Mylene Martin

Learning to Start Over

I first met Kim Kouwabunpat like a lot of us tennis players do, as opponents, during the 2022 USTA Hard Court Championships in Palm Springs. When you first meet Kim, her laugh, warmth, and kindness shine through. But what I didn’t know at the time, was that the Upland, CA native had only taken up tennis a year prior. “I came back to tennis because I found it to be a fun way to meet people in the desert when we moved here,” she explained enthusiastically. “I’m a competitive junkie. I love to compete! Discovering adult tournament tennis in my 40s has been reenergizing and tennis has helped fill this void. Since hanging up my competitive golf clubs several years ago, there has been this dormant athlete inside, waiting for an opportunity to wake up again!,” she laughed.

Another thing I didn’t know when we first stepped onto center court at the Mission Hills Country Club, was that before picking tennis back up, Kim had an impressive golf career. “I picked up my first club when I was about eight years old when my dad was playing golf recreationally and I asked to tag along with him one day to the driving range,” she fondly recalled. “The first shot I hit went straight in the air 100 yards,” she laughed. And the rest is history as we say. 

“My parents signed me up for a summer camp and at the end of it, they had a tiny tournament. I won it and then started taking lessons,” the retail derivatives trader remembered. “I started playing tournaments with the Southern California Junior Golf Association then competed on the national junior circuit in AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) events, reaching my highest junior ranking of 13th in the US. Playing on the AJGA was a helpful way to get recruited, which led to a full-ride scholarship at Stanford for my four years on The Farm.” Following her graduation with a degree in Psychology, “I knew I had to give the pro tour a shot otherwise I would regret it.”

But being a professional golfer isn’t as glamorous as most of us would think. “In order to raise tournament and travel funds, I played in pro ams, taught junior golf camps, acquired local sponsorships, and even organized a small fundraiser tournament I called The Dream Chaser Golf Event. I also had the wonderful support of my parents who also helped me in my pursuit of the LPGA,” the 2-time All-PAC10 Conference Team member explained. “You figure out how to make it work, you learn how to be creative, and at some point, you wear all the hats: marketing, sponsorship management, budgeting, coordinating travel,... everything.”

After a 6-year career that saw her compete on the LPGA Futures Tour, CN Canadian Women’s Tour, Ladies Asian Golf Tour, Cactus Tour, and California Players Tour, Kim decided to hang up her clubs, but not before earning 12 top-5’s, including two professional wins, and learning many skills she’d lean on as she transitioned into tennis. 

So how did she transition so smoothly into the tennis scene and pick up a full rating in a year? “The mental game is one of the most crucial elements to general competition in all things and it’s what has helped me on the tennis court in tournament matches. I’ve taken a lot of the same concepts from golf to tennis,” she quickly replied. “For example, focusing on the things you have control over or staying in the present.”

In addition, “mental toughness is my edge from golf. It also helps to approach my tennis matches with no expectations. I love immersing myself in the process versus the outcome and being happy with the results. I love that there is always room to improve and grow.” As she dives deeper into what the transition has been like, Kim says “As a golfer, I tend to be very comfortable with touch shots on the tennis court. Drop shots feel like hitting flop shots with backspin over a bunker to a short-sided hole location. My touch game probably explains why I’m more of a tactical tennis player. The way I play is a product of my golf game,” Kim, whose parents were born and raised in Thailand, jokingly stated. 

Kim has been an example of perseverance and starting over. As we wrapped up our conversation, she looked back fondly on the days only a couple of years ago when she was a 3.5 watching the 4.0 ladies compete, inspired that maybe one day she could play with them. Only a year and a half later, she has already surpassed them. “Tennis has reinvigorated this desire to compete, learn, and grow. I find complete joy in taking on this new challenge and am thoroughly enjoying the journey along the way,” she proudly said laughing. 

Even though I didn’t know that side of Kim when I first stepped on the court on that beautiful October day back in 2022, I knew I had met someone special. Getting to know her over the last year and a half, and all the transitions she has gone through, has fueled my desire to keep learning in all aspects of my life. Her infectious energy, willingness to start over, and can-do attitude are all reasons why I am proud to call her a friend and have her be a part of our NWTO family.