From an early age, LSU women’s tennis junior Megan Falcon was destined to be something special. This was apparent to her family when she started climbing walls when she was 3 years old. “She was so strong that she would climb on the door frame leading from the family room to the hallway, go across and climb on top using only her fingertips,” said her grandfather, Phil Bonadona. “Even then, we saw that she grasped everything so quickly, and you could see that she had such confidence in herself.” Falcon said her grandparents have been a driving force in developing her passion for tennis.
“I first became interested in tennis when I was 6 years old,” she said. “I was watching the French Open with my grandparents. They bought me some tennis rackets, and I started playing.”
Falcon has accumulated great national attention since she came to LSU, including reaching a No. 2 ranking as a sophomore, the highest national rank in LSU women’s tennis history. She finished this past season with a 38-3 singles record, defeating 26 nationally-ranked opponents, and accumulated a 24-10 doubles record. She was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC, National Co-Player to Watch, an All-American singles player and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player and Newcomer of the Year.
Furthermore, Falcon said her grandmother’s success as a college athlete has influenced her greatly throughout her career.
Her grandmother played college basketball at a small school in Mississippi before turning to tennis. Falcon’s mother, Denise, said her daughter is at the level she is today because of her grandparents. “My parents were the ones that took her to tennis tournaments and practices,” Denise Falcon said. “She has excelled because of their help. She has become such a hard worker, both scholastically and with tennis.” Denise Falcon expressed a sense of great pride and awe at all her daughter’s accomplishments. “It is very exciting and breathtaking to watch her play,” she said, as she teared up. “I am so proud of her and everything she has done and will continue to do as she succeeds in her life.” Bonadona said excelling in athletics runs in the family. “Her mother was a gymnast, cheerleader and softball player in college, and her father was a champion power lifter at Nicholls State,” he said. Falcon wasted no time getting involved in sports during her years prior to coming to LSU. She was an all-star in softball as well as an all-star on the basketball team in eighth grade in her hometown of Alameda, Calif. But her grandfather said she wanted to stick with one sport, and she found her niche in tennis. She played tennis at Alameda High School for two years under the direction of Les White, who also coached her prior to high school.
During her time on the junior circuit, Megan Falcon played in some Grand Slam tournaments, including the Junior French Open, Junior Wimbledon and Junior U.S. Open.
She reached the semifinals in doubles at junior Wimbledon, and her grandfather was impressed with her ability to adapt to various partners on the court.
“She had to adjust to a different doubles partner in every match,” Bonadona said. She achieved the No. 1 ranking in the United States Tennis Association’s 16-and-under age bracket at age 16.
She also played in the 18-and-under group, where she reached No. 5. Tennisrecruiting.net listed Falcon as a five-star recruit, and she caught the attention of schools across the country. “Stanford wanted her and so did UCLA,” Bonadona said. “She had drawers full of letters from all over the country.”
In the end, LSU was the winner in the Megan Falcon sweepstakes.
“I was impressed with the LSU sports program, and I have family down here [in Donaldsonville],” Falcon said. “Also [women’s tennis coach] Tony Minnis is a good coach and a great guy.” It was clear that starting school again would not be easy for Falcon, as she had spent 2003-2004 traveling and playing in both national and international tournaments, often having to do schoolwork on the road.
She had also spent time improving her skills at a tennis academy in Palo Alto, Fla. Falcon received a full scholarship when she came to LSU. Although NCAA rules did not allow her to play tennis her freshman year, Bonadona said her first year with the Tigers was not without its advantages. “Sitting out gave her a chance to get acclimated to the school setting and catch up school-wise,” Bonadona said. Falcon then joined the tennis team as a sophomore in 2006. “She has a competitive spirit that can’t really be taught, and it spreads around to the other players on the team,” Tony Minnis said. Sophomore teammate Nicole Kantor said her constant intensity and competitive nature helps her focus so much more.
“She hates losing, and that is such a great quality about her,” Kantor said. “She is very mentally tough as well. It is very obvious to the team that she gives 150 percent at all times, and I think the rest of the team admires her for that.” Sophomore Hannah Robinson, Falcon’s doubles partner in 2007, said it is an honor to play with someone so talented. “She doesn’t make you feel like you have to live up to something,” Robinson said. “She is a great partner to play with, and she definitely brings leadership to the team.”
As a junior, Falcon emerged as No. 1 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Southwest Region fall rankings. “It’s pretty exciting to be No. 1,” Falcon said. “I work hard to bring recognition to the program, especially since LSU is not really known for tennis. It’s good for the school, too.” Falcon said she values the team’s overall bond the most. “This team has really good chemistry, and everybody works hard for each other,” she said. “I value that relationship and fighting for each other on the court.” Another career highlight for Falcon was the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She played both singles and doubles matches and advanced as far as the doubles bronze medal match with partner Audra Cohen. Bonadona said although Falcon is a perfectionist and hates to lose, she does not try to defend herself when she loses. “She tries to take everything in stride,” he said. “She doesn’t try to make excuses that she was hurt or anything if she loses a match. She knows how to handle losses and tries to be the best sport she can be. She always gives it her best.” Minnis said Falcon has grown as a person and as a player since coming to LSU. “She has developed more of a calmness,” Minnis said. “She is more comfortable and knows how to be aggressive in key situations. I know this year she will continue improving and doing things right. As long as she focuses and works hard, things will take care of themselves.” What also amazes Minnis and Bonadona is Falcon’s ability to balance tennis with school. “She is double majoring in international relations and international law, and she is also learning Mandarin,” Bonadona said. In the first spring edition of the ITA rankings, Falcon is No. 8 in the Southwest Region after finishing 5-2 in the fall and winning the consolation bracket of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships for the second consecutive year.
Bonadona said he has loved seeing Falcon develop as a human being. “She is levelheaded and knows the direction she wants to go,” he said. “Her tremendous success hasn’t really surprised us.
“We know she’ll always go back at it and try to stay at the top. All she has to do is give it her best and have no regrets.”
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Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]