TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil men's tennis senior Justin Roberts was granted the Southwest region Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Saturday morning.
Roberts played a huge leadership role on a relatively young ASU men's tennis squad, representing the only senior on the nine-man roster. The graduate student transferred to Arizona State for his last season and made an immediate impact both on and off the court for coach Matt Hill.
The Bahamian played three seasons at the University of South Florida – two of which were under Hill – where he advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA tournament in doubles during his freshman year and notched a top-5 upset also in tandem play. Roberts made the jump to Tempe for his senior season to follow coach Hill, providing valuable leadership along the way.
Roberts posted a 10-8 record in singles play in 2019, primarily at the number three spot for the Sun Devils. He proved of the utmost importance in the Sun Devils' second-straight Territorial Cup Series point over Arizona, clinching the victory with his 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 singles win.
He and doubles partner Makey Rakotomlala also anchored courts two and three all season long, putting up an 11-8 record as a pair.
After exhausting his eligibility at the conclusion of the 2019 season last month, Roberts plans to play a slate of professional tennis over the summer and then return to Tempe in the fall to train and complete his master's degree in Sports Law and Business. He will represent the first Sun Devil men's tennis player since reinstatement to earn his degree as he plans to graduate in December 2019.
Roberts played a huge leadership role on a relatively young ASU men's tennis squad, representing the only senior on the nine-man roster. The graduate student transferred to Arizona State for his last season and made an immediate impact both on and off the court for coach Matt Hill.
The Bahamian played three seasons at the University of South Florida – two of which were under Hill – where he advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA tournament in doubles during his freshman year and notched a top-5 upset also in tandem play. Roberts made the jump to Tempe for his senior season to follow coach Hill, providing valuable leadership along the way.
Roberts posted a 10-8 record in singles play in 2019, primarily at the number three spot for the Sun Devils. He proved of the utmost importance in the Sun Devils' second-straight Territorial Cup Series point over Arizona, clinching the victory with his 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 singles win.
He and doubles partner Makey Rakotomlala also anchored courts two and three all season long, putting up an 11-8 record as a pair.
After exhausting his eligibility at the conclusion of the 2019 season last month, Roberts plans to play a slate of professional tennis over the summer and then return to Tempe in the fall to train and complete his master's degree in Sports Law and Business. He will represent the first Sun Devil men's tennis player since reinstatement to earn his degree as he plans to graduate in December 2019.