Kate Sharabura: There is No “I” in Team
INTENNSE Tennis
3 MINS | Published on 11/13/25
Kate Sharabura’s tennis journey began young, inspired by her parents who both played. “I started playing tennis when I was five. Just because my parents both played and I would just kind of hit with them after their matches,” she recalls. As she grew up, tennis became more serious and competitive. “I kind of decided that I did want to play college tennis. So I started playing tournaments, USTA tournaments and traveling around the country and training pretty heavily.”
By her junior year, NCAA rules allowed her to start talking to college coaches. “I was looking for a school with a good tennis team where I could develop that was also a good academic school. And then also ideally a good coach. Georgia Tech was just a really excellent combination of the three. Coach Rodney is amazing. The academics are amazing as well as being a top 25 team, so it was a great fit.”
Transitioning into the team environment at Georgia Tech was rewarding but required adjustment. “I really loved it from the start. I enjoyed my teammates. They were all great friends of mine, so just hanging out with them all the time, getting to train. A lot of them were better than me at tennis, so they pushed me to kind of be better.”
“I had to learn that the team is more important. And if I lose my match and the team wins, we still gotta be happy. Because sometimes I would be sulking or whatever and that was not appreciated.”
Kate discovered INTENNSE in the fall of her senior year during an event at Georgia Tech. “I didn’t really know much about it. Our coach told me that there would be an event on Saturday and everyone has to be there. So I showed up and I had a blast. It was a lot of fun.”
Hearing about the league, she reached out. “I needed something to do after college and I loved the team format so I thought that this would kind of be a good transition from college to professional because they’re both team formats. And yeah, I think it was a great decision. I loved it.”
Playing professionally in INTENNSE was different and brought fresh challenges. “In some ways it was similar to college, but in other ways it was different. Obviously, you know, there’s money involved, which is something I had never experienced before—the pressure of playing for maybe a thousand bucks on the line. So I definitely was nervous and also having it broadcasted to a bunch of people. We never got massive crowds at Georgia Tech. We had crowds, but it wasn’t like the level of broadcasting.” Kate especially enjoyed mixed doubles. “I always say that the NCAA should have mixed doubles. I think it would be so fun.” She also appreciated meeting new people through the league.
Now back on the traditional pro circuit, Kate is reflective. “I miss a lot of aspects of it. I miss the convenience. Obviously, I didn’t have to travel. I was just in Atlanta where I lived. So that was nice. I miss the paychecks. Here they are like 50 bucks for the week. So that’s not great. But yeah, there are cool things about traveling the world and playing on the ITF tour that are different, but I definitely miss a lot of the convenience and the fun of INTENNSE.”
Kate’s story illustrates her growth from a young hopeful player to a dedicated college athlete and team competitor, and then to a professional embracing new formats and opportunities with enthusiasm and adaptability.
INTENNSE is expanding from three teams to 10 in 2026. All teams will be based in the Atlanta area. Applicants interested in joining the league for the 2026 season must register by January 31, 2026. [Register Here]
