Completed Event: Women's Tennis at #1 Auburn on May 8, 2026 , Loss , 2, to, 4
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Final
Women's Tennis
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at #1 Auburn
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Photo by: Duke Athletics
From Duke to the Pro Tour, Coleman and Jackson Navigate New Challenges
7/5/2026 7:29:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C.-- For four years, Ellie Coleman and Emma Jackson shared locker rooms, road trips, team victories and the Duke logo stitched across their chests.
Now, one year after graduating, the Duke women's tennis graduates find themselves navigating a very different world.
"The biggest difference is not having the team part of it and you're just doing everything on your own," said Coleman.
In their time as Blue Devils, Coleman and Jackson helped Duke remain one of the nation's top programs. Both earned All-ACC honors and were key contributors in multiple NCAA tournament runs, building reputations as dependable leaders within the program.
Despite the sport's individual nature, they credit Duke with preparing them for the realities of life on tour. Professional tennis brought Coleman and Jackson across several states and continents, introduced them to new challenges, opponents and new levels of independence.
The transition has also brought early success. During their first year on tour, both Coleman and Jackson earned professional tournament victories, proving they could compete at the next level while adjusting to life as professional athletes.
That adjustment was one of the biggest lessons learned during their first year in the professional ranks, because in college, travel arrangements and day-to-day logistics were handled by the program. Now, players are responsible for managing those details themselves, turning behind-the-scenes tasks into part of the job description as professionals.
"I think definitely managing your own schedule, managing everything else that you have to, your stringing, your racquets, your shoes," Jackson said. "All things that were taken care of for you in college. Those are all small things that really add up in the pros."
Coleman added: "Now we realize how much work it takes to put everything together."
Life on tour can be lonely — you don't have your teammates close by and you're spending weeks away from home. The competitive environment is focused on the individual; there aren't team titles to compete for anymore.
"You don't know how much you'll miss it until you're out of it and you're completely alone," Jackson said. "I used to share a room with someone on a trip. I used to go to dinner with a group. I used to have all of these things right there at my fingertips."
However, one piece of their Duke experience never wavered: their friendship.
"We were already really close throughout all four years of college," Coleman said. "Coming out and doing the same thing has been really nice because we're figuring it out at the same time together."
Even with different competition schedules, Coleman and Jackson still talk to each other almost daily. They often exchange voice messages between matches, training sessions and travel.
Jackson said it has been beneficial to have someone who understands the unique challenges that come with this transition.
"It's someone you trust and who you can go to and just say anything you want," Jackson said.
"We can laugh about it together and not everyone can."
During their time in Durham, Coleman and Jackson were taught resilience — their friendship is a testament to that lesson.
The demanding nature of being a Duke student-athlete prepared them for the challenges they would face in the professional world. While their games improved during their four years at Duke, Coleman said her biggest growth came off the court.
"The area I improved the most in college is for sure the mental side – that and also just mental toughness," said Coleman. "You can tell a lot of the time who has played college and who hasn't. I think college just gives people more fight and more grit."
In a sport where schedules are intense and losses are frequent, mental toughness is imperative.
"You're losing once or twice every single week unless you win the tournament," Coleman explained. "You have to be really quick to just rinse and repeat. Learn from it, move on and keep a positive outlook because it can get super draining when you're on the road for three or four weeks at a time."
Jackson mentioned one word to describe the biggest lesson Duke taught her.
"Grit," she said. "Being a Duke student-athlete is obviously super challenging and I think being a professional athlete is obviously very challenging as well. I think Duke prepared us really well for that."
Duke also taught them to broaden their perspective and explore interests and identities that extend beyond the tennis court. For Coleman, that perspective led her to one of the most significant decisions of her young career.
"Tennis means a lot to me, but there are other things in life as well that I find really important," Coleman said.
After one year on the professional tour, Coleman will take a step toward her long-term goal of attending medical school. She is returning to Durham in July to begin Duke's Master of Biomedical Sciences program.
Meanwhile, Jackson is recovering from a hip injury as she prepares for the next steps of her professional career.
"I'm trying to figure that out and get healthy and then take it from there," Jackson said.
Although Coleman and Jackson's paths will soon look different, both athletes walk away from their first year as professionals with a greater appreciation for their experiences at Duke.
