When Isabella Ruyu Yan grins, and you see her braces and small stature, you might think of her as cute or sweet. But when the 13-year-old steps onto the tennis court, there’s no mistaking her laser focus and desire to crush her opponents.
That steely determination has seen the young player from Regina win three national titles in a row: U12 in 2023, U14 in 2024 and most recently the U16 national title — toppling players two years older and bigger than her.
“It’s super insane that I won U16 nationals,” Yan said after returning to her home court at the Lakeshore Tennis Club. “I never thought I could win nationals at the start, but the moment you win that last shot, it’s amazing. I love the feeling of winning.”
Asked if she gets intimidated by taking on bigger competitors, she’s unsure for a moment.
“Mostly people are intimidated by me because I’m really short and small,” she says with a smile.
Her coach and dad say there’s no one in Saskatchewan, kid or adult, that can give her the competition she needs
Yan’s parents might be her biggest fans. Her dad Sam Zhou describes his daughter as “his little sweetheart,” but also marvels at her lethality on the court.
“Every single time she sees the ball coming, she wants to hit it hard,” he said.
Since Yan started playing at seven, Zhou has dedicated himself to helping his daughter achieve her potential, working two jobs in paratransit and trucking to help her with her training and travel competition costs.
“You got to sacrifice, right?” he said.
This Sask. 13-year-old might be the next big name in tennis after national title
Both of Yan’s parents give credit to her coach Marek Nehasil, saying she wouldn’t be where she is without him.
Nehasil said that while there are elements of the game Yan needs to work on, what she really needs is to travel internationally for competition. That would ideally get her some International Tennis Federation (ITF) points to move to a higher level of tournaments.
“She’s a very committed player.… Hopefully she can stay committed,” Nehasil said.
Yan already has one sponsorship through sports brand Head (although she dreams of the ultimate partnership with Nike), but her father says even smaller companies would benefit from partnering with her now.
“She is the one. In my mind, I never doubt it,” he said. “This young lady, I guarantee you, in less than three years, you will see her on national TV.”
And even though in tennis, love means zero — to this dad and daughter, love means everything.
“If I didn’t have him, I would obviously not be in the spot where I’m in. He’s been there through my highs and lows,” Yan said. “I’m really grateful for him.”
When describing the sport of tennis, Yan compares it to using a fly paddle. She gives her hand a swing, imagining holding a racket, and tries to think of the right analogy.
“It’s like I am killing a fly.”
