Men's tennis searches the globe for international recruits

One of the things Princeton prides itself on is its diversity, not only among students from across the United States, but also other countries as well. Just take a look at the men's tennis team, on which junior Sratha Saengsuwarn and freshman Peter Capkovic, two of the team's most talented players, are international recruits.

Saengsuwarn's story truly is a testament to the widespread attraction of the Princeton college experience. He knew that if he wanted to continue his tennis career he would have to come to the United States, so it was just a matter of where in the States he would play.

"I heard about Princeton from my dad, and if I stayed in Thailand I couldn't play year-round in an NCAA-style format," Saengsuwarn said. "But I almost signed with Indiana State. I emailed the Princeton coach the night before I was going to sign, and five minutes later he emailed me back saying I'd be a top recruit."

Head coach Glenn Michibata made the right choice and had the right timing because Saengsuwarn was literally a good night's sleep away from signing with Indiana State. Though it was not obvious at first, his reason for initially wanting to sign with the Sycamores was a good one. The university boasts an impressive tennis program, and though it does not have as prestigious an academic reputation as Princeton does, it was the first university to offer a scholarship to Saengsuwarn.

Narrowing down his decision to these two schools, however, was the product of a tedious process lasting nine months from December to September before Saengsuwarn enrolled in 2003.

"We sent emails to 30 schools," Saengsuwarn said. "I also sent a DVD of myself playing for the coach to see. My dad and I put a lot of time into the decision process."

The decision process was just the beginning. Though Saengsuwarn had finally decided on applying to Princeton, he had yet to visit the university.

"I had to fly for 24 hours straight from Bangkok to Princeton," Saengsuwarn said. "It was exhausting."

If the physical and mental strain of the jetlag weren't enough, Saengsuwarn's first visit to Princeton also happened to be his first visit to the United States. His first impressions weren't good ones.

"At first, I didn't like the weather. It rained like hell the first week," he said.

Still, he gradually adjusted to the New Jersey climate and was impressed by the people he met on the Princeton campus.

"What I like about Princeton is that the people here are so nice," he said. "They don't make stereotypes about my intellect just because I'm an athlete."

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It's not as if that would be a problem for Saengsuwarn anyway. He is a successful Computer Science major and was a recipient of the ITA Scholar-Athlete award last year, which requires a GPA of at least 3.5.

"One major factor that influenced me when I was looking at Princeton was its Computer Science program," Saengsuwarn said. "It is the best of all the Ivies."

'Really random'

The Slovakian Capkovic has a very similar story to that of his teammate's.

"My process of getting here was really random," Capkovic said. "I was just exploring the possibilities of studying in the United States, so I emailed the coaches of the top-ranked schools of the U.S. News & World Report and also [the] top-ranked USTA tennis schools."

Despite his interest in top-ranked tennis colleges, he made his decision based on Princeton's academics and tennis coach.

"I got mostly positive responses, but I preferred academics before tennis, and the coach of the tennis team here has an amazing background," Capkovic said. "So I decided to pursue this possibility a little bit more. I said to myself that I will end up at the best school there is or not study at all. I got in, so here I am."

Like Saengsuwarn, Capkovic had sent the coach a DVD of him playing as well as his results in the last few years. He also came to Princeton at the spur of the moment. Email again played an important role in facilitating the recruiting process.

"I didn't go on a recruiting trip, nor did I meet with the coach before I came here," Capkovic said. "We were in touch only through emails."

Fortunately for the Tigers, the allure of Princeton was enough to attract Saengsuwarn and Capkovic from overseas, as they both have made major contributions to the tennis team. Capkovic, as a freshman, is already beginning to show what he is capable of in the future, while Saengsuwarn advanced from No. 6 to No. 3 in the singles lineup last year. Neither player has any regrets about choosing to play for Princeton.

They both say they made the right choice in coming. The team would agree.