Q&A With Arturo Pinazo

Arturo Pinazo, from Malaga, Spain, will begin his second season of collegiate tennis action when the Clemson men’s tennis team opens the spring season on Saturday, Jan. 16 against Mercer in Charlotte, N.C. Prior to transferring to Clemson, Pianzo played for Laredo Community College in Laredo, Texas where he compiled a 4-5 record at flight one singles for the Palominos in 2013-14. He was also was ranked eighth in singles and 14th in doubles in the NJCAA final national rankings.

ClemsonTigers.com caught up with Pianzo earlier this week.

Q. Why did you choose Clemson University?

A. Clemson University is known for their academics and also their athletics. The tennis program is well known and has had great success in the past; I want to be a part of the success to come. The ACC is a tough conference, I wanted to challenge myself and play in one of the top conferences in the country.

Q. Can you describe what it is like to be a student-athlete?

A. It is tough to balance schoolwork, practices and matches. There is not much time to study so the key is to get accommodated to a schedule and get into a routine.

Q. What are your goals and predictions for this upcoming season?

A. I want to do my best, work as hard as I can to bring as much to this team as possible. I want to see the team grown as a unit and I want to see the team win the ACC Championship. Our ultimate goal as a team is making it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. This season as a individual I want to work hard to better prepare myself for the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and start getting ATP points this summer.

Q. What is one aspect of your game that you worked on the most this off-season?

A. The one aspect of my game I worked on the most this offseason was the mental aspect of the game. I want stay focused the entire practice and the entire match. Sometimes it is hard to keep your mindset, which causes you to get away from what you want to achieve. I want to keep distractions to a minimum.