Athletes of the Week: Ryan Nguy & Pedro Repsold de Sanson

With a swift swing of his racket, Pedro Repsold de Sanson sends the ball flying across the tennis court. Just as deftly, his partner Ryan Nguy smashes it against the center of his own racket, returning the ball to Sanson. Back and forth they go, increasing in intensity and speed—another typical day of practice for the two Cilley Hall seniors, inseparable friends on the tennis court as well as in the dorm.

Nguy and Repsold de Sanson have dominated the Exeter boys’ tennis scene for the past four years. With their combined dedication and supreme athleticism, the two “motivate themselves and each other to play aggressively,” said team member and lower Ryan Gruss.

Their mutual respect for each other as doubles partners and leaders shines through to the whole team. Nguy sees Repsold de Sanson, the team captain, as a motivated and devoted leader of the team. “Pedro’s arm is injured right now, but he is playing through it. He’s showing his dedication,” Nguy commented. “He doesn’t let anything get in the way of the team.”

Meanwhile, Repsold de Sanson appreciates Nguy as a true and reliable friend on the tennis court. “It’s been an awesome experience having Ryan by my side, someone I know very well and trust. If he starts to struggle during a match, I can see it and help him. It’s a really nice relationship that we have built,” he said.

Both of the varsity players’ roads to tennis began with inspiration from a family member. Nguy only started playing when his older brother did. At about four years old, he picked up a racket and hasn’t put it down since. When Nguy turned eight, he began to play competitively. “I knew I wasn’t going to go pro,” Nguy explained. “The gratification of winning matches and doing well in tournaments pushed me to stick with it.”

Nguy recalled being placed at number 11 on the roster, which put him on the varsity B team during his prep year at Exeter. This served as a source of motivation for Nguy to practice hard and work his way up to the top of the ladder. “I have always been excited to play,” Nguy said. “I had private lessons during fall and winter terms and tried to play whenever I could.” When lower year came, his hard work paid off, and he started at number one on the varsity B ladder.

One of the most memorable moments for Nguy’s tennis career was during his prep year New England’s competition, a two-day event in which the team competed. Exeter won the first game easily, but the second was much more competitive. Luckily, an upper on the team won his match and pushed the team into the tournament’s finals, during which the team was down 3-0.

When it came time for Nguy to play his match, Exeter was tied 3-3. The nervous prep played his match and won, bringing home a New England Championship title to Exeter. “The team stormed the court after the win—that was a great feeling,” Nguy said.

Prep year’s New England championship was also a high for Repsold de Sanson, who had been competing in tennis extensively growing up at regional and national conferences in his home country, Brazil. At Exeter, he admires how close he and his teammates are. “I’ve always found the team [at Exeter] to be united and fun to be around. There have been ups and downs in terms of winning record, but I can definitely describe it as a family,” Repsold de Sanson said.

Head coach Fred Brussel commended both seniors for their leadership and work ethic. He said, “Pedro and Ryan will do whatever is asked of them and are willing to help any other member of the team if asked. I feel their strengths are their hard work, their approachability and hard play during a match and at practices.”

The new season has been difficult for the team after they lost a lot of powerful players; their record is currently 3-4. The boys are working hard everyday on the court to improve and are hopeful for a chance at the interscholastic tournament again this year, which will be determined if they win against Andover and Milton in the next two matches.

When it comes to practicing, Nguy always goes into the day with a positive attitude for the sport. He tries to be hands-off when it comes to team advice. He doesn’t want to overstep boundaries. “The team knows what they’re doing. [Players] can only learn through experience and playing new matches.” Nguy feels that the team is putting in the work and it is definitely showing.

As a leader, Repsold de Sanson tries his best to help his team members handle the mental strain of competitions. “It’s a high-pressure sport, you’re alone in the court for two plus hours which requires dedication and focus.”

At the beginning of every game, Sanson tries his best to motivate the team because he’s not allowed to see the younger players again throughout the match. “It’s hard to balance the concept of team member and how individual of a sport this is,” he added.

After years of competing, Repsold de Sanson has realized that a player’s mentality plays a large role in what the outcome of the match will be. “If you focus and think you’re going to win, it helps you push yourself more,” he said. “Here at Exeter, we don’t focus on the mental part of being an athlete. It’s all about the idea of excelling in physicality, but I think excelling at a sport includes mental training and being confident in yourself.”

Repsold de Sanson’s goal as captain is to be around less-experienced players as much as possible, whether it’s on the bus to a game or during training sessions. “During practice, if they say they’re struggling with something, I try to help them the best I can,” he said.

When asked about what Repsold de Sanson and Nguy did that helped him the most, Gruss pointed to their pep talks and how “they always win.” He also added, “We play with them during practice and get better because they hit well.”

Lower Gabriel Wong, a new member of varsity tennis, commended his captain for effectively leading workout sessions across both varsity teams. “Pedro gives great pointers and is always there for us,” Wong said.

Their impact on the tennis team has definitely not gone unnoticed throughout their years on the team. Brussel said, “I will miss their leadership, on and off the court and their work ethics, plus their sense of humor. I have enjoyed having them for the past four years.”