Emily Winkler of Thornton Academy returns a shot against Marta Amoros Juan of Hyde School during the state singles championship match on May 18 in Lewiston. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

Emily Winkler will cherish her time at Thornton Academy, despite how her tennis season ended.

Winkler, an exchange student from Austria, was stellar on the court, going 7-0 in team matches and reaching the state singles final.

Her dominance, which included losing only 10 games in the regular season, makes her the Varsity Maine Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

“It was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, to come to Thornton Academy,” Winkler said in an email. “Being part of the girls tennis team was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I met so many great people, and I even met one of my best friends through the team.”

She enjoyed cheering on her teammates in their matches, noting that the dynamics of team tennis differ between the United States and Austria.

“I had played on a team back home in Vienna before, but most of my training was focused on individual tennis,” Winkler, a sophomore, said. “… It wasn’t the same kind of team environment as at Thornton Academy. Here, I really got to experience what it means to support each other every day, and I loved being part of such a close team.”

Thornton’s first-year head coach, William Weeks, saw Winkler enjoy the team aspect.

“She loved it. I think it’s really hard to play individual tournaments, and I know she was playing a lot of singles tournaments back in Europe,” Weeks said. “That can be really draining.”

Winkler’s prior tennis experience gave her a skill level that kept the Golden Trojans’ coaching staff on their toes.

“I think the state of Maine hadn’t quite seen (that) in a while,” Weeks said. “She had a very high level of tennis, and so just at practice, (my assistant coach and I) had to sort of recalibrate our tactics.”

Winkler beat out Lilia Root, the senior captain, for the No. 1 singles spot in the preseason. Root, also a Varsity Maine All-State selection, motivated Winkler during the season.

“We always warmed up together, and since we both had shoulder issues, we also did our shoulder exercises together,” Winkler said. “It made everything easier because I wasn’t going through it alone.”

Winkler’s shoulder issues sprang up in the heart of the season, during the crown jewel event for high school singles players: the state singles tournament.

Winkler was the tournament’s top seed and dispatched Kennedy Lambert (Ellsworth) in the round of 32, Lilah Goldey (Cony) in the round of 16, Ruby Glenn (Lincoln Academy) in the quarterfinals and Molly Tefft (Brunswick) in the semifinals.

Winkler faced sixth-seeded Marta Amoros Juan of Spain and the Hyde School in the final. Juan took the match in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6.

“One of the biggest things I learned is how important confidence is, whether I believe in myself or not makes a huge difference in how I play,” Winkler said. “My last match, especially, challenged me. My opponent played really well, and even though I lost, it’s a match I’ll always remember. It was a great battle with many amazing rallies, and I learned a lot from that experience.”

The match against Juan was Winkler’s last of the season because of her shoulder problems. She and Root were sidelined when Marshwood defeated Thornton Academy 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs.

Winkler was disappointed she couldn’t extend the season, but Weeks said he didn’t want to risk long-term health for either player.

“I felt bad that I couldn’t help the team on the court, but I was still there supporting everyone as much as I could,” Winkler said.

Winkler’s time at Thornton Academy is over, but she still wants to visit the people who made her 2025-26 school year so memorable.

“I made so many great memories there, and it would be really nice to see everyone again,” Winkler said.