STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men’s tennis made a big splash on during national signing day on Wednesday with the addition of five-star Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes.
The 17-year-old from Lakeland, Tennessee was a high school teammate of current Bulldog Seth Richey at Memphis University School. Ferrer Guimaraes is currently rated the No. 42 player in the nation, No. 13 in the Southeast and the second-best prospect in Tennessee by the Tennis Recruiting Network.
“He’s really self-motivated, likes adversity and likes a challenge,” said head coach Matt Roberts. “You can tell that from watching him compete. He’s going to find a way to make it a third set and wins a lot of third sets. He doesn’t back down, is really resilient and believes in himself.”
Ferrer Guimaraes recently reached the Round of 16 at a Universal Tennis College Circuit tournament in Waco, Texas on Oct. 29-30 where he posted three singles victories. Earlier in October, he made the second round of the main draw at the J4 in Atlanta, Georgia after posting a pair of qualifying wins and one main draw victory.
“I think the potential for him is really exciting,” Roberts said. “He’s got a great skill set and will improve a lot when he just grows, gets stronger and is around our guys. He’s been making the most of his development with some college guys around Memphis and will really improve when he gets around our guys. He’s a really smart kid too and will do really well in school.”
Roberts and assistant coach Jake Jacoby are both from Little Rock, Arkansas and are excited to add another American to their roster for the 2023-24 season. MSU currently has two domestic players on the roster in Richey and Patrick Lazo.
“We’re in with a lot more Americans now and it’s exciting to bring in a five-star to show some of the top players in our country that we don’t just recruit foreign international guys,” Jacoby said. “Mississippi State has always been a top tennis program and a strong place for Americans. We’ve had success with Americans before like Trevor Foshey, who is now coaching in college. (Ferrer Guimaraes’) family is awesome and he’ll thrive in our culture.”
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