About
mind set match
Mind Set Match was founded out of the respect and passion for the off-court side of the game Angela developed over her 20+ years in the sport. The right fundamentals, the right equipment, and the right coaches were all important– but both her biggest regrets and biggest leaps came from the mental side of the game.
I've been the "next big thing" as well as a "failed junior prodigy," a bottom-of-the lineup college tennis player and an All-American, a "missed her window to go pro" and a WTA champion. There isn't a situation I haven't dealt with first-hand and my greatest asset is my ability to relate to these players on a painfully personal level. Everyone loves to talk about being "mentally tough," but no one seems to talk about how to actually do it. Mind Set Match is my desire to share and help young players develop the tools I wish I had learned at the beginning of my career so that they can reach their full performance potential.
About ANG
Angela (Kulikov) Ward is a professional tennis player and former All-American at the University of Southern California. Accepting a full-ride scholarship, she graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science (2020) and a master’s degree in Applied Psychology (2021).
During her 5 years (one extra year due to COVID) at USC, Kulikov was captain of the women’s tennis team, ascended to playing #1 singles and #1 doubles for the team, and achieved career high rankings of #15 in the country in singles and #1 in doubles. She and her partner, Rianna Valdes also made it to the Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Championships and received All-American status.
Turning professional in 2021, Kulikov found early success on the WTA Doubles Tour. In her first year, she collected 6 professional titles including the 2022 Hamburg European Open, her maiden WTA-level title. This success led to entry into all four Grand Slams– Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Today, Kulikov boasts 11 titles and a career-high ranking of #57 in the world. As she has been recovering from injury for the past two years, she has turned her focus to coaching and mental performance training. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband who plays for the Las Vegas Raiders, Alex, and their dog, Alki.
career highlights
Professional Tennis
2021 - Current
Career High WTA (World) Ranking #57 (Doubles)
2022 WTA Hamburg European Open Champion (Doubles)
Competed in all 4 Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open)
10 ITF Doubles Titles
College Tennis
University of Southern California
2016 - 2021
NCAA All-American
#1 NCAA Doubles Ranking
#15 NCAA Singles Ranking
Played #1 Singles & Doubles
Junior Tennis
2005 - 2016
Tennis Recruiting RPI #1 (Class of 2016)
Top 10 USTA National Ranking
2014 National Clay Court Championships Finalist (14 & Under)
2 ITF Titles (1 Doubles, 1 Singles)