“If you think I was motivated to do this once, I’m about 10 times as motivated to do it again,” senior tennis player Matija Pecotic said at the end of the season in 2011, his first undefeated season of Ivy League play.
True to his word, Pecotic doubled down in 2012, going undefeated again on his way to the semifinals of the International Tennis Association All-America tournament. He is well on his way to his third undefeated season with a 20-match win streak in Ivy League play.
“Matija gives us an almost sure victory every time we step out onto the court,” senior Matt Siow said. “Matija is athletic, hungry to improve, and he'll do anything to win.”
Siow is a former sports writer for The Daily Princetonian.
Pecotic's path to Ivy League dominance was anything but standard. Hailing from Malta, Pecotic nearly gave up tennis as a teenager to focus on European handball.
“Luckily, I didn’t — and thank goodness, there is no D1 European handball team in the United States!” Pecotic said.
Instead, Pecotic stuck with tennis and managed to catch the eye of former Princeton men's tennis coach Glenn Michibata.
“Coach Michibata took a chance on me because he saw potential in my game, even though I did not really have a Junior tennis record or any significant results,” Pecotic said. “During my freshman year, I struggled with being overanxious before matches in order to prove to Glenn that he had not made a mistake in his decision, but I learned to channel my emotions in the right direction and focus on the right things during matches.”
A number of skills factor into Matija’s continued domination on the court.
“Matija has a tricky lefty serve, a good forehand, a solid backhand and much improved volleys,” Siow said. “He's fast enough to run sub-5:00 miles.”
But not all of Pecotic's advantages are purely physical.
“I keep improving because the circumstances are always different, and every day is a different scenario that I have to overcome mentally in order to accomplish my goal,” Pecotic said.
Pecotic is known for forcing strong opponents outside their comfort zones: He uses his speed to get in position for forehands and forces his opponents to play their weakest shots. Improvements in his net game have paid enormous dividends, especially in doubles matches, which are key to team victories in dual matches. During his time at Princeton, he has become an increasingly aggressive player, pushing his way to the net and refusing to surrender ground at the baseline.
“My net game was particularly bad coming into college, and learning how to volley has added so much variety to my game that I can really hurt my opponents in many ways now,” Pecotic said.
Before matches, Pecotic listens to audio recordings of former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, whose dominance over opponents has always fascinated him.
“Boxers, runners, gymnasts. It doesn't matter which sport, the message is always clear,” Pecotic said. “When I'm getting ready for my matches and Mike Tyson is blasting in my headphones, my mind and body transform and I feel unbeatable.”
Still, it’s hard to deny that “the stars do have to align” for a winning streak of this type to occur, according to Siow. Pecotic struggled with a shoulder injury his freshman year that he has since been able to recover from with the help of disciplined exercise.
“I believe that I've been very lucky to not have encountered more problems with my shoulder during my time here,” Pecotic said. “There is not a day that goes by that I do not do the exact same shoulder routine before a practice, and building that into my regular warm-up has helped me avoid any serious issues with my body.”
Pecotic's list of accolades is long: two-time Ivy League player of the year, two-time first-team all-Ivy League and the semifinal finish in the All-American Championships that left him tied for a No. 2 national ranking. But his ultimate test will be the NCAA tournament in May, where his competition will be the fiercest since the All-American.
As for his future after college, Matija is reticent.
“April 21. Everything will be discussed after this magical date,” Pecotic said.
April 21 marks the last match of the Princeton men's team tennis season, a dual match with Columbia.
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