Faces off the field provides a deeper look into the thoughts and lives of Austin area high school student-athletes. Today we feature Lake Travis senior tennis player Rourke O’Shannessy, whose dream is to play on center court at Wimbledon.
All about Rourke: Destination Wimbledon
Tell something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I am the only person, apart from an official groundskeeper, to set up the net on Wimbledon’s center court to start play, and also to take it down at the end of the tournament. I set it up in 2023 and took it down at the end of the game this year.
What was the best part of your summer?
I traveled to San Diego with my family for a week-long vacation that also included tennis practice at Rancho Valencia Country Club on both clay and hard courts. We had a great time swimming at the beach and playing a lot of tennis. We also went to the horse races in Del Mar. It was a wonderful end to summer before we went back to school.
If a caveman lived in modern times, what would he be most fascinated by?
A caveman would be particularly surprised by smartphones because of the ability to call anyone anywhere in the world and get an immediate response. Communicating over long distances was not something they could dream of. Now everyone can do it. Imagine telling a caveman that you can make a video call and talk with someone on the other side of the world while watching them over video chat. It would blow their minds.
What is your favorite dish?
My favorite food is Japanese cuisine, especially sushi. The best restaurant in Bee Cave is Tadashi. We like to go there to celebrate victories.
If you could play on any field in the world, where would you go?
I would love to play on Center Court at Wimbledon because I have already brought down the net and the next thing on that list is to play on the most prestigious court in the world. It’s an incredible feeling to be on Center Court in front of the stadium and the pitch, and I think it would be the coolest thing I could do in my life.
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Eating pasta and meat sauce is one of Rourke’s rituals
Why did you start playing tennis?
I started playing tennis after being burned out by elite football for 10 years. At the same time, my father took me on an extended eight-week work trip to Italy, where I met some of the best tennis players in the world, such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas. They all asked me why I didn’t play tennis, and that sparked something in me. When I returned from the trip, I started training a lot and really fell in love with tennis. I’m so happy I left football and have really enjoyed improving my game ever since.
Do you have any pre-match rituals?
The day before every match, I always eat pasta with meat sauce. About 20 minutes before the game, I always like to call my dad or my mom, whoever’s not with me, and talk to them about what I’m going to focus on and what I need to do to win. Finally, I like to listen to music until the moment I enter the field.
What was your favorite tennis memory at Lake Travis?
It was improving from being in the bottom half of the team at the start of my junior year to reaching fourth place in the region with my doubles partner at the end of my junior year. Moving up the team ladder has given me a lot of confidence in my game.
Dream Dinner: Sharing Laughs with Kevin Hart
If you could have dinner with four people in world history, who would they be?
I would love to have him with my grandfather on my father’s side, Kevin Hart, Tom Holland and Roger Federer.
Why did you choose Kevin Hart?
I chose him because I always like to laugh and he is one of my favorite comedians.
Other Austin-area tennis players we interviewed
by Westlake Luc Riezebeekat Westwood Janya Tellabati and at Hutto Daniel HOSEK
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Faces off the court: Lake Travis tennis player Rourke O’Shannessy
