This summer, Lipscomb men’s tennis player Philippe Courteau had the rare opportunity to work with some of the top women’s tennis players in the world.
The junior was chosen to be a hitting partner for the players at the Rogers Cup in his home of Quebec, Canada. The Rogers Cup is one of the top tournaments for women.
The players were partnered with hitting partners to begin the tournament and could request to continue hitting with them throughout their stay at the tournament. One of the players Courteau was partnered with throughout the nine days was Simona Halep. Halep is currently the fifth-ranked player in the world and would go on to win the tournament.
“It was extremely nerve-wracking,” Courteau said, adding, “It was a great experience. Every time we were practicing we had six or seven hundred people there watching.”
For Courteau, the experience was about more than just getting to meet and play with professional players. It was about learning from them.
The next step for Courteau is taking what he learned in Canada and applying it to not only his game, but also bringing it back to campus and helping his teammates at Lipscomb.
“It’s just a lot of self-confidence,” Courteau noted. “They were saying I could go pro, but we have seven other guys here playing at my level.
“Just the professionalism, being very serious and dedicated to your craft — I think those are things that can help our program.”
Bison head coach Mario Hernandez said that anytime a player gets an opportunity such as Courteau’s, it can make a lasting impact on the program.
“It helps Phil because he sees the level of training they put themselves through,” Hernandez said. “Him seeing that, he brings some of that to his game, and then that translates to the guys on the team.”
Courteau and the Bisons start their fall schedule on September 21 when they travel to Athens, Georgia, for the Southern Intercollegiate Championships.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics