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Jonathan Soriano is eager to finish his university career with another national championship title. The 23-year-old captain of the Western men’s tennis team is in his last year with the team and is looking to repeat the Mustangs’ victory from 2017.
“It’s very special to win. It’s obviously the biggest thing you can win in university tennis, so it would mean a lot to me. I would love to go out winning as captain,” says Soriano, a native of Woodbridge, Ontario. “For the team it would be awesome. We really felt like we could have won last year, and not winning just made us a lot hungrier to win it this year.”
Celebrating victory as a team is part of the motivation. “At the beginning of the season we were figuring out our places in the line-up and getting to know the new guys, and now we’re definitely a more tight-knit team. We’ve built a really good culture in terms of sportsmanship but also having that winning attitude. A few of us got to have that experience last time and we’ve tried to share it with the new guys and tell them how special it is. We want to have that experience with them as well.”
As captain, Soriano strives to lead his team by example. “I always try to make sure I’m at practice, stay level-headed during the matches, really get them to fight for every point, and represent Western well whenever we’re competing.” His dedication to his team has not gone unnoticed. Co-head coach Anthony Glavanic describes Soriano as a “go-to guy for workmanship and integrity” both on and off the court.
With one national title under his belt, Soriano is ready to fight for another one as he leaves the Mustangs men’s team in good hands. The men’s tournament takes place August 10-11, 2019 at Stade IGA in Montreal alongside the men’s Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. Please contact sronan@tenniscanada.com for ticket information.
