By Michael Wojtychiw
This spring, recent Lane graduate Marko McRae did something that hasn’t been in a very long time, or at least in recent memory: go undefeated in Chicago Public League play throughout his career. McRae played on the varsity level each of his four years on the North Side school, went undefeated against CPL opponents and finished his career with four city championships.
“Honestly, it’s a crazy accomplishment and I didn’t realize I could do that until this year, I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “I went into every match trying to win, it just ended up happening. I had really tough matches.
“There’s three or four major times I remember being really close to losing, but ended up coming back to win. But I never put that unnecessary pressure on myself to be undefeated. When I accomplished that in my last CPS match, that was a great feat for me.
“Tennis is mentally harder than physically a lot of the time. For me, I was playing for something bigger than myself, I was playing for Lane Tech and I really loved my team. I was really driven to not let them down. I fought for every point, that’s just how I play tennis. Even when I’m down and very close to losing, I find a way. With my team on my side, that helped out, giving me that extra energy to pull out the win no matter how much I was struggling.”
The success wasn’t limited to city play, however.
McRae qualified for the state meet in each of his final three seasons. And each of those years, his tournament finish improved.
In his sophomore year, he made it to within two matches of playing for fifth place, falling in the fifth round of the consolation bracket. Junior year saw him make it one step further, falling in the consolation semifinals. And in his senior season, McRae made it all the way to the third-place match, defeating Streamwood’s Mathieu Veltkamp 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 for Lane’s highest individual finish since 1991, when Ken Ore finished seventh.
“The whole experience was so special,” McRae said about his state run this year. “With my coaches by my side, I grew so close to them.
“Honestly, I wasn’t having the greatest season before sectionals and state and I knew how much it meant to me to give it my all. I’m an extremely confident player and know how good I can do. Even though I was the 16th seed, which was quite difficult because I had to play the second seed in the third round, but I went into every match knowing I could win and doing it for my team.
“I really elevated my game each match. Tough semifinal match but was so happy to finish with a win. The third-place match was definitely a ride. It was the greatest experience.”
He knew that the first experience in the state tournament would be something that he would be able to build upon as his high school career continued.
“Those experiences absolutely helped me a lot,” he said. “You mature. Once you get to the third round the first round and lose, you know the following year when you get there, how to play that round better. You’re able to be more loose.
“My sophomore year I played well, but I was still a small kid. Junior year I made it to the quarterfinals and I underperformed in my eyes. That took a toll on me and made me want to perform better the next year. My senior year I really enjoyed being out there.”
Now that his high school career has ended, McRae is set to take on a new challenge: collegiate tennis. This month, he sets off to Cleveland to continue his academic and athletic careers at Case Western University.
The Division III private school is one that McRae knew he wanted to play for almost instantly.
“The recruiting process was difficult, it was hard choosing a school,” he said. “What set Case Western apart was the opportunities the school gives academically. I want to do something STEM-related and they have a great one there. Obviously tennis was a big part too and the coach there is one that could really elevate my skills.
“A big reason I found D3 to be a better fit for me was I took my academics seriously. D3 allows you to manage your time a bit better. I’m ready to make my name known at Case.
“With Case, it’s quite rare freshmen can start in the lineup. If they do, they usually start at the bottom, which is absolutely fine, especially in your freshman year. My coach sees how hard I work. He said if I keep it up, I might have a chance of making the lineup, but for me, that’s not the main focus. I don’t care about that, I care about getting better and being with a team that cares about each other.”
Unlike many other top tennis players, McRae wasn’t one that was born with a tennis racket in his hand.
In fact, neither of his parents had played tennis competitively. His father had liked to play in his spare time, but not at the level like Marko had.
That didn’t stop him from falling in love with the game, practicing hours upon hours.
“When I was five, I picked up a racket – I had been playing soccer since I was three – and I got on the court and just loved the game,” he said. “I played at parks, played with my father. I got put into lessons and from that point on, I fell in love with the sport.
“I wanted to play every day, wanted to go to the park and play whenever I could. It’s been a long journey but I’ve loved it every step.
“It was really special for my mom to see me play because we’re Serbian and tennis is really big in our country. It really grew on everybody there and I was a very active kid. Tennis helped me with my focus, my attitude. All of us saw the benefits of the sport.”
In many amateur sports, athletes take part in a club season, playing with club teams in the offseason, competing in tournaments all across the country, gaining exposure in front of scouts and collegiate coaches.
In a way, tennis is the same. However, the traditional offseason is full of tournaments on the United States Tennis Association tour.
Thar requires players playing in tournaments every weekend all across the country, multiple days a week and often times for the majority of the offseason.
The most recent USTA ranking for boys in the 18 and Under age grouping has McRae ranked no. 157 nationally. He feels that playing this tough competition is something that has helped him have the success he’s had.
“After the state tournament and now playing in these summer tournaments, I feel like I’m playing my best tennis,” he said. “It’s a lot of tournaments. This summer I’ve been able to play in a lot of tournaments and my body has gotten stronger as I play more.
“Since sectionals, I think I’ve only had two weekends off. It’s an every day grind.
“I wasn’t used to it before but I’m loving it. It’s been difficult but so rewarding when you’re able to give it 100 percent when you’re playing.”