Caterina Assi has what it takes to compete. As the reigning MAAC women’s tennis Rookie of the Year, she demonstrates that being a great player takes hard work and dedication.
Growing up in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, Assi started playing tennis at a young age.
“It has been half my life because I’ve been playing since I was three years old,” said Assi. “Tennis to me means discipline: being organized while also knowing how to manage my schedule and my personal life.”
When Assi was 18 years old, she left Argentina before coming to Marist and competing in a tennis club called “Sorrento Open Club.” The club provided her with an opportunity to elevate her game to the next level, which she fully took advantage of. Now, at nineteen years old and playing for Marist, she has grown not only as a competitor but also as a teammate.
Assi won her first professional WTA tournament point when she went back home during the summer. She won two W-15 tournaments, one in the main draw and one in qualifying. Her third tournament was a W-35, where she also advanced through qualifying but lost in the final round. That loss gave Assi her first point. W-15 and W-35 are both professional tournaments that were held in Argentina.
The transition from playing tennis in Argentina to playing at Marist has been a big adjustment for Assi. Not only has moving to a different country been an alteration, but learning the value of teamwork and leadership is a new element as well. Assi went from playing club tennis by herself, to watching and supporting her teammates during a match.
“It was kind of difficult, I do miss my family and friends all the time, but it gets easier when you start studying and meeting friends,” said Assi. “It’s been different in the tennis aspect, from playing for myself to playing with a team. You have to not only cheer for yourself but you have to cheer for others and play for others as well. If you lose, then we all lose.”
Assi was named captain during the spring 2024 season and backed that decision up after being awarded MAAC Rookie of the Year and Women’s Tennis Player of the Week in March. As of Sept 4, Marist named Nathaniel Horner as the new director of tennis at Marist. With the new staff just entering, there are no captains as of right now. While going from one coaching system to another could be challenging, Assi has adjusted well to the new circumstances.
“I was confused about who the coach was going to be,” Assi said. “But so far since we have started, we have been doing great with this new coach. I have a great feeling that the program will get better this year.”
In order to play tennis at an elite level, Assi watches as many tournaments as she can. She looks up to many players in the professional tennis industry, including retired men’s tennis player Roger Federer.
She also has a meticulous practice regimen. Before a team practice or match, Assi and her teammates spend 15-30 minutes doing dynamic stretches, followed by an hour of warm-up. Practices include singles and doubles drills, followed by two full sets. Afterward, they do another round of dynamics, play one set of doubles, then two more sets of singles, with the third set ending in a tiebreaker. This routine helps the team prepare physically and mentally for upcoming matches.
“When I play I always try to play the best I can and try to transfer what I do during practice to the matches,” Assi said. “Of course every now and then I try to do something new from what I watch on the screens.”
Marist tennis is not fully back in season action just yet with the season starting back up in the spring, but the team is expected to play four tournaments in the fall. The team began fall play in the West Point invite from Sept. 27-29, with the MAAC master’s tournament beginning this weekend from Oct. 4-6. On Oct. 9, the men’s and women’s teams will travel to New Hampshire to play Franklin Pierce University. Their fall schedule ends with ITA regionals from Oct. 10-13.
With the fall tournaments now underway and new players who were recruited getting experience, Assi shows enthusiasm in wanting to make the Marist tennis program stand out. So far in her career, she has done just that and she can not wait to see what new opportunities lie ahead of her.
Edited by Michael Burns, Aidan Lavin and Luke Sassa
Graphic by Raegan Van Zandt; Photos from Marist Athletics
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