The college tennis season is on the verge of starting for many universities or has already begun. This also means that many of our own tennis players will be giving their all in the coming months to compete for prizes. Over the past summer, and in recent weeks, more tennis players have headed to America to embark on their college adventures.
In this article, we have highlighted some of these standout players, ‘rookies’ whom we believe have the potential to surprise everyone in the upcoming season.
After some have already warmed up this past fall, it is now time for the real deal. We have full confidence in our top players and are sure they will shine. In this article, we introduce five of these top players to you. Want to know who they are and where they play? Keep reading to find out.
Kyvan Rietkerk
University: Boise State University
Division/ Conference: NCAA Division I/ Mountain West Conference
Kyvan Rietkerk traded the Dutch tennis courts for an American college adventure at Boise State University last summer. Prior to his move, Kyvan had previously held the 155th spot in the ITF Juniors ranking.
Kyvan demonstrated right from the start this fall that he comes from a strong background. The freshman managed to secure victory in eight out of his first ten singles matches. As if that weren’t enough, he also notched a tournament win in both doubles and singles B.
And it’s not just Kyvan who is on fire; the entire team is in great form. Boise State convincingly won the first two matches of this semester. According to insiders, the team, with many new players, is considered a formidable force.
Evgenios Vasilakis
University: Presbyterian College
Division/ Conference: NCAA Division I/ Big South Conference
Unlike Kyvan, Evgenios has only recently departed for America. He joined the tennis team at Presbyterian College this spring. Despite being relatively new to the States, he has more than earned his spot on our list.
His coach has already informed us that Evgenios is in excellent form, and he has high expectations for the Greek freshman.
Before embarking on his American adventure, he briefly exchanged the training courts of Amjoy for his hometown in Greece. Over the past six months, he has worked hard to prepare himself. And not without success, he managed to improve his UTR from 11.0 to 11.6 in recent months. Well done, Evgenios!
Jacco Arends
University: George Mason University
Division/ Conference: NCAA Division I/ Atlantic 10 Conference
Jacco is certainly no stranger to America; he began his third year this past summer. After playing two years for the tennis team at UNC Wilmington, also the alma mater of Slamstox founder Pedro Mol, he was ready for the next step. His hard work paid off, earning him a well-deserved transfer to George Mason University in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Well deserved!
When Jacco was briefly in the Netherlands this past winter, he once again demonstrated his excellent form by winning an NRT*** in doubles. In our opinion, he is definitely ready to shine for his new team this semester.
Esmee Andresen
University: University at Buffalo
Division/ Conference: NCAA Division I/ Mid-American Conference
After Esmee became the NJCAA National Champion last season with Hillsborough Community College, she has since made the transition to the University at Buffalo, a strong Division I university. It’s a fantastic move, and we were already immensely proud of her.
At her new university, Esmee is picking up right where she left off at HCC. Last season, the tennis player won an impressive fifteen out of nineteen single matches. Moreover, she secured victories in 80% of her matches during the fall semester. Let’s go, Esmee!
Lika Peresypkina
University: University of Louisville
Division/ Conference: NCAA Division I/ Atlantic Coast Conference
Lika Peresypkina made her way to the University of Louisville last summer to join the tennis team, and it’s been a success story from the start. In her first months, she has already left an indelible impression. As her coach would say, they are ‘extremely happy’ with the Ukrainian tennis player.
Her development has progressed rapidly in recent months. In the fall, she improved her UTR from 8.8 to an impressive 9.6! She not only witnessed her excellent performances being rewarded with a tournament victory at the John Cade Invitational but also earned praise from her coaches, who believe ‘Sky is the limit for Lika!’
These are, of course, not the only tennis players who will be in action in the coming months. We are confident that all the other players will also deliver top performances. Therefore, keep a close eye on our socials to follow the achievements of these five stars, as well as those of all our other tennis players. We wish everyone the best of luck in the upcoming matches!
If you’re interested in combining tennis and studies in the USA, feel free to fill out this form. We’ll be happy to get in touch with you to explore your possibilities.”
