STARKVILLE – Mississippi State started recruiting Benito Sanchez Martinez back in 2019. But at the time, Potsdam, Germany native had his heart set on bypassing college to begin a professional tennis career.
A couple of years passed, but the Bulldog coaching staff stayed in contact with Sanchez Martinez in the off chance he changed his mind. Their patience and persistence paid off and eventually signed the talented southpaw star to join the team as a 20-year-old freshman this past fall.
“The chances of me becoming a really good tennis player at that young of an age are slim,” Sanchez Martinez said. “There are a few, but it’s rare. I knew I had time to improve and I started comparing my opportunities. After a while, I decided to take the chance and make the most out of it. Here I get to play tennis every day and pursue an academic career too. Not many people get this opportunity at a D1 college. I still think to this day that this was the best decision for myself.”
Sanchez Martinez, whose father immigrated from Cuba to Germany, had only been to America once prior to enrolling at MSU and was a little uncertain of what to expect from the culture of the United States.
“I knew life here would be different,” Sanchez Martinez. “How people interact and communicate here is much different than Germany. Germans are known for being stern and give off the energy of being unfriendly. I don’t think that’s the case, but things are very strict in Germany and in order. Here, things are a little more relaxed. Like if you’re in a supermarket, people will greet you just like if you were one of their friends. It’s just a different lifestyle here.”
The language barrier, however, wasn’t an issue for Sanchez Martinez. He began studying English as early as the first grade and became fluent by watching YouTube videos of American content creators such as Dude Perfect.
“Over time, I just gradually adjusted and adapted to the way that they speak,” Sanchez Martinez said.
The biggest adjustment for Sanchez Martinez was adapting to the lifestyle of a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference and finding a happy balance between his academics and practice schedule.
“My time management is getting better,” Sanchez Martinez said. “I was the kind of guy who would just show up five minutes before practice because all I had to do…
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