Seeing Double
Nguyen brothers demonstrate their dedication to the sport of tennis as they get recruited by colleges
Nathan poses with several tennis stars, including Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams and Roger Federer. Nathan was inspired by many of these professional players. Photo courtesy of Nathan Nguyen
March 27, 2019
The future looks bright for the Nguyen brothers. Thanks to their outstanding athletic talent and commitment to tennis, both boys are looking forward to playing tennis far past just the realm of high school sports.
For both players, the recruitment process has already begun. Nicholas and Nathan Nguyen have been playing from young ages and are excited to continue their athletic journeys after high school.
“I do want to play college in tennis because it is a really fun experience playing on a team,” junior Nicholas Nguyen said. “Tennis is a more individual sport, so being on a team would be good.”
The journeys for these tennis players began long before their college recruitment took place. They
started playing at the ages of 7 and 9, and eventually worked up to the competitive levels they play at today.
“When I first picked up the tennis racket, I immediately loved the sport. The fact that you get to
compete individually is very unique in this sport,” freshman Nathan Nguyen said.
The brothers continue to work hard almost every day of the week and at competitions over the wee
kends to make themselves as competitive for recruitment. They play at Regency Sport and Health
during the week and travel for competitions, all of which is time-consuming, but worthwhile.
“I play at least 2 hours 6-7 times a week. Usually on weekends I have a tournament so that take
s up the whole day,” Nicholas said. “Junior year is an important year for college recruiting, so I need to play high level tournaments this spring and during the summer.”
Nathan is a freshman, and he has not been recruited yet for that reason. He puts in about the same amount of time per week as his brother. Both have decided not to play with the McLean Tennis team this season.
“My brother is not playing,” Nathan said. “There’s no point in me playing without him.”
Nathan and Nicholas play together and draw inspiration from many of the same sources, such as their parents, teammates, and especially professional players. This inspiration has led the brothers to want to continue playing their sport beyond high school.
“I do want to play college in tennis,” Nicholas said. “It is a really fun experience playing on a team. Tennis is a more individual sport so being on a team would be good.”
These two incredible players have worked with diligence and passion to reach the high level of play that will allow them to continue playing competitively in college. Behind almost all successful athletes is hours of commitment, which the Nguyen brothers have put in over their years of play.
“The reason I have success with tennis is because I have been playing that for a long time and I practice everyday for a couple hours. It’s hard for many people to dedicate that much time into a sport,” Nicholas said. “That’s why I have been successful. Commitment is the key to success.”
Check out this video of the Nguyen Brothers in action at Regency Sport and Health!