Rogers looks to gain momentum in Midland

MIDLAND, Mich.—Shelby Rogers is one of the favorites in Midland this week at the W100 Dow Tennis Classic. The 27-year-old American is climbing her way back up the rankings as she nears the one-year anniversary of her return to the tour.

"Everybody really puts some sort of hand forward to help with the event. Coming here again it's like family," Roger said. "And also nice because the stands are filled every match, the crowds are huge and you don't always get that at some of these smaller events. So it's really nice treat to be here."

Though doing her best to put her left knee injury behind her, Rogers missed out on 13 months of tour action starting after Indian Wells in 2018. A former world No. 48, she's ranked No. 138 this week, with a 6-3 record so far in 2020.

Adam Ferman

Two of those losses came at the hands of Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza, in Shenzhen and in Melbourne. Rogers cruised through qualifying at the Happy Slam without the loss of a set before running into the Spaniard. Now she's trying to gain momentum heading into the U.S. hard-court swing, and she started with a strong 6-3, 6-2 win over Kayla Day.

Rogers does a lot more than bring big shots and effective serve to the event, she's also got a lot of personality. This is a player who once rapped an original song instead of just saying a speech at her Fed Cup rookie dinner.

She's also got a passion for watching team sports, including football and ice hockey—though her Saints did not make it to the Super Bowl. The South Carolina native has no trouble finding inspiration from other athletes.

"I think we all kind of have similar struggles in one way or another even if it's a different sport," she said. "Working towards the same goal in different ways is really cool."