Senior tennis player Yannick Weihs has transitioned smoothly from Austria to DU to become a team leader both on and off the court.
Weihs grew up in Guntramsdorf, Austria, and decided to venture to the United States for his collegiate experience.
“I didn’t want to play professionally, but I didn’t want to stop playing tennis,” said Weihs. “In Austria, it’s hard to combine studies with sports. Here [the United States] was the best option to keep playing and get an education.”
Weihs chose DU after meeting another Austrian player on the tennis team; 2010 graduate David Simson. According to Weihs, Simson introduced him to head coach Danny Westerman and it took off from there.
“I didn’t even talk to many other coaches,” said Weihs. “After getting to know Danny, I decided DU for sure.”
Weihs started playing tennis at age five and began taking the sport more seriously in his early teens, playing regularly four to five times per week. According to Weihs, it was these early experiences that drove him to continue with tennis.
“The reason why I started playing more as a kid was that when I was nine, I had the experience of being away from home and traveling with a coach,” said Weihs. “I loved traveling and being with the other players. It’s just a fun sport.”
Before coming to DU, Weihs reached the semifinals in singles and won in doubles at the U-18 AUT Championship in 2006 and posted his ATP career high at 1,381 in 2007. In 2008, he earned his first national men’s tennis tournament Grade B win.
Despite the difficulty of living in a new country, Weihs was able to post a 21-12 singles record and go 12-11 in doubles play his freshman season at DU.
He was also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete. Since then, Weihs has consistently grown as a player and as a leader in his previous three seasons, according to Westerman.
“His freshman year was a little rocky, trying to figure things out,” said Westerman. “But the talent was always there. There were difficulties adjusting as an international student. He’s really come a long way since then, and his freshman season made him the player he is today. He’s definitely one of our leaders.”
Weihs is currently studying finance and international business, but isn’t sure which career path he will take after graduating.
“It’s interesting,” said Weihs. “I like finance, but my favorite classes are international studies classes.
“I’m interested in the interconnectedness of politics and economic systems. I’m really not sure which direction I’ll go.”
Weihs also has a wide range of interests both outside the classroom and off the court. In his free time, he always finds a way to keep himself busy.
“I love playing soccer and playing golf,” said Weihs. “I even like reading. Any athletic activity, I love playing. I like playing hockey in the winter and hanging out with my friends.”
Looking toward the season ahead, Weihs says he is motivated most by his team’s potential.
“I want for us to win the conference tournament,” said Weihs. “At the NCAA, it would be great to win the first round. The ultimate goal is to make it to the round of 16. Individually, it would be nice to make it to the All-Americans, having a national ranking around 60. But that isn’t my main goal. I want to be successful with the team—that’s more fun.”
Last season, Weihs posted a 20-18 overall singles record and a 15-13 overall doubles mark. He was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Singles Team after recording a 12-9 mark during the dual season, including a 3-3 record at No. 1, a 7-4 record at No. 2 and a 2-2 record at No. 3.
“He’s a great teammate,” said Westerman. “He’s one of the friendliest guys on campus. He cares a lot about each individual, and he gets to know people pretty easily. He’s a great guy, and Denver should be proud of having a player like this. He’s a true role model. I think this season will be his best.”
