, winning the second most matches on the team with a 25-9 record. She won 10 of her last 11 matches to close out the season proving to herself and others that she was prepared to play tennis at the Division I level.

“Once you get that confidence, it just snowballs. As long you go out there and compete, I think you can play with anybody,” Martin said.

Martin continued to play well and would eventually move up to the No. 4 singles position during her sophomore year.

Martin is comfortable with her role on the team, placing the team’s success before individual honors.

“My personal goals are the team goals. I would rather see the team succeed. If I can contribute to that, then I’m happy,” Martin said.

Off the court, Lindsay excels in the classroom where she’s majoring in Communicative Disorders. Once obtaining her degree, Lindsay hopes to pursue a career as a speech therapist. However, she made it clear that playing tennis and, more importantly, her family, will always be a part of her life.

“I want to have a big family when I get older,” Martin said.

When it comes to Lindsay Martin, family is at the forefront of life.

“I don’t think you’ll meet anyone that’s closer to their parents and brother than I am. We’re really close,” Martin said.