Men's Tennis: Giraldo Selected as WAC Singles Player of the Month
11/1/2019 4:39:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Diego Giraldo has big plans for this season with the Kansas City men's tennis team, and they got off to a great start in the fall season. Giraldo finished as one of the top-16 finalists at the ITA Central Region Championships, after drawing the 28-seed as a qualifier. His season began with recognition from the Western Athletic Conference, as he was named the WAC Singles Player of the Month for October.
"(Girardo) is in charge of his own destiny," Head Coach Kendell Hale said. "He had great results last year, and that was his first year playing in the number one position. A lot of playing in the number one position is believing that you belong there and I think he got that last year."
Girardo put in work in the offseason to get to the point that he's now at, participating in the UTR Mission Bay Open Summer Series #1 and the Copa Fricar. That continued commitment to improving, paired with his ability to take coaching has translated into early results.
"He's one of the most coachable guys I've ever had," Hale said. "He's always very attentive, he listens to all of the coaches and their advice. It's one of those relationships that you love as a coach."
The biggest point of all that Hale tries to make when discussing Giraldo is that he's not even at his peak playing form yet. Two of his three matches at the ITA Regional Championships went to three sets, showing his true ability to battle. Hale feels there will come a point where everything clicks for Giraldo.
"The way he's winning now is he's just using his strengths," he said. "He's just beating everybody with his major strengths, and that says a lot. He hides his weaknesses well, but it just shows that he's really that good."
The fall tennis season has come to a conclusion, and the team will have a few months off before opening spring play in 2020.
Players Mentioned
