For tennis standout Noor Sayej ’28, representing Jordan at the Billie Jean King Cup in Pakistan meant more than winning matches. It was an opportunity to compete against some of the world’s top players, forge friendships across borders, and proudly represent a country that is part of her heritage.

Sayej, who holds dual U.S. and Jordanian citizenship, helped Jordan’s women’s national team secure an impressive third-place finish in the international competition. The team faced opponents from Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Maldives, ultimately defeating the Maldives in the third-place match.

“When I’m playing for Jordan, I have to represent myself well as well as the country,” Sayej said. “What I do is what reflects them.”

This was a meaningful achievement for Jordan, which had only recently returned to the women’s competition after an absence of approximately two decades. Sayej earned her place on the national team after the president of Jordan’s tennis federation contacted her family about trying out. She traveled to Jordan, trained alongside prospective teammates, and successfully qualified. This year’s competition in Pakistan marked her second appearance representing Jordan, following a tournament in Vietnam in November 2025.

What makes Sayej’s recent success even more remarkable is the adversity she faced on the way there. While practicing the night before the competition in Vietnam, Sayegh injured her finger. What initially seemed like a minor jam turned into a fracture that sidelined her for about five months. A shoulder injury further limited her ability to train and compete.

“I had a rough year last year,” she acknowledged.

Rather than dwell on the frustration, Sayej focused on what she could control. She knew an extended summer training opportunity in Jordan could help her regain her form and take her game to the next level. During the school year, she typically spends six to eight hours a week on the tennis court, supplemented by daily fitness training. In Jordan, however, her schedule intensified to approximately six hours of tennis each day.

The commitment paid off.

“This summer I think I made a lot of progress, which helped me do so well in the tournament,” she said.

Her performance in Pakistan demonstrated just how far she had come. Against Iran, the eventual tournament champion, Sayej faced a player ranked among the top 1,500 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), putting her across the net from a professional-level competitor. Although Sayej lost 6–3, 6–1, she stayed competitive throughout and saw the match as a chance to test herself against a higher level of competition. Her three-set match against the Maldives was another highlight and helped Jordan reach third place.

Sayej describes herself as an aggressive player who likes to dictate the pace of a match. But she believes her greatest growth has come not from perfecting a particular stroke, but from developing the mental toughness to handle pressure.”Tennis is, like, 90 percent a mental sport,” she said.

Over the past several years, she has focused on staying positive, making adjustments, and moving past mistakes instead of letting frustration affect her performance. “When I’m on the court, [it’s about] not thinking about mistakes and working on corrections, adjustments. Staying positive.”

International competition has also exposed her to different approaches to the game. While she describes American tennis as generally more aggressive and power-driven, she has found that many international competitors emphasize strategy, endurance, and patient point construction. For Sayej, adapting to those different styles is another opportunity to grow as a player and problem-solver. If nothing is working, you just have to figure out what,” she explained. “You have to find a way.” This mindset extends beyond tennis. The resilience, discipline, and problem-solving skills she has strengthened through competition are qualities she also brings to the classroom at KO.

Despite the intensity of international competition, some of Sayej’s favorite memories have little to do with the scoreboard. She immediately connected with her Jordanian teammates when she first traveled to try out for the national team. Although the other players live in Jordan, their friendships grew through training, competition, and shared experiences exploring the places they visited. The connections extend to opposing teams, too. During the competition in Vietnam, Sayej befriended players from the Maldives. When the two countries met again in Pakistan, the athletes already knew each other. “We stayed in touch with them,” she said. “It’s nice meeting new girls.” For a student who has been around tennis almost her entire life, these relationships are among the sport’s greatest rewards.

Sayej’s father first introduced her to tennis when she was three or four years old, though she didn’t start pursuing the sport seriously until around age eight. What started as a family connection gradually became a passion of her own. Today, she treasures the friendships she’s built through tennis, even when those friends become opponents. “We’d laugh walking onto the court,” she said of competing against close friends. Once the match begins, however, both players are ready to compete.

Competing at this level requires considerable discipline, particularly while managing a demanding academic schedule at KO. On some weekdays, Sayej doesn’t finish tennis practice until 8:30 p.m. and arrives home around 9:30 p.m. She also works at her tennis facility, teaching younger children and assisting at the front desk. She makes the most of available time during the school day to stay on top of her academic responsibilities.

Her efforts are gaining national recognition. Sayej recently learned that she had earned a spot on the Hot 100 list, placing her among the top 100 tennis recruits nationally in the Class of 2028. Looking ahead, she hopes to keep playing at the collegiate level, but for now, her sights are set on improving and helping Jordan build on its international success. “Hopefully next year we’ll win it,” she said.

When asked what advice she would offer younger tennis players, Sayej emphasized the importance of enjoying the journey rather than getting consumed by results. “Make sure you’re enjoying the process,” she said, encouraging young athletes not to be too hard on themselves and to embrace the experience of competing.