As everyone on campus continues to adjust back to the semester routine, some have a little more transitioning to do.

Last week the men’s tennis team gained its newest member, straight from Brazil. Freshman Rafael Paez joined the team only six short days ago and already has a few Wolfpack wins under his belt.

Transitioning to life at State has been smoother than expected for Paez.

‘It’s been easier than I thought because the guys on the team have been very good,’ Paez said. ‘I’m getting used to the weather, because Brazil was like 90-95 and it’s a little cold here. Everything is new.’

According to coach Jon Choboy the team has accepted him, which helps him deal with his culture shock.

‘He’s with an bunch of guys that he really doesn’t know that well but he’s an easy-going guy and he fits in well,’ Choboy said. ‘They like him and welcomed him so that made it easier.’

Paez’s journey to the Wolfpack tennis team started at age nine, when he decided to pick up a racquet and quickly gained international success. By the time he was 14, Paez had already competed in a South American junior championship.

‘I went to South American Championship where the best players from every country go,’ Paez said. ‘We won the National Championship and went to the World Cup.’

Yet that was not Paez’s finest moment. Later that year, he played in a tournament in the Czech Republic and was second overall for Brazil.

Paez decided he wanted to travel to the United States to play tennis and gain a mechanical engineering degree.

‘I want to get better with [tennis] and to go to a good college too,’ Paez said.

According to Choboy, State has been recruiting Paez for some time now; it was just a matter of the logistics.

‘We have been working on him for a while,’ Choboy said. ‘We knew he was going to have to be January all along. The big battle was winning the recruiting battle with Auburn which we did and we’re happy we did.’

Paez showcased his skills on Sunday at the team’s home season opener. Playing No. 4 singles, he took down Rafael Altmayer of Gardner Webb 6-3, 6-3 and continued his streak as he defeated Alejandro Espitia of North Carolina Central 6-2, 6-1.

‘He did a great job,’ Choboy said. ‘He got better as the day when along. He did just get here but he’s a mature guy.’

According to Paez, he’s still trying to get the hang of his American tennis game and life.

‘I’m getting used to it. I played well [on Sunday] but I think I can get better,’ Paez said. ‘Everything’s different – the court’s different, the ball’s different, the championship is different. So I need a little bit of time to get used to it.’

Sophomore teammate Dominic Hodgson said Paez has already found a spot on the team and his English is improving each day.

‘He’s a really great guy and he fit straight into the team,’ Hodgson said. ‘He’s adapted so well with classes and on the court. You can tell by the matches he won, two for two, that he’s going to complement us well.’

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