Austin Rapp didn’t start playing tennis until third grade. But he quickly fell in love.
“Once I started playing tournaments and started winning some matches – I’ve always loved winning, no matter what it is,” Rapp said. “I think all good athletes are pretty competitive, that’s why they put in the extra work.”
A year after losing graduated seniors Adrien Puget and Clay Thompson and reigning NCAA singles champion Marcos Giro, a current senior who decided to forego his final year of eligibility and turn pro, coach Billy Martin said Rapp, a freshman from Rancho Mirage, Calif., will play a key role in this year’s plans.
“I really like the way he’s a great competitor and really fights and comes to play in every one of the matches I’ve ever seen him play,” Martin said.
Martin said he has been watching Rapp for about two years now, extending back to his days on the ITF juniors circuit. From the start, Martin foresaw a bright future for the lanky high schooler.
“When I was being recruited by Billy, I was ranked 45 to 50 in the country for my class,” Rapp said. “I ended up ranked at 14. Billy saw that jump coming, that was really important to me. It’s sort of like he predicted I would start playing better tennis.”
Martin credited assistant coach Grant Chen with identifying Rapp’s potential.
“Grant really got me to focus on (Rapp’s) upside and all his areas to improve,” Martin said. “Then getting to know Austin as a person and as a young man, knowing that he’s a great student, we felt that he would fit in here really well.”
Rapp has proven himself quickly, using his big frame and big serve to capture a doubles title at the Southern California Intercollegiate Championships this fall with fellow freshman Martin Redlicki and earn the 90th spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s singles rankings for the start of 2015.
“His backhand has always been a big strength and then obviously, being close to 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5, he’s always been able to win a lot of matches and dominate with his serve,” Martin said.
An assertive attacker, Rapp tries to force his opponents onto their heels with his power.
“I like to rip the ball and be aggressive, coming to the net, using my serve, getting the other guy on defense,” Rapp said. “My height helps most on the serve. The taller you are, the easier it is to really hit down on the ball, really just pop it.”
Although his strength may be in his power, Rapp says he still has weaknesses he needs to work on to make himself a better player.
“We’re working on his forehand, groundstroke side, a little bit of a grip change and also his volleys, trying to get him to be a little bit more of a proficient volleyer,” Martin said. “He has dreams of playing pro tennis, he wants to be one of the best college players, he wants to help us win NCAA championships, and if he does, he’s gotta improve those two areas, more so than any other parts of his game.”
Martin said he is confident his young pupil will put in the time to make those improvements.
“Coming in, I just knew that he wasn’t afraid to work hard, he was coachable, somebody that wasn’t going to be stubborn,” Martin said. “He was willing to try things right away, just so open to coaching. That makes it so much more fun for us and allows us to hopefully make him a better player.”
No Rabbit Ears
As his young team adjusts to the pressures of college tennis, Martin emphasized the importance of mental toughness.
“We talk about controlling your mind, being under control,” Martin said. “The thing that they’re not used to is the hostility when you’re on the road: fraternity brothers, college students, it’s not always the most polite environment. So you teach them to not have rabbit ears – don’t hear something and start talking to the crowd, just stay focused.”