The Next Level

Tennis has always been a way of life for me.

As a child, my family would take me to the tennis courts before I could even walk, so I've literally been around tennis for as long as I can remember.

Having a racket in my hands and running around the court is a feeling I cherish every time I get to be out there.

But, for the longest time, tennis was just something I did for fun.

As I got older, I worried that I'd missed any chance I had to pursue a tennis career.

It wasn't until late in my high school days in Switzerland as a 17 or 18-year-old that I started to really think about what I wanted to do in life.

My coach told me about college tennis in the US, and I decided to set that as a goal for me to work toward.

But, I had to increase my grades and my level to get there.

Today, I can say that this was just the first of many challenges I had to face in my tennis career.

Overseas action

When I set my mind to something, I like to see it through. 

Through a lot of hard work, I was able to make college tennis a reality.

However, since I was pretty late in the response, I wasn't sure if I was eligible to play Division I tennis — let alone be good enough to compete at that level.

My coaches and I decided that Division II would be the right fit, so I made plans to attend one of the top DII tennis programs at the University of Indianapolis. 

I learned a lot during my time in Indianapolis. Both on and off the court.

In the last fall of my three seasons with Indy, I became a national champion and spent time at the top of Division II rankings, so when I talked with my family, coaches and friends, everyone pushed me to move to the Division I level.

Becoming a national champion gave me lots and lots of confidence that I could really make this work.

Plus, my career aspirations had grown even higher than I first thought – I wanted to play professionally in the future.

Since I still had two years of eligibility left, I knew a step up to Division I would help me challenge myself and hopefully increase my game even further.

When I entered the transfer portal, I remember talking to Sean Maymi and Nebraska — but at the time, I was committed to playing more outdoor tennis as I felt like this was what I needed. 

So, I committed to Fresno State.

I packed my bags out west and hopped in my car and drove from Indianapolis to Fresno.

But, life doesn't always turn out exactly how you think it will.

Me and my teammates soon learned that Fresno State was eliminating the men's tennis program after our season was over.

Our coach was honest with us and gave us the option to transfer away immediately — or we could stay and finish the season.

We really didn't know what the future would hold, but every one of us decided to stick around. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, it was an amazing experience to fight for each other.

With my plans once again thrown off course, the place for me to spend my final year of college stood out immediately — Nebraska.

After their last game on April 24, the Fresno State men's tennis team reflects on their past season and the university’s decision to eliminate the program. https://t.co/nMyvk0LIK3

— The Fresno State Collegian (@TheCollegian) May 3, 2021

Transfer Plans

Given that I've moved around a lot and been a part of three different schools, it might not surprise you to learn that I enjoy the challenge of new situations and being pushed out of my comfort zone.

After being a Division II national champion and all-conference player at Fresno State, my year at Nebraska was the toughest challenge of all.

The Big Ten is one heck of a conference and the transition wasn't super easy for me.

As a team, we played really well early on but struggled to get the wins we deserved. We had some really close losses where we literally just needed to win one or two more points to decide the dual match in our favor. But, that's tennis, you know?

I remember us having a conversation about how we've been pushing our boulder up the hill. And once it is over the hill, we will get back on track.

I think we definitely accomplished that towards the end of the season as we picked up some wins over good teams. 

Nebraska is a great team in a very tough conference — I might have had many losses this year, but it undoubtedly made me a better player.

Hard as I might have tried to get the NCAA to grant me another year of eligibility, this is the end of my college journey.

However, this isn't the end of my tennis journey.

Heading Home

As I reflect back on my experience playing for three different schools, I'm just thankful for all the coaches and teammates who have supported me along the way.

I'm especially grateful for all the resources offered to student-athletes at Nebraska, and for the experiences I had this season.

No doubt about it, my time at Nebraska will be a huge boost as I'm starting to get my feet wet on the pro tour.

In the coming weeks, I'll travel home to Switzerland to see my family and continue my training.

I even have a potential doubles partner lined up, so I'm excited to get back to work and see what the future holds.

In order to get to where I want to be, I know there are plenty more hours of training ahead.

But thanks to my time in the US and as part of Husker nation, I feel prepared for this next challenge. 

I'll miss my time here in Nebraska, but one thing's for sure – I'll never forget it.