Sophomore Robin Catry has quickly established himself as both one of the best young players and leaders on the NC State men’s tennis team. Despite being with the team for just over 30 matches, Catry has already won 18 singles and 12 doubles matches. Given Catry’s success in the face of an unconventional start to his college career, he could certainly become a dominant player for the team in the coming years.
Catry’s success has come from his long-term commitment to the game of tennis. He’s played since he was 5 years old and has wanted to come to America, from his native country of France, for college tennis since early on in high school. Despite the technical and physical gifts the 6-foot-6 Catry possesses, his collegiate success was never guaranteed.
The recruiting process for Catry didn’t start until the 11th grade, which put him a little behind in the recruiting process, but it didn’t stop him from fielding numerous offers from Division I programs. While he came on the recruiting scene a little late, head coach Kyle Spencer knew Catry had a real shot to make the jump to college tennis.
“He came on a visit, and he had a great personality on the visit,” Spencer said. “He didn’t quite have the results in the juniors where he would’ve been somebody that stood out, but he really showed the willingness to come in and want to work and to earn a spot.”
Once at NC State, Catry continued to grow as a player, thanks in part to his ability to take his coaching in stride and quickly apply it to his game. The first real setback for Catry came in the middle of his freshman year when the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown came at an especially frustrating time for the streaking men’s tennis team.
“I came back in January and was expecting a lot, and we got to March and everything was going great for us,” Catry said. “I was refusing to admit that it was over, but honestly, we all thought we were pretty much done.”
After what was his longest layoff from tennis since the age of 5, Catry finally got back to playing in August. Whether it was a result of the time away from tennis or an effective offseason is unclear, but either way, Catry was able to take another step forward in his tennis. With his inexperience in doubles and his height, two areas Catry knew he had to improve were his serve and his volleys.
“I’m very tall, so my serve I’ve been working a lot on, and I feel like it’s getting in a good place right now,” Catry said. “The volley is the part of my game where I’ve improved the most.”
The hard work has paid off for Catry this season. He finished the regular season tied for first on the team in singles wins and tied for second on the team in doubles wins. For now, Catry is focused on getting better each day and finishing out the season strong. However, he has dreams for his tennis career that go well beyond college.
“My ultimate goal would be to play on the tour and to build my way up to maybe the top 100,” Catry said.
While this goal may sound lofty now, there’s certainly belief around the program that Catry could reach that level if he continues to improve.
“He’s on the right path to continue to develop and improve and become a very, very good player,” Spencer said.
