Jackson Martin (The Beacon)
By Connor Snashall, Staff Writer snashall15@up.edu
After three successful years at UP, senior tennis player Jackson Martin is showing the same consistency in his last year as a Pilot. Martin is currently tied for 12th in all-time singles wins, seventh for the best singles record and is 16th in most doubles wins in UP history. Martin is currently 7-1 on the season. Martin took the time to sit down and share some of his favorite parts of playing tennis.
When did you start playing tennis?
I lived right by a tennis club, so when I was eight or nine I started taking lessons. My mom started playing and she got me into it a little and then I got a little better, kept improving and started playing in tournaments. It was a matter of convenience since it was right next door.
Do you have any role models or influences?
I really liked this Australian tennis player named Lleyton Hewitt, he was kind of a jerk on the court, but for some reason I really liked him a lot. He was feisty and had a lot of energy, he's still playing a little bit and I still follow him.
How has it been being the only senior on the team this year?
It's interesting because I used to always have people above me so I never had to step into that leadership role. But now I'm in that role and it's different because I'm not the most vocal and not necessarily the most outgoing, but I can lead with my work ethic. It's definitely different, but I had a lot of good guys in front of me who paved the way like Geoff Hernandez and Daniel Coelho last year, who were good role models.
What are your plans for after UP?
I don't know if I'm going to keep playing competitively, but I'm moving to New York. I'll spend a summer there and then I'm trying to go live in South America, speak some Spanish, just get off the grid.
Why South America?
I have a Spanish minor, so I want to speak it better and I've never had a chance to be immersed in the culture. I plan on going to Santiago, Chile and then hopefully after that I'll probably have to go to more school. Also depends on how I'm feeling at the end of the season, might go play some more tournaments this summer.
What music are you listening to right now?
Right now I'm listening to Grouplove, they're awesome. But before that, The Strokes, they're a favorite, Modest Mouse, a lot of alternative Portland stuff.
What's your favorite place to eat off campus?
My friends and I go to Eastside Deli a lot. There's this Lebanese place called Nicola's where we get stuffed for cheap, and we go to the food carts a lot. All my roommates and I do is eat, we don't even talk, we just eat.
After 4 years, if you could go back and change one thing, would you?
Maybe have a lighter attitude, and have more fun with tennis early on. I feel like as an underclassman it was all business. I didn't leave enough room for fun. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Maybe I'd work out more so I could have a nice beach body now.
