For many people, Virginia tennis has become synonymous with the name of senior Somdev Devvarman, and most cannot imagine the team without the nationally known tennis player.
The native of Chennai, India began making a name for himself during his freshman year and was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2005 after completing a 8-1 season. He continued to improve and display his tennis talents his sophomore year; Devvarman made it to the 2006 NCAA finals, but was unable to defeat his opponent, UCLA junior Benjamin Kohlloeffel. Devvarman came back last season more motivated than ever and brought home the 2007 NCAA singles tennis championship title, defeating Georgia senior John Isner. By doing so, Devvarman became both the first Cavalier and first ACC player to win a national tennis title.
Though he seems to be a tennis pro in the making, Devvarman is appreciated for his humble and easy-going spirit.
"He brings a lot of energy to those he surrounds," Virginia coach Brian Boland said. "He's a great leader. He's contagious to be around. He's got a lot of enthusiasm. He loves the University of Virginia and he loves people."
Devvarman also makes time for interests other than tennis.
"I love music," Devvarman said. "I play the guitar ... [although] I'm not very good at it."
Though Devvarman may not be as talented musically, his tennis skills seem natural or even hereditary. Devvarman said, however, that he is the only member of the family who plays.
"I just used to see it on TV," Devvarman said. "And so I got interested." Devvarman added that he did not begin playing tennis until age nine.
Since he began playing tennis, Devvarman has developed several characteristics, including his laid-back attitude and mild temperament.
"When I was younger I used to get really mad at bad calls," Devvarman said. "But as I got more experience and more coaching, I learned that getting mad didn't help me win the next point. So I learned to let go of it and move on."
Devvarman also seeks to play as a member of his team. Despite his many honors and accolades as a singles player, Devvarman enjoys sharing the court and participating in doubles play with senior Treat Huey, as he believes this style of play helps his singles game.
"Playing doubles has vastly improved my net game, my court awareness and my serving," Devvarman said. "In doubles, especially in men's doubles, points are short. Long rallies are rare. So you're always looking for ways to win points quickly. When you're serving, you want to try to get your partner an easy put-away. Or better yet, get a service winner or an ace. So you're forced to really do more with your serve."
Not only does Devvarman consistently seek to improve his game, he also stands out for his commitment to education. Devvarman chose to return to the University for his senior year despite the fact that he is the nation's top-ranked singles tennis player and is already competing against professional opponents.
"That's a personal choice," Devvarman said. "I'm definitely staying in school. My education is very important to me. I'm planning on going pro in 2008 after graduation"
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