Humble Pie: Rafael Roberti thanks the team
The relationships Roberti has built with coaches and teammates seem to have defined his time not only on the team, but in his life here at Hopkins as well as after graduation. Roberti reflected, "After four years of working six to seven days a week, traveling together for hours to matches, eating at Bert's, the Thai Restaurant or the other places the team dines together, everyone on this team has become like family to me, and I could not have imagined a better experience."
Roberti continued to point to his team as his driving force during the past four years. "If it weren't for my coaches and my team, cheering me on, teaching me a forehand, and pushing me to get better I wouldn't have any victories." Roberti humbly concluded, "This record is as much a personal one as it is a team one and I thank my guys for helping me accomplish it."
When looking into the future, the Roberti "tries to take it one day at a time, and enjoy my teammates and coaches." When talking to these cornerstones of his life for the past four years, Roberti admitted, "Some recent conversations have gotten a tad emotional, because we all have been though a lot." But Roberti tries to keep his focus on the season at hand even with the realization of this season being his last in the back of his mind. "There's still plenty of tennis to be played, so I'm focusing on that while I still have it," he said.
As for the rest of the tennis season, there is still much Roberti hopes to accomplish, especially as a team. "We want to make it to the Elite Eight this year and avenge some of our earlier loses. This team is built to do great things and I am excited about the rest of the season," Roberti said. He added, "And who knows, this team definitely has the ability to bring home a national title to Hopkins this year."
As for the reality of his record-holding place in Hopkins's athletic history, 'Raf' concluded, "I don't think what I've been able to accomplish has set in, but I'll have plenty of time after the season to look back on my time here."
However, he was quick to shrug off any well deserved pride, highlighting the fact of his fast approaching sophomore teammate David Maldow to the very record he just broke. "David Maldow, I am very pleased to say, will break my singles record by the fall of his junior year," Roberti said without hesitation. Nevertheless, Rafael Roberti's impact on the men's tennis program has been incomparable, and within that thick outer shell of humbleness and selflessness, I hope, on behalf of the Hopkins student body, that he realizes that.
Roberti continued to point to his team as his driving force during the past four years. "If it weren't for my coaches and my team, cheering me on, teaching me a forehand, and pushing me to get better I wouldn't have any victories." Roberti humbly concluded, "This record is as much a personal one as it is a team one and I thank my guys for helping me accomplish it."
When looking into the future, the Roberti "tries to take it one day at a time, and enjoy my teammates and coaches." When talking to these cornerstones of his life for the past four years, Roberti admitted, "Some recent conversations have gotten a tad emotional, because we all have been though a lot." But Roberti tries to keep his focus on the season at hand even with the realization of this season being his last in the back of his mind. "There's still plenty of tennis to be played, so I'm focusing on that while I still have it," he said.
As for the rest of the tennis season, there is still much Roberti hopes to accomplish, especially as a team. "We want to make it to the Elite Eight this year and avenge some of our earlier loses. This team is built to do great things and I am excited about the rest of the season," Roberti said. He added, "And who knows, this team definitely has the ability to bring home a national title to Hopkins this year."
As for the reality of his record-holding place in Hopkins's athletic history, 'Raf' concluded, "I don't think what I've been able to accomplish has set in, but I'll have plenty of time after the season to look back on my time here."
However, he was quick to shrug off any well deserved pride, highlighting the fact of his fast approaching sophomore teammate David Maldow to the very record he just broke. "David Maldow, I am very pleased to say, will break my singles record by the fall of his junior year," Roberti said without hesitation. Nevertheless, Rafael Roberti's impact on the men's tennis program has been incomparable, and within that thick outer shell of humbleness and selflessness, I hope, on behalf of the Hopkins student body, that he realizes that.
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