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Ravjot Dhatt is a junior from Victoria, British Columbia. He is a Biology Major and has posted 40 victories for the University of Denver throughout his career.

Zac D’Argonne: What is your role as a leader on the team?

Ravjot Dhatt: As an older member of the tennis team, I have learned to support and encourage my team members. I have tried to help them make their transition to life as a student-athlete as smooth as possible. I spend a lot of time with the younger players. I try to be a resource for them to ask questions. I work my hardest and try my best everyday on the tennis courts and hope that my team members see this and do the same. We have always been a very close-knit team. Each of us benefits from these experiences.

ZD: Last year you were named an ITA Scholar Athlete. How difficult is it to balance a rigorous tennis schedule and maintain a high Grade Point Average?

RD: Like most student-athletes, the biggest challenge I face is balancing my academic and athletic priorities. It has been, and continues to be a huge challenge.

This has tested my time management skills and my character to succeed both academically and athletically. With the busy travel schedule all year round and the heavy academic load, I have definitely had to make sacrifices to maintain good grades in school.

My professors, my tennis coaches and athletic departmental staff have continuously supported me, allowing me to concentrate on the tasks at hand and achieve academic success. The credit for my success goes to many at DU.

ZD: Your statistics have shown that you are a stronger doubles player than singles, despite who your partner is. Do you enjoy Singles or Doubles more?

RD: I am a stronger doubles player than singles player. Personally I love playing both singles and doubles. It has just taken me longer to transition my singles game to college. I have enjoyed the success in doubles, I have had great times playing alongside several phenomenal players. I will admit that the intensity of doubles is what I love the most. Competing with my teammates and the personal adrenalin surge makes the weekend competitions something I look forward to.

ZD: How does your record compare to your goals as a team thus far in the season?

RD: Our record is not a true testament of our team’s ability. We have had the opportunity to play against many top ranked teams and unfortunately we have come up short against many of them. This has been a great experience for our team and will benefit us in the long run. We are getting better each day and I think we will peak at the perfect time. We hope that we will be able to win the tennis team’s first ever Sun Belt Conference Championship. We are committed to giving our all. We are in the best possible position to succeed.

ZD: What do you have to do in order to compete competitively in regionals and potentially the NCAA Championships?

RD: We do not have to do anything different than what we are doing right now to compete in regionals and the NCAA Championships. We continue to work hard everyday on and off the court.

We are getting ourselves in a great position to succeed in the future. Some of the bounces haven’t gone our way this season, but our coaches have done an amazing job this year. I want to to give my all each day, continue to improve, stay healthy and do whatever I need to do to help our team succeed.