Freshman Winston Lee has his sights set on lucky number 13 | Tennis

There’s a three-letter acronym that haunts every tennis player. It’s the be-all-end-all of college recruitment and even college rankings. One little number that defines each player, putting them into a neat category for coaches, opponents and ITA rankings.

UTR, or Universal Tennis Rating, is a 16-point rating system used to gauge skill in tennis players all the way from juniors to the pros. And Cal freshman Winston Lee has his sights set on that lucky thirteen popping up next to his name.

Lee began playing tennis at 6 years old in Korea before moving to California. He chose UC Berkeley for a multitude of reasons: the stellar academics, the high-level tennis and his teammates. On the tennis side, Lee set quite the goal for himself: a 13 UTR.

He’s chosen to document that journey on Instagram through a dedicated account. On his account @wl_day1, Lee posts his daily workouts, match results and overall life as a Division 1 tennis player.

From team Hawaii trip vlogs to interviews with his fellow teammates and practice matches, @wl_day1 is a peak into life as a Cal student athlete.

“My old tutor basically suggested (that I) start an Instagram channel,” Lee said. “Not like, ‘Road to 13,’ but just Instagram in general … I thought Road to 13 would be a good idea to start to gain (an) audience.”

The account has brought him more than an audience. It’s helping him visualize exactly what needs to change in his game — which, according to him, relies on volleying and shot depth.

“I definitely have to hit deeper. Like, 20% harder than what I’m hitting right now. When I have an opportunity to put the ball away or punish the opponent, I have to do it,” Lee said of his current game.

Sophomore teammate and close friend Paris Pouatcha is a big fan of the Road to 13 process. He’s got an idea on how Lee can capitalize on those in-match opportunities.

“Everyone falls victim to this, but (sometimes) he might be practicing without a purpose,” Pouatcha said. “So when he goes into matches, it’s not easy to replicate what he’s working on in practice.”

That’s not to say the numbers aren’t ticking up. Lee’s been inching closer to that 13, but recently it’s been slipping away. After starting the account, Lee’s number started rising quicker. The closer he got, however, the more nervous he played, and the longer it took to hit that goal.

To combat that, Lee is thinking of raising the bar to 13.5, to keep the anxiety away from that elusive number 13. He’s also leaning into a second new tactic — deleting that nagging UTR app altogether.

It’s one step closer to the realization every tennis player has to eventually come to: that number is a goal and a marker, but not a definition. It’s not a descriptor.

Still, Pouatcha has a lot of descriptors for Lee.

“He’s one of the most exuberant people on the team,” Pouatcha said. “He has a very big personality, which I think is very important for tennis. On and off the court, he’s himself, and he doesn’t really care about what people think about what he’s doing … slowly, I think every match, he’s learning his identity more and more.”

As a result of this, Lee’s Instagram content has shifted away from his classic “Road to 13” intro. He spends more time talking about “better tennis” rather than a specific number. Some videos don’t feature him at all, instead focussing on his teammates and their individual wins, such as Munk Mesa’s first ranked victory. He’s clipping together scenes from pickleball practices, crazy match points, and behind-the-scenes workouts.

Even off the court, Lee stands out at Hellman Tennis Complex. On the days where he’s not written into the lineup, he’s stationed on the closest empty court, cheering loudly for a fellow Bears’ perfect drop volley or down-the-line forehand. His team presence goes far beyond what one simple number or Instagram account can detail.

This isn’t to say Lee’s game has fallen behind. His UTR is sitting at a solid 12.7, and he’s logged more than 30 collegiate wins as a freshman. The Bears also recently qualified for the NCAA tournament after reaching the quarterfinals of the ACC championships.

There’s plenty of chances left for Lee to hit his goal. But through trying to climb the UTR ranks, perhaps he’s found something more important than that elusive 13 UTR: a voice, a style of play and a group of teammates who cheer him on no matter what number sits next to his name.