“I actually hate flying!” Hart had just returned from a team trip to Monte Carlo, overcoming a mild fear of airplanes to do so. Once she landed, however, she was in her element, playing tournaments against teams from all over Europe on the Monte Carlo country club’s “amazing” clay courts.

She was less in her element at the casino in the evening, having lost the entirety of the €10 she brought with her in one game of poker. “Gambling is not quite for me,” she laughed, though she appreciated the “really great social events” that happened on the trip.

As women’s captain, Hart has a big appreciation for the social side of tennis, despite its reputation as an individual sport. “People say tennis is an individual sport, but being at CULTC, being at Cambridge, it’s such a team sport. Like, you’ll play doubles with all your teammates, you’ll go to matches […] and everyone’s on the side cheering you on.”

“People say tennis is an individual sport, but being at CULTC, being at Cambridge, it’s such a team sport.”

As captain, Hart is responsible for building this sense of community and team spirit. She is driven and motivated, having introduced the team’s first preseason: “it’s just really good to get everyone back a bit earlier, from a social aspect, but also we had training every day, with fitness as well.” “I like the responsibility of it,” she says.

Her big ambitions as captain come off the back of a Varsity win over Oxford, a close-fought victory. “Going into the final round of matches, we were ten-eight up, and then it was 10 all and there was a doubles match playing and it went to a decider set, so whoever won that set would win the entire varsity. And we managed to win it! It was just like the best atmosphere ever, we ran on court after.”

“The whole of last year, I knew I wanted to run for captain.”The best ranked player at CULTC since a fresher, Hart was eager to take on another challenge, having fallen in love with tennis again after a rough period with the sport during her late teens.

“I like how calm and chill he is on court. I’m very much like that, I don’t tend to get very loud or anything.”

“I got a really bad injury when I was 16 and stopped playing for two years […] with the whole injury and not being able to play properly, I fell out of love with it a bit.”

When asked what rekindled her love for the sport, Hart emphasised the team aspect of CULTC, and the friendly atmosphere of the club.

“You just become really good friends with all of your teammates, and it’s such an encouraging atmosphere […] and it just makes you want to play more and want to be better.”

We discuss the recent US Open, and Hart reveals herself to be a devout Jannik Sinner fan. “I like how calm and chill he is on court. I’m very much like that, I don’t tend to get very loud or anything.”

Hart prefers to stay calm and collected on the court. Her stoic nature proves an asset at high-stakes tournaments, like the Varsity Matches. “I quite like pressure, I find I tend to play better under a lot of pressure.” “My friends will say they can’t tell if I’m winning or losing.”

She describes herself, however, as a “very aggressive player”. “My game is about power and hitting winners. I’m less fast around the court, I miss more balls, so I’m more about a big serve and trying to finish the point early.”

Varsity success last year followed BUCS disappointment, which Hart touches on while looking towards the first league matches of the season. “CULTC blues won their league last year, but then lost in the playoffs, so didn’t get promoted to the top National League.”

“This year, I am determined to get us promoted,” Hart avows.