Although junior Tyler Roth has a strenuous workload as a finance major as well as a business analytics and Spanish double minor, he also has emerged as one of the top performers this fall on the men’s tennis team. This past weekend he won all six matches he played before the final two rounds were cancelled due to inclement weather. Of course, he did not do it all on his own, as three of the six victories came playing doubles matches with his partner, junior Thomas Dodson. Although he says that it is possible to find success in doubles when two players have contrasting styles, Roth extolls the benefits of playing with a partner like Dodson who plays a similar style to him, as both tend to crash the net ad nauseam. “We really feed off each other,” Roth explained.

When asked if he prefers playing singles or doubles, Roth could not quite decide, although he did underline his competitive nature in saying that he enjoys playing singles because when the going gets tough, there is no one to rely or fall back on but yourself. This lack of any real preference is not surprising, however, when you consider Roth’s analytical approach to competing, betraying his analytics background. “As far as pre-match rituals, I pretty much just go out there and play,” he explained. 

Roth is part of a five player recruiting class that is now in its junior year. Although this year’s team is an older one, Roth still believes this season’s newcomers can make an impact in their most-likely more limited opportunities. Despite the fact that he has only seen a very limited amount of matches from two of this year’s freshmen, Charlie Schuls and Matt Jones, Roth believes that they will play important roles this upcoming season.

Looking at the other end of the spectrum towards this year’s senior class, Roth expressed the “huge” desire there is within the team to win something for it in their last year. With a wealth of experience to draw upon this season, Roth believes this factor could prove the deciding one in high stakes matches this spring. As an example, he bitterly recalled a vital NCAA tournament match he lost his freshman year to a senior who knew much better how to manage a long match. 

“Hopefully in my last two years, I could be the guy,” he expanded.

Off the court growing up, Roth credits his parents with pushing him to improve in all aspects of his life, while also giving him the space he needed to grow independently, academically and athletically. And while he believes all his teammates, in college and in high school, have helped him to grow as well, Roth singled out the team’s senior captain his freshmen year, Luis Miranda ’17, as an exceptional influence. Beyond bringing energy and skill to the team, Roth credits Miranda with teaching him “how to be a good leader.”

Although he does not have the time to participate in any clubs on campus due to his commitments as a student-athlete, Roth highlighted the men’s tennis team’s work at Special Olympics as something he values. Last year, they worked with the weightlifting athletes and his freshman year with the soccer players. Roth is also a huge basketball fan, and he enjoys both watching it and playing pickup in his limited spare time.