Wake Forest Athletics
GOLD RUSH: Both Sides of the Story
3/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
This article was originally published in the April edition of Gold Rush.
By Jay Reddick
Mastering the game of tennis requires many qualities. You need the mind to calculate shot angles, but you also need the athleticism and grace to execute them.
Skander Mansouri is pursuing a major in mathematical business and a minor in dance. It's no wonder he's the man leading Wake Forest's men's tennis program to new heights this season.
Mansouri, a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, won the ACC's Player of the Week award in early February after raising his record against ranked opponents this season to 7-3. By mid-February, he raised his own national singles ranking to No. 28 – and more importantly, he helped Wake Forest to its first top-5 team ranking in school history.
And the Deacons really have Skander's mother, Rim Mansouri, to thank for it.
It was Rim Mansouri who pushed her son to stick with tennis as a youngster in Tunisia even when he wanted to quit. When Skander was a teenager, the game finally clicked for him.
"When I was five years old, my mom decided to get me lessons at a tennis club," Skander said. "I found friends there, but I wasn't a great player when I was young–I couldn't win a lot. There were times I wanted to stop, but she didn't let me until I was one of the top players in Tunisia, when I was about 14 or 15. I'm glad she did."
Mansouri grew into one of the top juniors not only in Tunisia, but the world. He competed in Junior Davis Cup, was in the boys' brackets at both Wimbledon and the French Open and won two doubles titles as an amateur at professional Futures events.
That was plenty to put Mansouri on the map for U.S. college programs, and when Mansouri made a connection with coach Tony Bresky at a Grand Slam event, Wake Forest was the beneficiary.
Mansouri showed obvious promise as a freshman, especially in a doubles team with Christian Seraphim; the pair reached as high as No. 9 nationally. But this season, as he has established himself as a stalwart at No. 1 or No. 2 singles, his stature has grown as quickly as his importance to the team.
"We're better prepared this season," Mansouri said of the Deacons. "We're really deep, with lots of different game styles, so it makes our lineup versatile.
"High expectations help, too. The coaches have set the bar pretty high. Sometimes it's a lot of pressure, but we like it that way."
The two sides of Mansouri's education – the mental and the physical – didn't really come together on purpose. He had the mathematical prowess long before he committed to Wake Forest, but the dancing came later.
"Back home, before I came to school I couldn't play tennis for six months because of an eligibility issue," said Mansouri, now 20. "There were a couple of classical dances during that time. I decided to practice a little bit, and I really enjoyed it."
Mansouri was a good student during his freshman year, earning Academic All-ACC honors. But he said one of his biggest adjustments as a sophomore was balancing the heavier workloads of tennis and academics.
"If I was missing an exam on Friday for a road trip, last year I wouldn't always know how to handle it," Mansouri said. "This year, I've learned to study better on the road, prioritize and set goals for myself–it's too easy to get behind."
Dance can be a gentle art form, but Mansouri's tennis game is built around power–the 6-foot-3 sophomore said his serve and forehand are the best parts of his game.
"I rely on my serve a lot," Mansouri said. "When I'm serving, there aren't usually a lot of long rallies. Anything I get off returns is really just a bonus."
As his game has become more well-rounded, he has learned more about winning close matches against top competition. In the first month of the spring dual season, Mansouri outlasted opponents from Oklahoma and South Carolina in three-set thrillers, then withstood a long 12-10 tiebreaker in a key victory against Nick Crystal from No. 6 USC.
All of it has helped the Deacons toward their ultimate goal, success as a team in the postseason. The squad won a school-record 24 matches in 2014-15, reaching the Sweet 16 for the third time in school history. This year, they have their sights set on championships.
"I think it's a reachable goal, definitely," Mansouri said. "We've got a lot of momentum. Our doubles are as good as any other team in the country, and after that I like our chances against anybody."
Players Mentioned
