Monika Wojcik became Syracuse tennis’ emotional heartbeat in Year 2
Monika Wojcik’s teammates look to her for energy. They also look to her to lead their singles matches, where she’s won a team-high 10 times. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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The once-bright blue sky that hung over Wake Forest turned pitch black. After nearly four hours of play, Syracuse found itself in a deadlock with the Demon Deacons. There was one match left to decide the duel’s outcome.
The No. 4 singles match between Monika Wojcik and Heidi Bulger seemed to never end. The two had faced each other as high schoolers, and they’d spent the past three hours adding the next chapter to their long-lasting rivalry. The first two sets were wire-to-wire, but the third was a different story. Holding a 5-3 lead, Wojcik was on the verge of clinching victory for the Orange.
Bulger’s serve came. One return was all it took for Wojcik to end the match. The sophomore was mobbed by her teammates, showing how much her energy meant to them.
In her sophomore season this year, Wojcik built off of her strong freshman campaign with a team-best 10 wins for the second straight year. Although SU’s season ended with an April 15 loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, the confidence she built over the past two seasons allowed her to step up as the Orange’s emotional leader.
“The environment’s pretty similar from last year to this year,” Wojcik said. “Being used to the format (of collegiate tennis) is pretty helpful for confidence.”
That confidence begins with Wojcik’s doubles partner, Serafima Shastova. Wojcik has played with Shastova for the last two seasons, boosting their relationship to an off-court friendship by finding common interests.
Their bond led to 15 wins in their two seasons together, more than any other Syracuse doubles pairing in that span.
Because they’ve played together for so long, Shastova said she and Wojcik developed an intuition for each other, often reading the other’s thoughts without a word. Even in singles, the pair couldn’t escape each other. Shastova and Wojcik played the No. 2 and No. 4 matches for most of the season, always lining up on adjacent courts, where they could see how the other was playing.
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It also meant they could communicate with each other to keep their spirits up, regardless of the score of their matches. As they dealt with late-season skids this year, that was especially important for refinding their footing.
“With our courts being next to each other, it’s really inspiring to watch (Wojcik) fighting,” Shastova said. “She fights from beginning to end, and that pumps all of us up.”
Wojcik didn’t wear her emotions on her sleeve until she arrived at Syracuse. Before her college career, tennis felt more individual. Now, it’s a team game. Wojcik said the main adjustment was adapting to a team environment in college, which makes the sport more rewarding.
“The second your match is over, you start being there for your teammates,” Wojcik said. “Bringing them drinks, bananas or whatever they need and cheering them on.”
Wojcik is one of Syracuse’s loudest voices while she plays. Several times throughout a match, she’ll erupt into a primal scream, piercing the silence in Drumlins Country Club. It’s almost always because Wojcik has scored a big point.
“I love when Monika screams like that,” Shastova said. “It shows the rest of us how much she cares and how we are all connected and fighting for the same thing.”
This year, Wojcik played much better competition than in her freshman season. Her win total decreased from 12 in 2025 to 10 a year later, but she was still Syracuse’s wins leader in 2026.
Wojcik’s passion has helped her maintain her intensity through matches much longer than those she’d been accustomed to playing. Just like the win against Bulger at Wake Forest in March.
“I don’t feel like that was my best match in terms of the tennis I played,” Wojcik said. “But I was feeding off of everyone’s energy, and that helped me win.”
Two weeks after Wojcik downed Bulger, SU’s sophomore earned her 10th win of the season in Syracuse’s penultimate regular-season match against Georgia Tech. After the match, SU head coach Younes Limam wasn’t shy when asked about Wojcik’s importance.
“I love the energy that she brings to the team,” Limam said. “I’m super happy for her.”
Ask anyone on the Orange, and they’ll tell you energy is one of Wojcik’s most valuable assets. She still has two seasons left at SU. With more time to improve on and off the court, that trait isn’t going anywhere.
“I’m playing my own tournaments this summer,” Wojcik said. “But I can’t wait to be back with my teammates in Syracuse getting ready for regionals in the fall and the duals in the spring.”
