Athlete of the Week: Yehonatan Kaufman

Name: Yehonatan Kaufman
Classification: Freshman
Sport: Tennis
Age: 19
Hometown: Ramat HaSharon, Israel

Who is your favorite athlete?
“Novak Djokovic.” He is a Bulgarian tennis player ranked No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals.

Who is your role model?
My father.

What is the best advice you’ve been given and by whom?
“My father, he told [me] to be competitive in every match that I’m playing, no matter what, to keep fighting on the courts.”

Favorite place to hang out on campus?
“With my friends in their apartments, next to the dorms.”

When did you begin playing tennis and why did you start?
“Seven. My brother, he started to play tennis, and a few days after we started talking about it in our house, and he told me it’s fun and ‘come with me to play.’”

What are your academic goals?
“3.5 GPA. I want to be like really good.”

What is your favorite movie? 
“Never Back Down,” a 2008 martial arts movie.

Where’s your dream vacation?
“Australia, because I have three teammates from Australia and they told me it was a great place to be there. So, it
can be a great opportunity to be there.”

How do you feel about being part of the first UTRGV Men’s Tennis Team?
“As soon as I came here everyone supported me. Juan [Cruz Soria] and Koby [Jansen] helped me to be here, and I think it’s a good opportunity because we’re a good team and everyone is fighting in the court and no one gives up any point and we support each other.”

–Compiled by Jesus Esparza