MCKINNEY, Texas — If you've ever been to a city council meeting--you know they're systemically boring.
But in the McKinney council chambers Tuesday night--there was a big reason to be excited.
16-year-old Liv Hovde was in the audience with her family and former coach.
In her hands was a green box from London containing some serious hardware she'll never forget.
Earlier this month, Hovde told the world who she was by winning the Girls' Wimbledon Championship. In that box? Her trophy.
Hovde went undefeated and only lost one set in six matches. She is the second American to win the title in roughly 30 years.
Hovde is a resident of McKinney and has played on almost every court in the city, sharpening her skills since she moved there at age 10 with her family.
Because of her win, the city proclaimed July 19th as 'Liv Hovde Day.'
"It's just incredible how much McKinney has helped me," Hovde said.
After receiving a plaque and taking photos with council members, Hovde sat down with WFAA for the first time since she won.
Q: When did you start playing tennis?
Hovde: I was five years old and just really enjoyed playing, and I have played it ever since. Both of my parents played basketball, so I was kind of new to it, and no one else played tennis in my family.
Q: When did you think you had a knack for it? Or that you should keep going down this avenue?
Hovde: When I was ten years old, I won the Texas Slam. That was kind of the first, like, beginning of when I started getting really serious about it.
Q: You were ranked No. 173 in the world last year and then skyrocketed to the top of the rankings? You went into Wimbledon as No. 4. right?
Hovde: I just started really focusing on the game and playing a bunch more tournaments--which helped my placing go up more. I tried to get better every time. Around rank 70, you can get into Wimbledon--so last year, I wasn't able to. This is my first year playing there.
Q: What did that feel like when you found out you were going?
Hovde: It's an incredible honor to play there, and I got to play as the number one seed. It's just super exciting to be there--to play on the grass. The courts are just beautiful, and the site is just incredible.
Q: Had you ever been before? Have you played on grass before?
Hovde: I've played only one tournament on grass before. This was also my first time in England and at Wimbledon. I was nervous--so many people were watching, but I just tried to focus on myself and play the best I could.
Q: So many teens are buried in their phones and aren't even thinking about what they want to do in life--you seem to be miles ahead of that stereotype.
Hovde: It just feels really good to win, and I'm super proud of my accomplishment. I want to be the best pro I can be--the best player, and I want to win Wimbledon as a pro.