How Gia Cohen Became GA Tech’s Tennis Ace
Cohen has had an impressive run for the Yellow Jackets, beginning with her debut season in spring 2019.
When the Georgia Tech women’s tennis team signed Gia Cohen to a National Letter of Intent back in November 2018, head coach Rodney Harmon was feeling both relieved and excited.
Relieved, because Harmon, a longtime USTA coach and former tennis pro who reached the quarterfinals of the 1982 U.S. Open, knew that Cohen was an elite ball striker with superb hand-eye coordination and that a passel of top D-I programs — chief among them Clemson and Auburn — were pining for her commitment.
Excited, because Harmon could envision what the future held for Cohen, who was graduating from the prestigious IMG Academy early at age 17. “We are excited Gia will be joining our program,” he said at the time. “She has an aggressive style of play which fits in very well with our coaching philosophy.”
It seems safe to say that the veteran tennis instructor knew what he was talking about.
Cohen, a 5’7” senior who hails from Bradenton, Fla. — and had her bat mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota — has had an impressive run for the Yellow Jackets, beginning with her debut season in spring 2019, when she posted a 16-10 singles record. She followed up a solid rookie campaign, one that culminated with a victory over Ohio State’s Danielle Wolf to catapult Georgia Tech over the Buckeyes in the opening round of the NCAA tourney — with an even better showing as a sophomore.
During the pre-pandemic first-half (fall 2019), Cohen reeled off a 5-3 singles mark before compiling a 14-9 singles record in what turned out to be a truncated spring 2020 season.
After the fall 2020 slate of matches was canned, Cohen returned to action in early 2021 by partnering with Ava Hrastar in doubles action to go 8-8. Knocking off NC State’s Jaeda Daniel and Adriana Reami in a tiebreak, the duo of Cohen/Hrastar rose as high as No. 16 in national rankings en route to earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships doubles draw.
This past season — Cohen’s final hurrah in Atlanta — has been arguably her best: while playing with an assortment of partners, she has gone 14-9 in doubles action to help Georgia Tech earn yet another NCAA tournament berth.
“When I reflect on my tennis career at Georgia Tech, there were a ton of ups and downs and I’m proud of the way I was able to navigate my time on The Flats,” says Cohen, who grew up in a highly competitive household with four younger brothers. “There were some fantastic wins and also some tough losses, but that comes with the sport. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to compete at Georgia Tech.”
Undoubtedly, the school has been grateful to have Cohen onboard these last few years. Perhaps her two greatest intangibles — being a consummate teammate and staying cool during high-stakes moments — have endeared her to the coaching staff.
“She has been an incredible teammate and has looked out for her teammates whenever they needed her,” raves Harmon. “She has always been there for them. And the second thing is that under pressure, Gia has performed really well for us and closed out some big matches.”
While it’s not so easy to pinpoint one particular highlight from Cohen’s soon-to-be-ending collegiate career, Harmon thinks back to last year, when she helped carry the Yellow Jackets at ITA National Team Indoors. Georgia Tech was down an injured player and Cohen rose to the occasion by going 2-1 in singles and 3-0 doubles, all of which happened against top-tier competition.
When asked to put her time at Georgia Tech into perspective, Cohen does not think back to her many personal feats — fairly ironic considering that tennis is, after all, an individual sport.
“What I found most fulfilling is just coming to practice every day with an amazing group of teammates and great coaches that all want to help each other day in and day out,” says Cohen, who looks forward to extending her tennis career after graduating this spring. “As student-athletes, we are fortunate to be surrounded by staff, from coaches to support staff, that help you reach your potential and prepare us for the next step. I cannot thank everyone enough that played a role in my time at Georgia Tech.
“On top of that, match days with my teammates all cheering and rooting for each other, as well as the fans all wanting us to succeed, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
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