While one prepares to continue competing around the world and the other returns to campus to begin a new chapter, they remain connected by the foundation they built as Blue Devils and a friendship that has grounded them throughout every step of the journey.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on X, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
#GoDuke
Now, one year after graduating, the Duke women's tennis graduates find themselves navigating a very different world.
"The biggest difference is not having the team part of it and you're just doing everything on your own," said Coleman.
In their time as Blue Devils, Coleman and Jackson helped Duke remain one of the nation's top programs. Both earned All-ACC honors and were key contributors in multiple NCAA tournament runs, building reputations as dependable leaders within the program.
Despite the sport's individual nature, they credit Duke with preparing them for the realities of life on tour. Professional tennis brought Coleman and Jackson across several states and continents, introduced them to new challenges, opponents and new levels of independence.
The transition has also brought early success. During their first year on tour, both Coleman and Jackson earned professional tournament victories, proving they could compete at the next level while adjusting to life as professional athletes.
That adjustment was one of the biggest lessons learned during their first year in the professional ranks, because in college, travel arrangements and day-to-day logistics were handled by the program. Now, players are responsible for managing those details themselves, turning behind-the-scenes tasks into part of the job description as professionals.
"I think definitely managing your own schedule, managing everything else that you have to, your stringing, your racquets, your shoes," Jackson said. "All things that were taken care of for you in college. Those are all small things that really add up in the pros."
Coleman added: "Now we realize how much work it takes to put everything together."
Life on tour can be lonely — you don't have your teammates close by and you're spending weeks away from home. The competitive environment is focused on the individual; there aren't team titles to compete for anymore.
"You don't know how much you'll miss it until you're out of it and you're completely alone," Jackson said. "I used to share a room with someone on a trip. I used to go to dinner with a group. I used to have all of these things right there at my fingertips."
However, one piece of their Duke experience never wavered: their friendship.
"We were already really close throughout all four years of college," Coleman said. "Coming out and doing the same thing has been really nice because we're figuring it out at the same time together."
Even with different competition schedules, Coleman and Jackson still talk to each other almost daily. They often exchange voice messages between matches, training sessions and travel.
Jackson said it has been beneficial to have someone who understands the unique challenges that come with this transition.
"It's someone you trust and who you can go to and just say anything you want," Jackson said.
"We can laugh about it together and not everyone can."
During their time in Durham, Coleman and Jackson were taught resilience — their friendship is a testament to that lesson.
The demanding nature of being a Duke student-athlete prepared them for the challenges they would face in the professional world. While their games improved during their four years at Duke, Coleman said her biggest growth came off the court.
"The area I improved the most in college is for sure the mental side – that and also just mental toughness," said Coleman. "You can tell a lot of the time who has played college and who hasn't. I think college just gives people more fight and more grit."
In a sport where schedules are intense and losses are frequent, mental toughness is imperative.
"You're losing once or twice every single week unless you win the tournament," Coleman explained. "You have to be really quick to just rinse and repeat. Learn from it, move on and keep a positive outlook because it can get super draining when you're on the road for three or four weeks at a time."
Jackson mentioned one word to describe the biggest lesson Duke taught her.
"Grit," she said. "Being a Duke student-athlete is obviously super challenging and I think being a professional athlete is obviously very challenging as well. I think Duke prepared us really well for that."
Duke also taught them to broaden their perspective and explore interests and identities that extend beyond the tennis court. For Coleman, that perspective led her to one of the most significant decisions of her young career.
"Tennis means a lot to me, but there are other things in life as well that I find really important," Coleman said.
After one year on the professional tour, Coleman will take a step toward her long-term goal of attending medical school. She is returning to Durham in July to begin Duke's Master of Biomedical Sciences program.
Meanwhile, Jackson is recovering from a hip injury as she prepares for the next steps of her professional career.
"I'm trying to figure that out and get healthy and then take it from there," Jackson said.
Although Coleman and Jackson's paths will soon look different, both athletes walk away from their first year as professionals with a greater appreciation for their experiences at Duke.
While one prepares to continue competing around the world and the other returns to campus to begin a new chapter, they remain connected by the foundation they built as Blue Devils and a friendship that has grounded them throughout every step of the journey.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on X, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
#GoDuke
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