Different Perspective

As a 24-year-old freshman from Israel, it was Bar Botzer – not Wake Forest tennis legends Petros Chrysochos or Borna Gojo – who won the deciding match for the team's first-ever NCAA Championship in 2018.

"I still get goosebumps just thinking about it," said Botzer, who was playing in the No. 4 singles and rallied from being down 5-2 in the second set of his match to win the next five games to secure the clinching point against Ohio State. "I love being in that kind of match and feel having that kind of pressure brings out the best in me."

It was even sweeter as top-ranked Wake Forest, which had been building toward this ultimate moment under head coach Tony Bresky for years, was able to celebrate on its own courts as Botzer fell back near the baseline while his teammates rushed to pile on after the final point.

"It was definitely amazing having that point to put down in the history books 40, 50 years from now," Botzer said. "It was the first time Wake Forest won a national championship in program history and hopefully not the last. It was one of the best days of my life."

And one that he could have never anticipated years earlier after an outstanding junior career, where he was one of Israel's top young talents – including playing in Grand Slam events and being part of the Davis Cup team. However, what many consider to be the norm of graduating from high school and going directly to college isn't part of the deal in Israel.

"At 18, like any other Israeli, I had to go to the military for three years," Botzer said. "Those are sacrifices I had to make. As an Israeli citizen, it's my duty, and I'm glad I did it. My family's done it. It's part of the culture and part of the heritage that our country has."

However, he felt like his tennis career was at a crossroads afterward, knowing he couldn't afford to have a practice program, including coaching and traveling. Botzer didn't think about college tennis at first because he didn't believe he would be eligible, but he later learned there was a difference when military service was involved.

"So I thought about the option of coming to the U.S. and also get an education and play tennis," said Botzer, who turned 26 in early March. "Wake Forest was No. 1 in the country when I was looking into schools and when I came here to visit, I fell in love with the place and the people."
After his arrival, Botzer quickly became a key component of a loaded squad in his first season, where he complied a 36-7 record, mainly at the No. 4 singles, for the national championship team.

Botzer also qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship with Chrysochos – a four-time All-American who completed his career as the most decorated Deacon player ever with a program record of 136 singles wins.

After winning the 2018 NCAA Championship as a team, Chrysochos and Gojo, another All-American who was at the top of the lineup, played for the NCAA Singles Championship – with Chrysochos taking the match in the all Deacon final.

"That might have been arguably one of best college teams ever," Botzer said. "The season was amazing, and I was glad to be part of the entire process from the first day in the fall to the last day of NCAAs at home."

Botzer was even better as a sophomore, finishing the season with a 40-6 singles record, primarily at the No. 3 singles spot, which was the second-most singles victories in a single season in Wake Forest history. He also achieved All-American status by winning a pair of matches in the NCAA Singles Championship and reached the Round of 16 before being forced to withdraw with a foot injury.

However, the dream of winning back-to-back NCAA team titles came up just one victory short as the Deacons lost to Texas in the finals.

"The whole year was kind of weird because honestly I didn't have the same belief at the beginning of the year as I had the year before," said Botzer, who added that the 2019 team lost key seniors and leaders such as Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim. "I wasn't as confident like the year before that we were winning it 100 percent, but the more the season progressed, I had more of a belief in our ability to win. At the end of the day, I was surprised we didn't win."

As a junior this spring, and with Chrysochos and Gojo moving up to the professional level, Botzer made the climb to No. 1 in the lineup for the Deacons along with being named team captain. Bresky said he was most deserving of the honor.

"He's done a great job since he's been here," Bresky said. "Bar is a more mature guy, and part of it is age but also part of it is life experiences with what he had to do in the Army and the responsibilities with that. Obviously going from No. 4 and No. 3 to where he is now at No. 1 is a healthy jump, but he adapted to it nicely."
Botzer said that while he appreciated his new role as captain, his consistent approach wouldn't change.

"In my first two years, even though I was older than the seniors, I wanted to stay humble, try to learn from them and give them the respect they deserve," Botzer said. "Now I'm trying to lead by example on the tennis court, in the classroom, in between matches and trying my best and letting them know I'm always there for them. The coaches and others are all doing a great job. It's not a one-man mission, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

Unfortunately, a promising season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After beginning the fall season ranked No. 15 — the highest ranking of his career, Botzer was riding a five-match win streak when the season came to an abrupt end. He finished the shortened season with an 18-8 overall record.

Wake Forest Athletics

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Petros Chrysochos

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