Sanchez Martinez Finds Success As A Freshman
May 03, 2023 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State started recruiting Benito Sanchez Martinez back in 2019. But at the time, Potsdam, Germany native had his heart set on bypassing college to begin a professional tennis career. Â
A couple of years passed, but the Bulldog coaching staff stayed in contact with Sanchez Martinez in the off chance he changed his mind. Their patience and persistence paid off and eventually signed the talented southpaw star to join the team as a 20-year-old freshman this past fall.
"The chances of me becoming a really good tennis player at that young of an age are slim," Sanchez Martinez said. "There are a few, but it's rare. I knew I had time to improve and I started comparing my opportunities. After a while, I decided to take the chance and make the most out of it. Here I get to play tennis every day and pursue an academic career too. Not many people get this opportunity at a D1 college. I still think to this day that this was the best decision for myself."
Sanchez Martinez, whose father immigrated from Cuba to Germany, had only been to America once prior to enrolling at MSU and was a little uncertain of what to expect from the culture of the United States.
"I knew life here would be different," Sanchez Martinez. "How people interact and communicate here is much different than Germany. Germans are known for being stern and give off the energy of being unfriendly. I don't think that's the case, but things are very strict in Germany and in order. Here, things are a little more relaxed. Like if you're in a supermarket, people will greet you just like if you were one of their friends. It's just a different lifestyle here."
The language barrier, however, wasn't an issue for Sanchez Martinez. He began studying English as early as the first grade and became fluent by watching YouTube videos of American content creators such as Dude Perfect.
"Over time, I just gradually adjusted and adapted to the way that they speak," Sanchez Martinez said.
The biggest adjustment for Sanchez Martinez was adapting to the lifestyle of a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference and finding a happy balance between his academics and practice schedule.
"My time management is getting better," Sanchez Martinez said. "I was the kind of guy who would just show up five minutes before practice because all I had to do was switch shoes, no big deal. But now, I'm 10-15 minutes early and getting ready and locked in mentally. I really do have a hectic schedule, but I think that is good. It makes it easier to stay in the zone and stay focused on practice and school."
Life on the court has been pretty good for Sanchez Martinez in his first season. He has posted a 22-10 overall record and tops the team with a 19-7 dual match record in singles play.
Sanchez Martinez went on a seven-match winning streak in singles beginning on Nov. 5 that carried into his first five matches of the spring. In fact, he clinched the first ever singles match the Bulldogs competed in this season against East Tennessee State.
Sanchez Martinez also secured the match over No. 2 South Carolina on March 19, giving State its highest-ranked win in the 100-year history of the program.
"Any one of our guys could've deserved those clinches," Sanchez Martinez said. "Each one of my matches is special in its own way because I have different approaches to different opponents. My main goal is to get out there and improve myself. I want to win of course, but I want to go out there and improve myself."
Having a confident mentality on the court might be the biggest breakthrough Sanchez Martinez has had during his first season at State. He lost three of his first four single matches during the fall slate but has rebounded to go 21-7 ever since.
"He's improved a lot this year mentally," said head coach Matt Roberts. "That's probably the biggest area in which he's improved, just being positive with himself and being in the moment and playing every point as tough as he can. He's grown a lot in that area from the fall. College tennis was exactly what he needed to come in, get a lot of matches and develop. He's been great for the team and does all the things right. He's a good one."
Players Mentioned
