Perseverance has defined Sofia Perez’s tennis journey. Two years ago, she broke her back — twice — and spent nine months fighting her way back onto the court. Last season, the Mount Sinai sophomore reached the state tournament but fell in the Round of 16.

On Monday, Perez’s resilience was on full display at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. After dropping the first set, she stormed back to defeat Manhasset’s Diane Durante, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, earning a spot in the quarterfinals of the girls tennis state individual championships.

“I definitely felt the pressure in the first set because I knew I was going against a strong player,” Perez said. “After losing the first, I just thought to myself, 'I’ve already made it this far, I might as well give it everything I’ve got.”'

Winning

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