Marcus Smith

MTEN: Pride Profile - Marcus Smith's U.S. Open Experience

9/7/2018 2:42:00 PM

By: By Len Skoros

Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University senior men's tennis captain Marcus Smith, like millions of fans around the world, has been focused on the action at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships the past two weeks. Not only as a spectator, though. For the past two Opens, Smith has served as a practice player and hitting partner with many of the top players on both the men's and women's side. The unique experience has given him an up close view of professional tennis and has helped him improve his own game as the Pride season draws near.

The opportunity to become a practice player came about in January 2017 when one of Smith's old coaches put him in contact with professional player Christina McHale. "Christina was in between tournaments and needed someone to play with," said Smith. "I must have done pretty well, and they asked me to come hit during the U.S. Open."

Smith not only has hit with McHale, he has also played with more than 50 players. "Some of the names that stand out to me are Marin Cilic, Simona Halep, Dominic Thiem, Karolina Pliskova, Richard Gasquet, and Jelena Ostapenko," Smith said. "What was pretty cool this year is that I was practicing with John Millman, who upset second seeded Roger Federer in the fourth round."

The duties of a hitting partner vary from player to player, but as Smith explained, "I basically do whatever they need me to do. 70% of the time it is a warm up for a match, so we do the basic warm up with groundstrokes, volleys, and serves. The other 30% is a full-blown practice, where we do more sophisticated drills. Sometimes at the end we may do some point play, which is always fun."

Smith's time at the open has taken him all over the grounds at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. "I have played on every court at the U.S. Open," Smith said. "From the park courts used for practice to Arthur Ashe Stadium, there is not one court that I have not played on."

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While practicing with some of the games top players can be awe-inspiring, Smith has not let that fact get in the way of his own development. "Doing this the past two years has helped my game tremendously," he said. "I learn so much from practicing and listening to their conversations with their coaches. I take every tip and try to jot it down on my phone when I get a minute. The thing that has stood out to me is how professional they are and how focused they are in practice. They are laser sharp the whole time and it really shows why they are the best in the world. I really try and take this approach to the game and apply it to our team at Hofstra and I think it will pay off."

Hofstra Tennis Coach Jason Pasion is very proud of his student-athlete. "Marcus has really made the most of this opportunity and I can see the improvements in his game," he said. "Not just the physical aspect, but the mental aspect as well. He has become locked in when he is one the court and I look forward to seeing him succeed during his final season here at Hofstra."

Smith says he is often asked about pursuing a professional career, but the economics major is philosophical about his future. "I love the game of tennis so much and it is my dream to play at the U.S. Open one day," he said. "But we will have to see what the future holds."

Regardless of whether he is ever a tour professional, Smith has had a great time helping out at the National Tennis Center. "This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me every day."

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