“Thank you.” Those two words are what UCLA
men’s tennis player Benjamin Kohlloeffel has been repeating
for the past two weeks. And congratulations are indeed in order,
for saying that he has had an incredible season would be a gross
understatement. “(Kohlloeffel) is probably one of the best
guys to ever play for UCLA,” former UCLA tennis player and
current assistant coach Jason Sher said. The junior’s list of
accolades includes 2006 National Indoors Champion, Intercollegiate
Tennis Association’s 2006 Player of the Year, No. 1 ranked
player in the country, Pac-10 honors on numerous occasions and
finally, the 2006 NCAA Champion. “I guess (the NCAA
Championship) was the highlight of the season,” Kohlloeffel
said. “It is good to win it and stand there after my
coach.” But the road to all these awards was no walk in the
park. When Kohlloeffel joined UCLA three years ago, he really did
not know what to expect. Sitting out his first year, the transition
was not easy on the German native.
“I think he struggled a bit in his first two
quarters,” fifth-year and former teammate Luben Pampoulov
said. “It is hard to remain focused when you are not
competing, but Kohlloeffel kept his long-term goal in mind.”
Adjusting to college tennis is harder than can be expected. As an
individual sport, tennis players work toward being No. 1, not to
share it with a team. The transition can be hard but Kohlloeffel,
despite being the best college tennis player in the country, has
not forgotten why he joined the Bruins. “Being good
individually and winning tournaments on the way is obviously nice,
but my goal is always the team. That is why I worked those eight
months,” Kohlloeffel said. Kohlloeffel started competing as a
sophomore, filling in as the No. 1 doubles partner and at the No. 2
individual spot. Though this can be a stressful position,
Kohlloeffel earned his teammates’ trust in record time.
“I always knew he was going to be huge,” Pampoulov
said. “He fits very well in the team. His tennis is great and
you can rely on him.” This year, the junior only played on
the first court, quietly and in an impeccable manner ending the
season with a 50-4 record. The record is obviously impressive, but
it is perhaps the manner of achieving it that is the most elegant.
Kohlloeffel is a very fast, aggressive player. Able to threaten his
opponent at the net as much as at the back of the court, there are
hardly any points the junior does not control. “He literally
crushed some very good players along the way,” UCLA coach
Billy Martin said. “On a good day, there is no stopping
him.” Though Kohlloeffel has competed in two NCAA
Championships and brought home a trophy each time (team in 2005 and
individual in 2006), he also knows what it’s like to come
close and leave empty-handed. “In my first year I was not
playing but saw the team lose in the final. This is something I do
not want to live again,” Kohlloeffel said. The entire UCLA
tennis team will be returning next year, and has a very good chance
at claiming the title. Some say that Kohlloeffel on a good day
could claim the team, single and double titles. While setting very
high college tennis standards in his career, Kohlloeffel’s
achievements could allow him to look beyond the NCAAs. “He is
one of the only guys in college tennis today who could take it the
next level,” Sher said. “Even using his plan B, he can
95 percent of the time beat anyone.” The decision will be
Kohlloeffel’s. Earlier this season, the junior said a
professional career is not really in the cards. But if his senior
season is anything like what he has achieved this year, Kohlloeffel
could be an ATP name in the future.